beauty

Chrissy Teigen accidentally fake tanned her white quilt.

Fake tanning is a delicate art form.

Not only does the application process require almighty concentration and evenness of hand — whether it’s done by a trained pro or yourself — but the immediate aftermath is fraught with danger. Wearing light-coloured clothing, crying, and slipping between the covers at bed time all have the potential to end in catastrophe.

Just ask Chrissy Teigen, the latest victim to the dreaded tan-stained sheet. Well, quilt, in her case.

The model and new mum was kind enough to share the evidence on Snapchat, and as you can see her fresh spray tan left a rather… detailed imprint on her lovely white bedding. Behold, a tanning masterpiece:

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I mean, this is like an artwork in and of itself. Image: Chrissie Teigen/Snapchat

Teigen is not the first woman to leave tanning marks on her bedding, nor will she be the last. Until tanning technology progresses to the point where the formula doesn't transfer at all, we just need to accept this as an inescapable fact of life.

That said, having to remove said marks from your once-pristine clothes and sheets can be an almighty challenge. If a product can stay on your skin for several days, you bet it'll do the same for your beloved garments.

"The purpose of a fake tan is to effectively stain your skin, which makes them a nuisance to remove from clothes and sheets," confirms Elke Keeley, co-founder of on-demand cleaning service UrbanYou.

Watch: Want a glowing complexion without using fake tan? Try a brightening product. (Post continues after video.)

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"The important thing is to act fast before the stain sets permanently."

Your first step is to run the reverse side of the stained area under cool water, which will help to loosen the tan from the fabric. Tempting as it might be to try to rub the tan out, Keeley warns against doing so at this point because you might end up pushing it further into the sheet or garment.

"Dab the stained area with a solution of water and laundry detergent, even dishwashing liquid will do. Work the solution into the affected area before rinsing again with water," she continues.

"Then use a biological detergent to run the sheets through the washing machine. The stain should then be gone." (Post continues after gallery.)

With any luck, that will spell the end of your ordeal. However, if the stain is particularly persistent and it happens to be on white fabric (as it always seems to be), Keeley recommends treating the affected area with an oxygen-based bleach.

"Be careful to only apply to the stain and not to the entire sheet," she adds.

While this information might be useful for Chrissy Teigen in the event of any future sheet tanning incidents, there's another tan-related dilemma we're not sure we can help with. As she posted on Twitter earlier this week:

Incredible indeed.

What's your greatest fake tanning fail to date?

Featured image: Getty