Whitepaper

5 reasons why
your clothes
yellow
No one likes
yellow stains on
their clothes
It’s as simple as that. But over time and with
repeated use, what once was a lovely white
shirt starts to fade and turn yellow. The detailed
reasons are complex, but the majority of textile
yellowing comes down to one primary cause:
a lack of deep hygienic cleaning.

In this whitepaper we will introduce you to five

of the most common routes for developing
yellow stains, complex as they may be, and
introduce you to possible solutions to the
lingering consumer challenge of textile
yellowing.
1.
Your skin
hydrates
itself by
producing
sebum

One of the biggest challenges with clothes turning

yellow is the fact that humans produce sebum
constantly.
This is a natural process aimed at keeping
our skin moist. Sebum is a lightly yellow oily
substance secreted by the sebaceous glands you
have all over your body – except for on your palms
and soles of your feet.

Although sebum is crucial to maintaining healthy

skin, it’s problematic when it comes to laundry and
textile care. Sebum is easily transferred from your
body to the clothes you wear or the sheets you
sleep in – and it builds up significantly over time.

The sebum transferred to your clothes and

home textiles consists mainly of mono-, di- and
triglycerides, free fatty acids, fatty acid esters
of aliphatic alcohols, and a substance called
squalene.

After wash, some of these components will have

been successfully washed away. But some of the
sebaceous compounds, such as the glycerides and
fatty acid esters, tend to linger in the clothes. Plus,
during the wash, these compounds can also start
to oxidize (becoming chemically altered),
making them even more challenging to
remove.

The speed of oxidation matters to yellowing

The oxidation products are produced by the
reaction between detergent components and
sebum, or even from the conditions of the
wash itself. Hotter wash cycles, tumble drying,
and drying in humid conditions can accelerate
oxidation.

Depending on their structure, the sebaceous

compounds react differently in the way they yellow
fabrics. Some highly unsaturated oily soils oxidize
extremely fast which makes them easier to remove
in the wash – even if residues might still linger.

In contrast, oily soils that oxidize slowly are harder

to remove because they penetrate deeper into
the fabric, and sometimes even bind irreversibly
with the fibers themselves. And that’s bad news
for your clothes, because now the fabric is
permanently yellowed.
Fig 1. Sebum from your body transfers to your clothes and builds a
complicated yellow structure of body grime that’s hard to remove.

The problem isn’t just oily soils

Oily soils that are stuck in the fabric are likely to
attract and bind other soils – like dirt from other
stained clothes, or pollutants in the environment.
The extra trapped dirt further increases the yellowing
and overall dinginess of your clothes, especially in
areas with high air pollution or humidity, or when
clothes are washed with very dirty items.
2.
Your
microbiome
sets up
the perfect
environment

Your body is a well-oiled machine – not the least

because of an abundance of microorganisms living
in a symbiotic relationship with your skin. Many of
these microorganisms are transferred from your skin
and can be found in your laundry too – after wear,
but also after wash.
So, like sebum, some microorganisms are
left over on your clothing even when the
clothes have been washed.

A microbial stain on your clothes rarely consists

of just one bacterial species. It’s normally a very
complex, sticky matrix with different bacterial
strains that have various functions. Once this matrix
is formed, it can be difficult to get rid of. And as you
continue to use your clothes, the bacteria continue
to thrive and complicate the sticky structure further.
Which, in turn, attracts other compounds that
contribute to more yellowing – like your sebum and
other external particles.

Natural fibers, like cotton, are more susceptible to

microbial growth than synthetic fibers like polyester.
The characteristics of the fibers and thickness of
the clothes also impact microbes and their growth.
Damaged and aged fibers are more likely to harbor
bacteria because of the crevices they create. The
crevices simply shield the microbes from physical
removal during wash.
 Complex Shirt turned
bacterial matrix more yellow

Fig 2. A complex matrix of bacteria sticks to fabric fibers

at the core and with time turns more yellow.

The detergent you choose, how efficiently you

dry your clothing before storing, and how well
you maintain your textiles all directly impact how
bacteria thrive in your fabrics.
3.
Your
laundry’s
bacteria
produce
yellow
colorants

The microscopic world is astoundingly diverse and

colorful. Many bacteria are known to produce a
pigment as part of their natural metabolism.
But different bacteria produce different groups
and colors of pigments. When we talk yellowing,
the important pigment group is carotenoids,
which consists of warm colors like yellow, orange
and red.

Carotenoids, such as lutein, have been detected

on human skin and are known to be produced
by certain strains of microbes. Some of these
microbes, such as Micrococcus Luteus have also
been found not only on skin, but also in laundry –
both before and after wash.

So, in addition to forming complex matrices that

trap internal and external molecules, the natural
process of bacteria living and growing in all
environments can lead to pigment production and
ultimately yellowing of textiles.
 Control

Fig 3. Some laundry

relevant bacteria can
under the right conditions
grow, thrive and produce
carotenoids which can
color your clothes. Microbial growth on cotton over time
4.
You use
anti-perspirants

No one likes to discover a pungent smell coming

from their armpit. But did you know that our
sweat itself is generally odorless?
When bacteria are present on the skin,
they produce byproducts that give sweat
its unpleasant smell. That’s why many people use
personal care products, such as deodorants and
anti-perspirants to stop the malodor.

