Stained clothes on line in summer

[Neenee]

Just how does this work....

hve any of you put clothes on the line with still a slight stain mark on after washing them, then after an aafternoon blowing on the line, the stain has amazingly disappeared... Just how does that happen?

[B00]

The sun bleaches them perhaps?

[qapmoc]

The ability of a pigment to absorb certain colors and reflect others depends on the nature of the chemical bonds between the atoms that constitute the pigment molecule. It is the sharing of electrons between atoms that bonds them together. Light from the sun, especially the higher energy ultraviolet radiation, excites electrons and can break the bonds in the pigment. Of course, this process is not limited to pigment molecules: Textiles, plastics, wood, etc. are also degraded over time as sunlight causes the chemical bonds in them to break.

[cameo]

this has happened to me.
i remember once, when the kids were little, hanging a vest on the line with a tomato soup stain on it. when i brought it in later the stain had completely gone.

i presumed that the sun had something to do with it!

[freak_unique]

This totally happened to me aswell! I had like a stain on a white top - hung it out to dry (was gutted it hadnt washed out in the wash) brought the top in and the stain had vanished! i guessed that the sun had bleached it?

[heathfield]

I'm not sure whether it's the sun or not. A very old trick to get bedsheets whiter was to hang them out on the line when there was a sharp frost. For some reason no-one's explained, this seemed to bleach them.

[skilliyay]

hmmm, in future i wont bother using the washing machine, ill just shine a torch at my clothes!