My facewash bleached and ruined my new washcloth!

June 8, 2006 6:03 PM

My facewash bleached and ruined my new washcloth!

It left a pretty brown washcloth with a giant orange splotch!

I know this one is not salvagable, but is there anything I can do to keep this from happening to my other new washcloths (short of not using them or switching face washes?)

This face wash has not bleached other similarly colored (older) washclothes before, and the new ones had been washed before use. Are all my new washclothes destined to be only decoration?

posted by saucy to Home & Garden (9 answers total)

If your facewash has benzoyl peroxide in it, then the answer is no-- there isn't anything to keep the peroxide from bleaching fabric besides using a different wash or switching to white washcloths. Incidentally, if you use acne medication or pore-clearing type products, they may also bleach your pillowcases. Beware!
posted by bonheur at 6:15 PM on June 8, 2006

white washcloths saved my mom's household from the ravages of my benzoyl peroxide.
posted by soma lkzx at 6:15 PM on June 8, 2006

I have waschloths for guests that match my towels, and some for my own, personal face washing which are white and can stand a lot of abuse.

Also (as an aside), there is a stack of "dirty" ones - which i wash separately - they are great for washing the floor, woodwork, just about anything, because they don't leave lint and simply work better than a sponge.
posted by WaterSprite at 6:26 PM on June 8, 2006

Also if you use benzoyl peroxide cream on your face at night it will bleach your pillows.
posted by radioamy at 7:19 PM on June 8, 2006

A friend of mine found gray ( actually bleached ) hair that her face wash had bleached...
posted by tdreyer1 at 10:31 PM on June 8, 2006

I'd be scared of putting anything on my face that bleached my washcloth!
posted by purplefiber at 11:29 PM on June 8, 2006

This is pretty common. I've bleached quite a few washcloths, but there are a few that I haven't. It has something to do with the dying method, though I've not been able to figure out how to tell in the store which cloths will not be bleached.
posted by misanthropicsarah at 7:29 AM on June 9, 2006 [1 favorite]

I only u white washcloth to wash my face. It's easy to clean.
posted by teapot at 3:37 PM on June 11, 2006

Benzoyl peroxide is a bleach, which (in my understanding) is why it lightens the color of blemishes. Most acne meds, OTC or prescribed, are good about saying that the product will bleach hair and colored fabric; just make sure to read the small print.

Besides the splotch on your washcloth, you may also see bleaching on your sheets (if you leave it on before bed) or clothes (if you leave it on before dressing).
posted by booksandlibretti at 1:09 PM on June 12, 2006