So you have a stain your shirt and wonder will hand sanitizer stain clothes and leave a lasting mark?
Before you get all panicky let’s delve into the composition of your hand sanitizer and what you can do to minimise permanent stain!
All Hand sanitizer has an active ingredient which gives it a strong smell, can you guess it?
yup, alcohol! the alcohol content in it is the reason is the cause of concern when it comes into contact with clothing, it could penetrate into fabric dyes or other compounds which eventually leads to strains.
Does hand sanitizer stain clothes if you wait til you get home to wash?
Let say a droplet of it accidently gets on your white shirt. If you don’t immediately remove it the alchohol will penetrate and cause a lasting stain that looks like a wet patch.
So, a higher alcohol concentrations pose a greater risk of staining compared to milder formulations.
So, you have a stain, what can you do now?
Quick action is key. Should a hand sanitizer come into contact with your clothing, immediately get a kleenex (tissue) and blot the affected area to remove as much of the sanitizer as possible.
What ever you do, DO NOT RUB the affected areas, it will just makes the patch bigger.
Okay so you’ve blotted away the excess sanitizer, it’s time for some washing.
Go to the nearest washroom and use any soap you could find (best is if you find stain remover or laundry detergent) but hand soap will do for now.
Apply on the affected area promptly, leave it for a few minutes to help break down the stain.
Use some water and gently rub the stain away.
If that does not work, you have to send your shirt to your trusted fabric care specialist and ask their professional assistance to remove the stain to avoid permanent discolouration.
While it’s handy to have hand sanitizer, you have to be careful not to get it on your clothes especially delicate fabrics like silks.
Get a handy stain remover pen in your bag together with your hand sanitizer, incase you get it stain you can quickly apply it and not let the alcohol for too long on your clothes.
Other related question:
Does hand sanitizer Stain Leather?
Yes, hand sanitizer especially with high alcohol concentration can stain leather.
Made from porous material, Leather bags or jackets can have some discolouration or worst damaged when in contact with alcohol in hand sanitizer as it can dissolve dyes and structure of the leather.
To avoid this it is important to regularly clean and condition leather items to maintain their appearance and protect them from potential damage caused by hand sanitizer.
If you are carrying a leather bag make sure to let your hands dry after applying the hand sanitiser. If accidental contact occurs, immediately wipe away the sanitizer with a damp cloth or kleenex, then let it dry.
If you could not wipe the stain away from your bag, get it to a professional leather cleaner and dont attempt to remove it yourself.
If you are okay with some stains, some other options is to acessorize to personalise your bag and make it uniquely yours =)