These products work in different ways.

Deodorants mainly mask the bad smells using
perfume, whereas anti-perspirants inhibit sweat
production. All anti-perspirants contain a form of
metallic salt – usually aluminum. Aluminum salts
react with the proteins from your sweat, forming
a gel-like structure which obstructs the sweat
glands and prevents sweating.

Good for your personal hygiene, perhaps not so

good for your shirt.

When anti-perspirants are applied to your

armpits, this obstructing gel will eventually
redeposit. Especially if it’s not fully dry before you
put your shirt on. It then starts to form complex
layers of the anti-perspirant, sweat, and sebum,
making it hard to remove.
Once in the wash, the complex gel can
also react with ingredients in laundry
detergent, forming an insoluble aluminum
soap, which is sticky and yellow. With repeated
washing, wearing, and especially drying, the stain
will set even deeper into the fabric fibers.

So, while you may not suffer from excessive

sweating, you might stain your clothes yellow as a
result of using anti-perspirants.

Other personal care products

can cause yellowing too
Some skin care products contain free fatty
acids, squalene, triglycerides, and other
compounds that are similar to those of sebum,
all to help your skin feel soft and moisturized.
But when they linger in your clothes, they can
cause similar problems to sebum yellowing.

Also, oil-based sunscreen can cause yellowing,

especially if you don’t allow the product to fully
dry before putting on clothes or if you sweat
excessively later in the day. When sunscreen is
exposed to the hot sun, which naturally is where
sunscreen is most often used, it can also oxidize
to change color and potentially become more
embedded in your clothes as well.
Fig 4. Personal care products that many people
use every day contribute to yellowing.
5.
Your
textiles
get older

When it’s nice and warm outside you might feel

inclined to go enjoy the sun. Perhaps in your
favorite linen shirt? But make no mistake, the sun
can be harmful not only to your skin, but also to
your clothes.
Exposure to direct sunlight can not only
turn fabrics yellow, but the sun’s rays can
have a direct negative effect on the durability of
natural fibers.

When natural fibers such as cotton, silk, linen,

and wool are exposed to heat or ultraviolet light,
the fibers themselves can oxidize and turn yellow.
The degree to which a fabric will be damaged by
oxidation depends on the exposure (intensity and
duration) and the fiber composition. For instance,
protein-based fibers such as wool and silk are
more susceptible to heat compared to cotton
fibers.

This accelerated aging process impacts the tensile

strength of the fibers too. As your clothes are
turning yellow, they will also lose their stability,
strength, and shape.

Now that the fibers are frayed and weakened, they

are more likely to bind sebum too.
 Control

Fig 5. Repeated
exposure to external
factors like heat and
ultraviolet rays from the
sun can slowly discolor Cotton aged at 140°C for 3 hours to
your favorite t-shirt. induce yellowing

The combined presence of oily soils can also mean

further degradation of cellulose fibers in cotton,
which causes complex reactions between oxidized
oily soils and the fibers. And that, in turn, speeds
up yellowing and general degradation of clothes.
So how do
you combat
yellowing?
Yellowing comes in many shapes and forms.
Some can be attributed to inevitable sebum and
bacteria coming off our skin, but also external
factors such as sun, humidity, and personal care
products.

The questions is, what can you do to stop it?

Over years of trials and testing, we have learned

that prevention is far easier and more effective
than removing existing yellowing. In some cases,
removal is virtually impossible once a chemical
reaction has occurred. Since the primary routes
of yellowing all derive from an insufficient clean,
choosing the right detergent/ingredients from the
start can make a significant difference towards
maintaining the brightness and whiteness of
clothing.
Possible solutions
to prevent yellowing
Various ingredients are used to fight
yellowing today. Bleach can fight the appearance
of stains but comes at the risk of damaging
clothes and fibers. Optical brighteners also
help textiles appear white, but as the name
suggests, they simply give the visual impression
of whiteness and brightness. Neither ingredient
removes the soils which are the root cause of
yellowing.

Ingredients such as surfactants, polymers,

and enzymes are designed to remove soils and
support a deep clean. Certain enzymes can
break down the complex soils that contribute
to yellowing and can even help maintain fiber
integrity to fight off trapped dirt. These specific
enzymes can fight the root causes of yellowing
from the start.

In addition to using the right cleaning ingredients,

the way you handle your clothing can also help
prolong textile lifetime.
For instance, avoid tumble drying if you
notice that your clothing has not yet been
fully cleaned, because stains will set and
make it even more difficult to tackle in the next
wash – which can lead to yellowing over time.
Also, fully drying your clothes before storage can
help fight microbial growth in fibers and manage
the sources of microbial yellowing over the textile
lifetime too.
Do you have questions
or want to learn more?
We are happy to help!
Use the QR codes to learn more
about the benefits of enzymes for
preventing yellowing and malodor,
and to learn how to get in touch
with us.
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