It may be time to swap the harsh chemicals and solvents for a high-intensity blue LED light, according to a study recently published in the journal ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering. Exposing a sweat-like stain on cotton (left image) to a blue LED light for 10 minutes significantly removed the yellow color (right image). From there, the team tested three stain-removing options: a hydrogen peroxide bath, or exposure to either blue LED or ultraviolet (UV) light. The results were unambiguous: the blue light outperformed both the hydrogen peroxide and UV options. Further experiments showed that blue LED treatments safely lightened similar squalene stains on silk and polyester, while also mitigating stains from common stain-causing compounds like oleic acid, tomato juice, and orange juice.