Whether we like it or not, sweating is a natural function of the human body. Physically, sweating is a good thing because it helps rid your body of toxins and is a natural way to lower your body temperature when you’re hot. However, if you sweat profusely while wearing a shirt with sleeves, you’ll notice an unpleasant grey or yellow/green stain form in your armpit area. If you don’t treat these stains properly, you either have to make an effort to keep your hands at your sides, discard your shirts and buy new ones, or suffer embarrassment every time you lift your hands.
Fortunately, there are a number of ways you can remove sweat stains from your clothing and keep your clothes looking new and fresh.
Removing Sweat Stains
A sweat stain is identifiable by the yellow or greenish tint on your clothing. It is created from a combination of the bacteria, protein and toxins in your sweat that are left behind on your shirt when the sweat dries.
- For colored shirts, mix together two tablespoons of white vinegar in one cup of water. Apply the mixture directly to the stain with a toothbrush and let it sit for about 20 minutes.
- For white shirts, create a mixture of half hydrogen peroxide and half water. The hydrogen peroxide breaks up the proteins of the sweat left behind on your shirt, which creates the stain. Let the stains soak in this solution for about 20 minutes before washing.
You can also break apart three ASPIRIN® tablets into two or more tablespoons of water and create a solution to brush onto your armpit stains, or you can create a solution of baking soda and water.
If the stain is new or relatively fresh, you can simply rub regular laundry detergent or basic shampoo into the stain and let it set before you throw it into the wash with the rest of your clothes.
Once you have let the stain-busting solution set for awhile, put the garment into the washer, and wash it with cold water and regular detergent.
Removing Deodorant Stains
Deodorant stains vary from sweat stains in their color and texture, and the way you remove them from your clothes is different too. Deodorant stains have a white color and may even feel a little greasy. If the stain in the underarms of your shirt is a deodorant stain, treat it with a grease-busting household cleaner before washing it.
Stain Removal Tips
- Use only cold water to wash your clothes when you’re trying to remove a stain, and do not dry the clothes with heat. Heat can actually set the stains into the fabric and make them permanent.
- Check the tags on your clothes before you try any sort of stain-removal treatment. Some clothes (like nice dresses or suits) should only be handled by a professional dry cleaner.
- Treat stains as quickly as possible for optimum results. Otherwise, you may find the stain harder to break up, requiring multiple stain treatments and washes instead of just one.
- Don’t let the at-home sweat-stain-removing solutions dry into your clothes, especially if the shirts are colored.
- Don’t use bleach to remove sweat stains, even on basic white t-shirts. The bleach reacts with the elements and proteins left by your sweat and actually makes the stain worse.
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