The Truth About Orange Stains on Towels That Stay Put

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# **The Truth About Orange Stains on Towels That Stay Put**

(*Spoiler: It’s not just bad laundry habits.*)

You’ve probably seen it before.

You wash your face, dry off with a fresh towel, and go about your day. But a few washes later, something strange shows up—**faint orange blotches**, or worse, deep rusty streaks that look like your towels had a run-in with Cheetos.

You rewash. You bleach.
You Google things like *“orange towel stains won’t come out??”*
Nothing works.

And here’s the frustrating part:
The stains don’t just appear once. **They keep coming back.**

So, what gives?

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## 🧪 **What Are These Orange Stains, Really?**

Despite how they look, **they’re usually not rust or dirt**. In most cases, the culprit is something far more common—**your skincare products**.

Yep. That expensive vitamin C serum or acne treatment you love? It might be the reason your towels are looking less-than-fresh.

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### 🔬 **The Main Offenders:**

1. **Benzoyl Peroxide**
Found in acne creams, face washes, and spot treatments. It’s notorious for bleaching towels and leaving behind yellow-orange stains that get worse with heat or time.

2. **Salicylic Acid & AHAs/BHAs**
These chemical exfoliants don’t bleach, but they can react with minerals in your water and leave behind discoloration.

3. **Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid)**
When it oxidizes (which it naturally does when exposed to air), it can leave behind **orange** residue—especially if it mixes with metal traces in your water or on surfaces.

4. **High Iron Content in Water**
If your home has hard water or high iron levels, minerals can react with soaps or skin products and deposit rusty stains that cling to fabric fibers.