Anyway to remove underarm stains on clothes?

rcpae

DIS Veteran
Joined
Jan 8, 2005
Messages
609
My teenage daughter is a heavy sweater and without fail if we buy her any top that is white....she will gets a few months wear out of it and then the underarms start to become discolored.

Is there any way to get these stains out? Right now a nice white lightweight sweater I bought her for Easter is non-wearable because of the staining.

I've tried stain removers..peroxide...sunlight. I really am looking for something that will work.

Thanks for any help.
 
Try some white vinegar. Put some in a spray bottle and apply to underarms of clothing before adding to washer. That's what I use on my dh's white dress shirts for work.
 
My mom used to use liquid ajax cleanser (not the laundry soap). Not sure if they even make it anymore. I can remember her scrubbing the shirts w/ a toothbrush and ajax mixed w/ a little water.
 
I don't know of anything to do after the fact but I do believe you can buy underarm guards to prevent that in the future. It's probably a bit annoying but if she really wants to wear white and you want to keep the top I would think it's worth it.

I like the look of the disposable dress shields on Amazon by Kleinerts best because they go on the clothes, not the arm. I can't say these work since I've never used any but I'm pretty sure I saw them mentioned in either Vogue or on some TV fashion show... not the brand I mean, just the type of product.

Good luck with getting the stains out, I tried EVERYTHING under the son last year for my DS's football uniform and not a single thing helped. I used Bleach, Vinegar, Oxyclean, antiperspirant stain remover from Carbona, Shout, Spray & wash, automatic dish detergent, I even soaked the top in Lestoil because a DF told me it would work but it didn't. I suspect it's the sitting that does the damage to the clothes and think that once the stains oxidize there is nothing that can be done. Maybe some shout and a washing within 24 hours of every wearing could help keep it from happening in the first place. I happen to wash our clothes within a day of wearing and this doesn't seem to be a problem in my house. I know a sweater isn't always a wash after every wear item but maybe for this situation, a hand wash & rinse in hot soapy water might help?
 

Another preventative measure that I find works well is ScotchGard on the underarms of the shirt when it is new, applied on the inside. I started doing this with DH' dress shirts for work, and I don't have to struggle nearly as much with the underarm staining.

What works best for me for removal is Oxyclean. MIx it up at 3X recommended strength, rub it in with a brush and let it sit for at least 3 days. Also, NEVER put anything with the potential for underarm stains in the dryer.
 
Also try getting your daughter one of the Clinical Strength anti-perspirants that are available. They are pricey, but they really work for me when no other anti-perspirant would. I use Sure which is the same formula as many others (like Secret) but cheaper and so far there has been a $2.50 off coupon in each box.
 
Okay honestly...when this happens...its simply time for a new shirt.

That would be a total waste. DH wears white dress shirts every day, and they cost upward of $40/each because he needs an odd hard-to-find size. If I don't treat them, they will have yellow marks in less than 3 days.
We're not exactly poor, but we're not about to spend over $4500 a year in new shirts for him.
 















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