Removing Sun Screen stains from linen

My mother used to leave things to soak a couple of hours in vinegar and cold water, but not 2-to-1, much less: about half a litre of vinegar to 5 of water. The problem is that, if you have already washed them at a temperature higher than 30°, you will have fixed the stain with the heat (a bit like with blood stains) and I doubt that you will manage to save the current lot. I suggest you automatically do the pre-soaking with vinegar with all the linen and towels, regardless of whether you see stains or not, and then wash at no more than 30°. Allow to dry in full sun - this always works wonders. If there are no visible stains after this and you would want to wash at a higher temperature, then do so. I wouldn't bother though. If this doesn't work, I suggest you supply your guests with yellow bedlinen and towels for the future!

I have found that blood stains (the next gory challenge to apartment owners!) will come out by soaking in salt and cold water, and then an enzyme wash, and then the full sun drying. Tedious, but effective, as for other linens as Raggio suggests, buy bright colours for towels and bathmats.

Those stains are very difficult to remove; however, use some hydrogen peroxide straight from the bottle directly on the stains and allow it to act for half an hour. Then, wash the linen again in hot water. It works on a variety of stains, so you may be lucky....

I have heard that Ariel Active can get out washed in stains like these but can't seem to find it here (don't know if you have anyone coming over who could bring some), Recently I have discovered that Vanish colour run and stain remover saches seem to work on a fresh stain and levae your sheets realy white. They come in a box of 10 and cost about €5 so are cheaper than new sheets

I decided that I would try all the recommendations as it appeared this lot of linen was going in the bin so had nothing to lose.  Apart from Gala's suggestion I have tried everything else and although I have very white sheets and towels the stains remain.  The dogs have some more towels :-(  I suspect had the stains been obvious before the first wash then some possibly all of these solutions would have worked but as explained, stains only apparent after washed and dried and thus I suspect very firmly set.  Short of presoaking all linen and towels there appears to be no solution.  Just going to have to buy less expensive linen and towels.  Thanks everyone for trying to help. p.s. my guests had left all their sun screens (courtesy of ryanair luggage restrictions I suspect) and thus I knew the brands.  There were 3 types and I contacted all 3 (nivea, piz buin and boots).  Nivea did not respond, piz buin came back with some vague response that had little to do with the question but boots actually called and suggested I take the stained items to my nearest store for compensation - I was impressed by that - they did not realise I was not in UK having given them my English skype number on the original e-mail.

I also have terrible yellow stains on all my guests sheets from sun cream. Unfortunately as it was a wet day on changeover day, I took all the bed linen down to the laundrette and then used a drier, and so set in the stains. I decided as the cream is a grease, to try a sgrassatore spray. I used AMUCHINA superfici spray - Disinfettante Sgrassatore Attivo, to give its correct name. I tried it on a pillowcase and sprayed the whole pillowcase. Quite scary as it then turned brilliant yellow!. I left it like that for hours, then I rinsed in cold water and tried another. Then I put them in the washing machine on a hot wash also with Vanish oxi action for whites AND an Omino Bianco Idrocap. I probably went over the top with additives. Wonderful outcome........Brilliant white pillowcases!! I hope that this will help as we are both in Italy and the spray is easy to find in the COOP. good Luck!