What made my cotton cloth stain?(need help)

[jane910602]

What made my cotton cloth stain?(need help)
My blue towel and my green pillowcase both had different color spots on them since I started to use a certain kind of facial foam. So I thought it was this kind of facial foam which made them change color, but after I washed different colors of cotton cloth using the same facial foam, the spots didn’t show up. Then I thought that the heat in our drier may affect the change, so I put the cloth into the heat to dry them. Still it didn’t work.
Not long ago, I marked a part of my blue stained towel, that part didn’t have spot on it. Then, I started to use my facial foam and this tower. I also put it into the washing machine and the drier like I did before. It still didn’t work.
I don’t know what to do with it right now.

I posted a topic here before, the name is Will vitamin E change the colors of cotton clothes.

[Craig_Bridge]

The last expert in the archive thread posted:

I like that you are using a real world puzzle as your science project. That to me is the best kind - something relevant to your real life.

If you are getting it in spots, that's a sign that something is being rubbed or splashed on the cloth before it is washed.

If this only happened after you used the new facial foam and only on things that touched your face then probably there is something in the foam being left on the towel that is reacting badly with your laundry soap.

As facial soaps are complex though, and bathrooms contain lots of other stuff that gets on your face and on the towel (eg, acne cream, makeup, hand soaps) and also others may be using the towel, you should verify your hypothesis that it is the foam by taking a fresh towel, that nobody else has used since it was last washed and putting foam on a portion of it, then washing it like you did the other towels. (by itself, you don't want to ruin more towels/clothing).

If it behaves the same way, it's the foam. If not, then something else is at fault.

Assuming it is the foam, look at the ingredients. Talk to your chemistry instructor about whether it is possible to isolate the different ingredients. Also look at a soap you use that does not cause the bleaching and see what is different. Somebody suggested checking if the foam is acidic or basic, and how much (PH balance). This is a fairly easy test that your chemistry teacher can teach you. PH is relative though - it will be less the more water you add. So you need to compare to a soap that doesn't cause the effect, with same amount of water.

I do think that you should focus the question on what is causing the change, rather than assuming Vitamin E causes the change and investigating Vitamin E.

Your latest tests have confirmed that it isn't as simple as just the foam and the laundry detergent; however, it didn't tell you if the foam is involved in the stain or not.

I recommend one of two paths:
1) Give up and find something else to do your project on, or
2) Attempt to recreate the spots in a more controlled manner by carefully documenting each attempt.
If you can't recreate your result, you won't be able to analyze it.

[Louise]

What made my cotton cloth stain?(need help)
My blue towel and my green pillowcase both had different color spots on them since I started to use a certain kind of facial foam. So I thought it was this kind of facial foam which made them change color, but after I washed different colors of cotton cloth using the same facial foam, the spots didn’t show up. Then I thought that the heat in our drier may affect the change, so I put the cloth into the heat to dry them. Still it didn’t work.
Not long ago, I marked a part of my blue stained towel, that part didn’t have spot on it. Then, I started to use my facial foam and this tower. I also put it into the washing machine and the drier like I did before. It still didn’t work.
I don’t know what to do with it right now.

I posted a topic here before, the name is Will vitamin E change the colors of cotton clothes.

Here is a link to the old thread for reference.
https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science- ... 73e981c186

Why don't you test some other products that you use? You could mark a towel in 6 or so squares with labels. Use toothpaste, mouthwash, anything you normally use. Lastly, try the laundry soap itself. If you use powdered soap, and it doesn't dissolve fully it can cause bleaching. I would put it on a wet towel and sprinkle the poweder on it. If you use liquid soap you can apply it directly. I'd let all products sit for at least one day, and then rinse the towel with water and check for stains.

Louise