9 Solutions to Get Rid of Sweat Stains
Here's how to get rid of sweat stains on your clothes: These DIY solutions really work, and use items you probably have around the house. For delicate fabrics, you can test these solutions on a hidden corner first if you want.
By Alyssa Jung adapted from Extraordinary Uses for Ordinary Things
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Meat tenderizer
Tenderize away hard-to-remove perspiration stains. Before you wash that sweat-stained sweatshirt, dampen the stain and sprinkle some meat tenderizer on it. Then just wash as usual.
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Aspirin
Before you give up all hope of ever getting that yellow sweat stain out of your good white dress shirt, try this: Crush two aspirins and mix the powder in 1/2 cup warm water. Soak the stained part of the garment in the solution for two to three hours.
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Dish soap
Have a stubborn sweat stain that just won't turn from yellow to white? Mix one part dish soap with two parts hydrogen peroxide, then scrub the stain and let it sit for an hour.
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Salt
Salt's the secret to getting rid of those stubborn yellow stains on shirts. Dissolve 4 tablespoons salt in 1 quart (1 liter) hot water. Just sponge the garment with the solution until the stain disappears.
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Lemons
Avoid expensive dry-cleaning bills! Remove unsightly underarm stains from shirts and blouses simply by scrubbing them with a mixture of equal parts lemon juice and water.
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Vinegar
Want to see those sweat marks disappear from shirts and other garments? Just 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.
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Baking soda
Pretreating clothes with a paste made from 4 tablespoons baking soda and 1/4 cup warm water can help vanquish a variety of stains. For example, rub it into shirts to remove perspiration stains; for really bad stains, let the paste dry for about two hours before washing. Rub out tar stains by applying the paste and washing in plain baking soda. For collar stains, rub in the paste and add a bit of vinegar as you're putting the shirt in the wash.
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Ammonia
Rub out perspiration, as well as blood and urine stains on clothing by dabbing the area with a half-strength solution of ammonia and water before laundering.
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Cold water
To nip sweat stains in the bud, run stain-prone clothing under cold water and gently rub the problem areas before washing. If your clothes already show signs of yellowing, avoid using hot water during the wash cycle because it will set the stains.
