It began with a single orange spot on my favorite gray towel. I scrubbed, soaked, and switched detergents,

but the marks kept spreading. They looked like stains, yet nothing removed them—until I learned the truth.

Those orange patches weren’t stains at all, but color loss caused by common ingredients in skincare and household products.

The main culprit? Benzoyl peroxide, found in acne creams and spot treatments. When it touches fabric, it doesn’t stain—it bleaches,

removing the towel’s dye and leaving behind bright orange or yellow spots that no wash can fix.

Even freshly cleaned towels can be affected if they come into contact with treated skin or hair.

Other causes include iron-rich tap water, which creates rusty discoloration, and hair dyes, self-tanners, or tinted shampoos

that leave hidden pigments revealed by dryer heat. Some cleaning sprays also contain bleaching agents that can splash and fade fabric unnoticed.

Now I prevent it by using white towels when applying skincare, waiting for products to dry before dressing,

and installing a water filter to reduce iron. For marked towels, I reuse them for cleaning or re-dye them darker.

What seemed mysterious turned out to be simple chemistry—and an easy fix with a few mindful habits.