Deodorants — Great for masking natural fragrances that leave others gasping for air. Also does wonders for staining your whites to an unsightly yellow in the underarm region.
To deo or not to deo?
Deodorants (and anti-perspirants) usually contain aluminium compounds to prevent perspiration. Unfortunately, these compounds will stain your clothing, thanks to the reaction with the salt in your sweat. If you are wearing dark coloured clothing, the stain probably has a whitish, crusty appearance. If your clothing is lighter coloured, you’re yellow. Well, at least your underarms are.
If you want to conceal the fact that you have yellow (and sweaty) underarms, there are a few things you can do.
- Wear an undershirt to protect your more expensive outer wear.
- Switch to a deodorant with minimal aluminium content.
- Allow the deodorant to dry before putting on your clothes
- Use alternatives to deodorant. Lightly powder your underarms with a cotton ball with baking soda – no smell, and no stain!
De-yellow-ising your shirt
There isn’t much hope for your clothing if you’ve let the stain set in for too long, especially darker coloured ones. So the rule of thumb is to always treat your garments as soon as possible. However, here are some tips that might just salvage your favourite T-shirt:
- Wash your clothes as soon as possible if you have had a sweaty day. Dry your shirts under the sun to increase the whitening of fabrics.
- Apply vinegar to the deodorant stains and let the garment sit overnight in a vinegar and water solution. Use white vinegar, and not wine, balsamic or apple cider vinegar. Do not mix vinegar and baking powder as this can cause a messy chemical reaction.
- Try using whitening toothpaste on deodorant stains, rubbing them on and allowing the garment to sit overnight, then wash as usual. You might want to be careful using this method on coloured clothing. Salt is an alternative that is safe for both white and coloureds.
- One part baking soda, one part hydrogen peroxide, one part water. You will need about 1/4 cup each of baking soda, hydrogen peroxide and water to treat one shirt. If you’re using this on your countertop, protect it with a thick white towel. Rub the solution into stains and allow to work for at least 30 minutes. Use an old soft toothbrush or bristle brush to loosen any residue and then wash as usual in warm or cold water.
- One part oxygen-based bleach (check the label!) to one part ammonia. DO NOT USE CHLORINE BLEACH. In a well-ventilated room, wearing rubber gloves, mix solution well – about 2 tablespoons of each ingredient per shirt. Again, protecting countertop with thick white towel, rub solution into stains for at least 30 seconds. Wash as usual in warm or cold water.
- Remember to try on an inconspicuous area before treating the garment to avoid discolouration.
Here’s to a better smelling and better looking world!
Getting rid of horrible yellow armpit stains on your white clothing http://t.co/NF010xJz #home #tips
I just want to share an excellent product called Raise that took out the armpit stains in my favorite tshirt!! I highly recommend this to anyone who has this problem
You should definitely tell us more!
That’s interesting Erin, is it sold locally and where did you purchase it?