Goodbye Sweat Stains

Everybody sweats. There’s no doubt about that. Perspiration can leave ugly marks in the armpit area and other places where we sweat the most. No matter how stylish you may be, armpit stains do not look good. To make your wardrobe last, getting rid of those inevitable stains is essential. So if you’re stuck when it comes to how to get rid of sweat stains, try these solutions using items you probably already have around the house.

Kanye West with a stain patch under his arm.

Tip: Always do a patch test first when using new products, especially on delicate fabric. Test the product on a small part of the clothing item first and then see how well it will come out.

Remember, the earlier the better. So once your clothes get stained, nip the problem in the bud by attending to it as soon as possible. New stains are much easier to handle than old stains. Here are a few ways to handle stains on your clothes.

Cold water. You can first try to put the stained clothing item under a running tap of cold water and rubbing on the stain gently. Chances are that it will come off this way. Wash after doing this. using hot water will set the stains.

Salt. Sounds unbelievable, doesn’t it? Well, using salt is a great way to rid your clothes of stubborn yellow underarm stains. Dissolve 4 tablespoons of salt in one litre of hot water. Sponge the cloth with this salt solution until the stain disappears.

Dish-washing soap. If that stubborn stain has refused to turn from yellow to white, don’t give up. Mix dish soap with twice the size of hydrogen peroxide. Use the solution to scrub the stain and leave it on for an hour.

Lemons. You can also remove these stains by scrubbing them with an equal mixture of lemon juice and water.

Vinegar. Pour a bit of vinegar directly onto the stain, and rub it into the fabric before placing the item in the wash. You can also remove deodorant stains from your washable shirts and blouses by gently rubbing the spot with undiluted vinegar before laundering.

Baking soda. Mix 4 tablespoons of baking soda with a quarter cup of warm water, and you have an easy way of removing a variety of stains. Pre-treat your clothes with this mixture. Rub it into shirts to remove perspiration stains; for really bad stains, let the paste dry for about two hours before washing. For collar stains, rub in the paste and add a bit of vinegar as you’re putting the clothing item in the wash.