Ecos oxy is a bleach, just an oxygen bleach, not chlorine.

@clt3 Thanks for pointing that out. I’m happy to stop using the oxo brite of that is the culprit. But the container says brightens colors, use with colors. I’ve probably done 25 color loads with it previously and never had this problem. Do you think it is the cause of these stains?

^ agree, they look like bleach stains (my Dh is *crazy* with the bleach spray cleaner and ends up with lots of these type of marks on his clothes)

Oxy in white loads only. Definitely bleach stains.

I'm grateful for the resounding verdict of oxy and the detailed reasoning behind it. Oxy only on whites! Ready to do more laundry with confidence now.

Very often, skin care products with peroxides or acids can damage clothes that way.

Are you using sunblock, face cream with retinol or any ointment for acne? THAT looks like the staining I used to see on sheets and towels when I was doing vacation rentals. 'Vacation' may be the key word here.

I'll go out on a limb and say those are NOT Oxy stains... that is sunblock. You can tell by the stain looking like something was wiped on the clothing. Bleach would be a freeform blotch. Whatever brand of sunblock you brought on vacation with you... toss it out.

You have some ruined clothes, use a rubber band to contain a bunch of oxy using some of those clothes and wash them again. I bet you can't repeat the pink staining.

Aha! Great sleuthing @Paul F. and Yonder. I have in the last month started using Neutrogena ultra sheer 60spf face moisturizer. Below are the ingredients. Do any seem like cause for concern?

I used retinol acne cream on my face in high school and it causwd second degree sunburns. Have not touched the stuff since then.

Also, the only time I had the linen dress on was to try it on in addressing room, then brought it home to wash. The dark blue garment is a night shirt. I didnt apply any sunscreen while wearing it.

Ingredients :

Active Ingredients Purpose Avobenzone (3%)..........Sunscreen Homosalate (13.5%)......Sunscreen Octisalate (5%)...............Sunscreen Octocrylene (10%).........SunscreenInactive Ingredients Water, Butyloctyl Salicylate, Glycerin, Alcohol Denat., Silica, Dimethicone, Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate, Polyurethane-62, Phenoxyethanol, Pentylene Glycol, Sodium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/VP Crosspolymer, Acrylates/Dimethicone Copolymer, Glyceryl Stearate, Chlorphenesin, Styrene/Acrylates Copolymer, Tocopheryl Acetate, Disodium EDTA, Trideceth-6, Sodium Hydroxide

Did some research and avobenzone can oxidize and cause stains on fabric! Off to find a sunscreen without it. I usually use thick natural stuff that makes me look like a ghost and dries my skin out. A month ago I decided to use a more commercial brand moisturizer + sunscreen. Maybe time to revert to my Casper ways.

I use oxiclean in my washer but always put it in the detergent dispenser not on my clothes in the washer I aslo rarely use it for dark clothes .

If it is indeed a mark from foundation/ suncream - maybe a soak in white vinegar will loosen it from the material. This has worked for me on deodorant marks.

I initially thought bleach lifting the color too. I never would have thought about sunscreen and retinol, that is interesting.

Kendrah: I can't use avobenzone, I'm terribly sensitive to it. I like the Shiseido Urban Environment Mineral Sunscreen -- be careful here, there are two different ones, the mineral one has no chemical sunscreens in it.

I also like Clinique City Block Sheer for my face. It's 100% mineral sunscreen, been using it for who knows how long, it's slightly tinted and with a little powder on top I don't need any foundation.

Blue Lizard also makes some terrific sunscreens, and some are 100% mineral. I find them on the heavy side, but many of them are waterproof/sweatproof and great for when I'm marathon gardening or out exercising in the heat of the day. (I have to be careful, though, because some of the chemical sunscreens don't bother me but too many days in a row of use and the ingredients that make them waterproof will irritate my skin)

Sunscreen staining is orange/ rust colored, not pink, IME.

Yes, I had loads of white towels with yellow sunblock stains since I’m at the beach and when you try regular bleach, it can oxidize the spots into a rust color and spread dots of rust everywhere. It can look exactly like metal shavings got into the load and rusted.

The only way I found to deal with the yellow stains was loads of Shout spot treatment and let it sit for a few hours. Then hot water wash with heavy duty tide and heaping scoop of…Oxy tossed in the drum.

Paula's Choice (link) has some of the best mineral sunscreens i have ever used. Their HYDRALIGHT Shine-Free Mineral Complex SPF 30 is one of my favorites. Elta MD has some nice mineral sunscreens, too, that don't make me look like Casper the Ghost.

Benzoyl peroxide (zit medicine) will leave stains in laundry (like if my kids wipe off their fingers on their shorts after applying the medicine), but in my experience it's more like an orange color.

Here is another thread about pink stains in laundry, and the most interesting comment I saw had to do with a photo of the washer water being bright pink.

https://www.houzz.com/discussions/3667746/bright-pink-stains-on-washed-clothes-help

Lastly, I rarely use Oxi anything in my laundry machine since I discovered Biz. For our water/machines/laundry needs, it works a lot better on whites.

Biz... that's a blast from the past! A quick read through and some of the comments stand out like they are in Hawaii and pink stains are showing up... 'it doesn't happen back home." Seems like a sun block issue. Another is "It is only the white towels my teen son uses." Benzoyl peroxide most likely. Some of the pics are hot pink spots like I've never seen though. Maybe a variety of chemicals reacting to an ingredient in the laundry soap leaving a pink staining?