How to Get Sweat Stains out of Clothing
Understand the cause., Examine the stain., Choose a light treatment., Choose a strong treatment., Let the acid soak in., Treat white shirts with hydrogen peroxide (optional)., Run through the washing machine., Wash with stain remover and bleach.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Understand the cause.
White or yellow sweat stains are caused when two products react: underarm deodorant with aluminum-based ingredients; and alkali laundry detergent with carbon compounds.
You can't do much about the detergent, but switching to a deodorant without antiperspirant can solve your problem.
If the switch isn't worth the sweat, you'll need an acidic treatment to dissolve the aluminum bond.
Read on for more guidance.
Not all antiperspirants are created equal.
Neutral, unscented antiperspirant tends to leave white stains, which are harder to notice and easier to clean.
However, all-natural, plant-based deodorants may leave a very yellow stain, even if unscented. -
Step 2: Examine the stain.
No single treatment is best at cleaning sweat stains, because of the vast differences between deodorant brands.
Check out the stain to get a good idea of what might work:
If the stain is white, hard, and brittle, any acid will usually remove the stain.
Use the most convenient option from the lists below.
If the stain is bright white and bends easily, it will require stronger acids.
Try one of the strong treatments below, such as lemon juice or vinegar.
If the stain is yellow, it's hard to evaluate.
Try any convenient option first.
If that doesn't work, you may need to make several attempts with strong treatments. , If you happen to have these already, you can give them a go.
These tend to be weaker acids than the strong treatments below:
Clear soda or soft drinks (carbolic and phosphoric acids); avoid colored sodas A paste of baking soda and a little water (although alkaline, this contains carbonic acid) Crushed aspirin (acetylsalicylic) Meat tenderizer powder (not a great option, due to variation between brands) , If the stain is tough to remove, try these stronger treatments:
Strong white vinegar (acetic acid) Do not use balsamic vinegar as that will further ruin the clothes Lemon juice, or any raw citrus fruit (citric acid) Professional cleaners may use stronger acid treatments.
Request this as a last resort, due to the risk of burning holes in your clothing. , Saturate the stain with your chosen acid.
Let sit for 20 minutes to 2 hours, depending on how old and heavy the stain is.
Squeeze out the wet area of the shirt before you continue. , This is a whitening agent, which may bleach colored clothing.
If used on a white shirt, this can help make the stain less noticeable.
Saturate the stain and let sit another 20 minutes.
Optionally, add baking powder and salt as well to abrade the stain. , You can add this to the rest of your clothes.
If you are concerned about setting the stain further, you may want to run it through without laundry detergent — but most people do not find this necessary.
If the stain is less visible but not completely gone, run it through a second time. , This may do the job, but it will bleach colored clothing.
If nothing else works, apply stain remover over the stain and wash again with a scoop or two of bleach directly on the clothing.
Set your washer on the highest spin speed so the bleach is evenly distributed throughout your clothing. -
Step 3: Choose a light treatment.
-
Step 4: Choose a strong treatment.
-
Step 5: Let the acid soak in.
-
Step 6: Treat white shirts with hydrogen peroxide (optional).
-
Step 7: Run through the washing machine.
-
Step 8: Wash with stain remover and bleach.
Detailed Guide
White or yellow sweat stains are caused when two products react: underarm deodorant with aluminum-based ingredients; and alkali laundry detergent with carbon compounds.
You can't do much about the detergent, but switching to a deodorant without antiperspirant can solve your problem.
If the switch isn't worth the sweat, you'll need an acidic treatment to dissolve the aluminum bond.
Read on for more guidance.
Not all antiperspirants are created equal.
Neutral, unscented antiperspirant tends to leave white stains, which are harder to notice and easier to clean.
However, all-natural, plant-based deodorants may leave a very yellow stain, even if unscented.
No single treatment is best at cleaning sweat stains, because of the vast differences between deodorant brands.
Check out the stain to get a good idea of what might work:
If the stain is white, hard, and brittle, any acid will usually remove the stain.
Use the most convenient option from the lists below.
If the stain is bright white and bends easily, it will require stronger acids.
Try one of the strong treatments below, such as lemon juice or vinegar.
If the stain is yellow, it's hard to evaluate.
Try any convenient option first.
If that doesn't work, you may need to make several attempts with strong treatments. , If you happen to have these already, you can give them a go.
These tend to be weaker acids than the strong treatments below:
Clear soda or soft drinks (carbolic and phosphoric acids); avoid colored sodas A paste of baking soda and a little water (although alkaline, this contains carbonic acid) Crushed aspirin (acetylsalicylic) Meat tenderizer powder (not a great option, due to variation between brands) , If the stain is tough to remove, try these stronger treatments:
Strong white vinegar (acetic acid) Do not use balsamic vinegar as that will further ruin the clothes Lemon juice, or any raw citrus fruit (citric acid) Professional cleaners may use stronger acid treatments.
Request this as a last resort, due to the risk of burning holes in your clothing. , Saturate the stain with your chosen acid.
Let sit for 20 minutes to 2 hours, depending on how old and heavy the stain is.
Squeeze out the wet area of the shirt before you continue. , This is a whitening agent, which may bleach colored clothing.
If used on a white shirt, this can help make the stain less noticeable.
Saturate the stain and let sit another 20 minutes.
Optionally, add baking powder and salt as well to abrade the stain. , You can add this to the rest of your clothes.
If you are concerned about setting the stain further, you may want to run it through without laundry detergent — but most people do not find this necessary.
If the stain is less visible but not completely gone, run it through a second time. , This may do the job, but it will bleach colored clothing.
If nothing else works, apply stain remover over the stain and wash again with a scoop or two of bleach directly on the clothing.
Set your washer on the highest spin speed so the bleach is evenly distributed throughout your clothing.
About the Author
Daniel Kelly
Daniel Kelly has dedicated 7 years to mastering non profit. As a content creator, Daniel focuses on providing actionable tips and step-by-step guides.
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