I first noticed the issue when a strange neon-orange blotch appeared on my favorite grey hand towel. It wasn’t a typical stain — it looked almost fluorescent, like it had been marked with a highlighter. Thinking it was rust or a forgotten spill, I washed it thoroughly, but the mark remained. Over the following weeks, more towels became stained, giving my bathroom a bizarre pumpkin-orange theme.

The biggest culprit turned out to be benzoyl peroxide, a common ingredient in acne treatments. Unlike typical stains, it doesn’t add color — it removes it by bleaching the fabric dye. The result is a permanent orange or yellowish patch, especially noticeable on dark-colored towels. I realized the stains matched the areas where my face and hands touched the towel after applying skincare at night.

Iron-rich water, such as well water, can also cause orange staining. Tiny rust-like specks appear on fabric after washing, especially on whites. Regular detergent doesn’t help, but using a rust-removing laundry additive can prevent or reduce these types of stains by neutralizing iron before it sets into the fabric.

Surprisingly, some hair products and self-tanners can also be to blame. Pigments in “warmth-enhancing” shampoos or tanners may rub off when drying your hair or body, staining towels even after they seem dry. In my case, hair towels bore faint orange marks even though I’d never used self-tanner — the shampoo was the cause.

Cleaning products containing bleach or hydrogen peroxide can leave stains if you accidentally wipe your hands on a towel afterward. A friend thought her washing machine was to blame when, in fact, she was transferring cleaner residue from her hands.

Now, I use white towels for skincare, wait for products to dry, and keep older towels for hair care. Identifying the pattern of stains helped reduce the mystery — and saved my linen closet.