Deodorant stains on shirts typically form when excess deodorant comes in contact with your clothes and combine with sweat. Even a small amount of sweat can produce a yellowish tint if it combines with deodorants that contain aluminum. The whitish, cakey residue marks can also smear on your favorites clothes if you layer too much deodorant. Read further to learn ways on how to remove deodorant stains from shirts.
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Techniques on how to remove deodorant stains from shirts
Remember that it is better to deal with deodorant stains while they are still fresh. Once they are left to set in your clothes, it might take some effort on your part to remove them. If you notice a deodorant stain on your clothes, simply try the following techniques below.
- Once you notice white marks on your shirt, you can try rubbing one of these products on the stained area.
- Fabric softener sheets
- Baby wipes
- Make-up remover
- Skid Out
- Meat tenderizer can be used to remove a deodorant stain on your shirt. Moisten the stained area with warm water. Sprinkle a generous amount of meat tenderizer on the site and work it in using your fingers. Let it sit for an hour and place the shirt in the washing machine.
- You can use aspirin as an effective stain remover. Use a mortar to pulverize 2 aspirin tablets into powder. Mix the powder in a half cup of hot water. Pour the solution directly on the stain and let it sit for a few hours before washing.
- Dish soap and hydrogen peroxide. Mix 3 tablespoons of dish soap with 6 tablespoons of hydrogen peroxide. Use a scrub brush and work it into the stain. Allow the shirt to sit for up to an hour and place it in the washing machine.
- Salt can be used to get rid of yellow stains. Dissolve 4 tablespoons of salt in 1 quart of hot water. Use a sponge to dab the mixture to the stained area.
- Lemon. The acidity in lemon makes it a good stain remover. Squeeze the lemon juice directly onto the stained area and let it soak. Add a teaspoon of table salt. Scrub the mixture into the site until the stain vanishes. Hang it under the sun to dry.
- White vinegar. Combine a cup of white vinegar with 4 cups of warm water. Moisten the stain with this mixture and work it in the site using your fingers. If a trace lingers, soak it in the solution for a few hours and place it in the washing machine.
- Baking soda. Pre-treat the stain in a solution of ¼ cup of warm water and 4 tablespoons of baking soda. For an older stain, soak the fabric for 2 hours before washing. You can also add a small amount of white vinegar to the stain before placing it in a washing machine.
- Ammonia. Pre-treat the stained area by dabbing a mixture of 50% strength ammonia and warm water. Let it sit and place the garment in the washing machine.
How to get rid of deodorant stains using commercial cleaners
Aside from the household products, you can also use commercial cleaners to remove deodorant stains on clothes.
- OxiClean. You can use “OxiClean Max Force” by spraying on the stained area. Let it sit for a few minutes before placing the garment in the washing machine.
- Deo-Go. This spray is specially designed to get rid of deodorant stains and build-up.
- Krud Kutter. Spray the product on the stained area and let it sit for up to 10 minutes before washing.
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How do you remove deodorant stains from colored shirts?
When removing deodorant stains on colored clothing, you must soak it in a mixture of cold water and white vinegar for 20-30 minutes. Allow cold water to run over the site and carefully rub using your fingers to loosen the stain. Wash the garment as usual in a load with similar colors.
In case white vinegar is not available, an alternative is to pulverize a few aspirin tablets. Mix the crushed aspirin with water to create a paste. Dab the paste on the stained area and let it sit for up to an hour before washing the garment in the washing machine.
How to remove armpit stains from shirts?
Yellowish armpit stains can be embarrassing and removing them is not a simple task but it is possible.
- Lay your shirt on a level surface inside out.
- Prepare a mixture by combining equal parts of liquid dish soap, hydrogen peroxide, and baking soda, ideally a tablespoon of each. When dealing with a colored shirt, substitute hydrogen peroxide with cold water.
- Apply the mixture on the site with a toothbrush and work it into the site. This will loosen up the stain.
- Let it sit on the stain for up to an hour. Place the garment in the washing machine as usual.
For stubborn yellow armpit stains, use an old toothbrush to scrub table salt into the site to loosen it up.
How to remove deodorant buildup from dark clothes?
If you have a dark-colored shirt that has deodorant build-up, simply follow these removal steps.
- Sprinkle baking soda generously on the site of the deodorant build-up.
- Lightly scrub using a brush to work in the baking soda into the fabric and pour vinegar on top. A reaction of bubbling and gurgling will occur. Allow this reaction to take its course for a few minutes before moving on to the next step.
- Once the chemical process has stopped, scrub on the site again using a scrub brush and wash the garment as usual.
Final thoughts
Deodorant stains on shirts can be embarrassing and some find it hard to completely remove. If this happens to you, do not lose hope. With the methods described on how to remove deodorant stains from shirts, you can effectively remove the stains so that your shirts will look good as new.
