How to Get Sweat Stains Out of Shirts
Sweat and perspiration are a part of life, and so are those smelly yellow stains they leave on your shirt. While unattractive and sometimes frustrating to get rid of, these stains can be easily taken care of with a few simple tips and the right stain remover.
Types of Sweat Stains
While pit stains are what most of us think of when it comes to sweat stains and shirts, but sweat can also cause stains on the back of the shirt and neck stains. In the armpit, sweat stains are often more prominent and often have a stronger odor because of the bacteria in and around the underarm region.
Did you already know that a pure sweat stain can be easily removed by washing. That is the case because the main components of sweat like water, salts, sugar, urea and sebum are mostly soluble in water and no problem at all for a detergent to remove it.
Even your deodorant, which is designed to help keep sweat at bayand cover up the sweat-related odors, can cause stains in this area. If the deodorant has aluminum in it, the aluminum can react with your sweat and create white stains. You’re definitely going to notice that on your little black dress.
Removing Sweat Stains From Shirts: Step by Step
Luckily, getting sweat stains out of shirts isn’t too difficult. Just follow these steps.
- Check if the shirt is washable
- Choose a detergent and stain remover
- Apply the detergent or soak for stubborn stains
- Wash at the highest possible wash temperature safe for the fabric
- Check the stain after washing
Choose a Detergent
Before removing sweat stains, check if the fabric is washable. If it is, use Persil Universal Gel or Persil Universal Powder. For colored clothing, choose Persil Color Powder.
Wash and Rinse
Without rinsing the shirt, place it in the washer and wash using the highest temperature that is safe for the fabric.
Check the Stain After Washing
After washing, check to see if the stain is gone. If it isn’t, repeat the steps above. Don’t dry before the stain is faded, as the heat from the dryer may set the stain.
How to get Sweat Stains out of White Shirts
It’s much easier to see yellow armpit stains on white shirts, so getting rid of the stain completely is important. For these shirts, you’ll want to choose Persil Universal Powder or Persil Universal Gel as your detergent.. This detergent is specifically made for cleaning and removing stains from white clothing.
Colored vs White Shirts: Sweat Stain Removal
Never use natural or homemade solutions like lemon juice or bleach on colored shirts with sweat stains or dry them in direct sunlight. Instead, you can choose between our range of Persil Universal or Color Powder & Persil Universal Gel to get rid of stains in colored clothing.
Removing Sweat Stains From Special Fabrics
When removing sweat stains from shirts, keep in mind that every fabric type is different. While cotton, polyester, linen and denim are machine washable, silk, rayon and wool require hand washing in warm water.
In addition, certain types of fabric, like cotton and polyester should never be exposed to bleach. Bleach can cause further yellowing on polyester and damage cotton fibers.
Sweat happens. Be prepared when it does and take care of yellow armpit and neck stains before you wash and dry your clothes.