Can Blue Light Zap Away Food Stains? Here's What The Science Says

There's nothing more frustrating than pulling a shirt out of the wash and spotting a stain that refuses to budge. Hours of effort feel wasted, and scrubbing often leaves behind a faint spot that never really goes away. Part of what everyone gets wrong when doing laundry is believing that strong bleach or chemical cleaners are the only solution. Scientists are now challenging that idea with a surprising alternative, using high-intensity blue LED light to remove stains without the need for harsh chemicals. 

The finding could reshape how we think about laundry. Stains make clothes look worn, they shorten a garment's lifespan, and even contribute to waste as clothes end up in the landfill. Traditional bleaching methods also damage your fabrics, create new discoloration, and put a strain on the environment. Blue light technology could be a gentler, cleaner path forward that could keep clothes brighter for longer.

Getting rid of yellow stains on clothes usually means using strong bleach. But this method isn't great for delicate fabrics, or for the environment. A study published in the ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering has found a way to fight stains using a simple blue light. The study found that stains from sweat, natural oils, and food are a major reason your clean clothes are yellowing. Exposing them to a strong blue LED light causes the compounds to break apart and fade. Instead of needing harsh chemicals, the light works with oxygen in the air to gently break apart the colored compounds that cause stains, turning them into invisible ones. 

The team tested this on fabrics that were stained with orange juice, tomato juice, and natural oils from skin. The blue LED light was able to fade the stains without any bleach or solvents. "This approach avoids the use of harsh chemical oxidants typically required in conventional bleaching methods, making it inherently more sustainable," the study's corresponding author Tomohiro Sugahara released in a press statement.

And since no solvents are involved, it can even be used on delicate textiles that would normally be at risk during bleaching. Researchers say the results are encouraging, but more testing is needed before blue light stain removal is ready for everyday use. They want to make sure fabrics keep their original color and that the process is completely safe, both for home laundry and large-scale industrial cleaning. This could mean that in the coming years we can easily remove yellow stains with this genius hack.