Removing underarm stains

[HoundstoothLuke]

Does anybody here have a good method of removing anti-perspirant stains from shirts? I mean the thick, crusty, slightly yellowy stains on the armpits?

 

[Orgetorix]

I've followed these directions and had pretty good success.

Here's what I do, it works like a charm. It has been effective on many types of stains, including sweat stains that have been present for several years.

1. Soak the shirt for an hour or two in a solution made from one gallon of hot water (as hot as it will come out of the faucet) and one cup of vinegar. This just helps to loosen the stain before washing.

2. Purchase a small tub of Oxy Clean (get the granules, not the liquid) from the store. Mix a strong solution of this using four to six ounces of hot water and one scoop of Oxy Clean. The solution should be like a watery paste.

3. Rinse the vinegar from the shirt. Generously apply the Oxy Clean solution from step two to the yellowed areas of the shirt. Place the shirt in a plastic pail and let sit overnight.

4. Remove shirt from bucket. Mix a solution of 1 gallon hot water and one and a half scoops of Oxy Clean. Allow shirt to soak in this solution for up to 12 hours.

5. Remove shirt from solution and briefly rinse. Wash shirt using regular detergent, and rinse. Voila.

I've done this on many shirts with almost complete success. A few shirts with really bad stains may take two tries - usually the first treatment removes about 90% of the stain, leaving a really faint yellow mark behind. The second time usually removes this.

 

[fluteplayer07]

Is this is safe for, say, 80 year old cotton?

 

[Orgetorix]

Is this is safe for, say, 80 year old cotton?

No idea. I take no responsibility for what may happen if you try it.

 

[HoundstoothLuke]

Excellent, thank you very much.

 

[Beaubeau]

Is this is safe for, say, 80 year old cotton?

I say test on a very small portion of the stain near a seam so you can fix it if it burns a hole in it or whatever. You don't need to mix up nearly as much stuff and you'd essentially spot-treat it, but it sounds like it might work, provided you go easy on the acid.

Oxiclean is sodium percarbonate, soda ash, and whatever that blue stuff is, so it shouldn't be that tough on your shirt, but your mileage may vary.

 

[Rat Pack]

Oxy will leave the fabric feeling a little "crusty". My wife uses it for hard to get stains, but then washes the garment again without oxy to get rid of the stiff feel the oxy leaves.

Now if we could find a way to get those pits out of dry clean only stuff....

 

[Qirrel]

If you have a cheap washing machine you should consider getting a better one. My new washing machine washes quicker, and runs more silent, but best of all; it got rid of the stains around the collar, inside of the cuffs and in the armpit of all my shirts. If throwing a good portion of money on a new washing machine isnt an option i would recommend soaking in one of those oxy-clean products.
Oh, and i have done oxy-clean on 1920s shirts without any problems.

 

[davestlouis]

That's why I always wear white cotton undershirts...I figure the undershirt is disposable, and when the pits start to get stained, I toss the shirt in the trash. I just bought a new batch of undershirts, and they feel so nice compared the old old nasty ones.

I have also used ammonia in my white laundry loads, instead of bleach, and it keeps pit stains from building up. If items are already stained, ammonia doesn't seem to help.

 

[maggiethespy]

I've found the easiest thing to do is make a paste of bakingsoda with just a bit of water, until it is the consistency of toothpaste. Spread it over the stains and hang the shirt up for about 15 minutes, then launder as usual. You can also use peroxide (and if neccesary, bleach) if the stains don't come out the first time. Just be careful, go slowly, and test a small patch first.

 

[Land-O-LakesGal]

Caution

Is this is safe for, say, 80 year old cotton?

I have done the oxy clean paste quite a lot with my little ones to remove nasty formula stains and I would use caution as I have burned some holes in some garments. Usually it was ok because if the stain did not come out I considered the item disposable. So weigh you options. I would use as a last ditch kind of effort.