Meat tenderizer
A meat tenderizer probably isn’t the first thing you’d think of when figuring out how to remove sweat stains. But you can tenderize away hard-to-remove stains. Before you wash that damaged sweatshirt, dampen the armpit stain and sprinkle some meat tenderizer on it. Then just wash as usual. These are 16 surprising things you never knew you could put in the washing machine.
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. Try these 13 ways to make clothes smell better without doing laundry.
Dish soap
Not sure how to remove sweat stains that just won’t budge? Mix one part dish soap with two parts hydrogen peroxide, then scrub the stain and let it sit for an hour. Learn the one ingredient you need to make workout clothes less smelly.
Salt
Salt’s the secret to getting rid of those stubborn yellow stains where your shirt meets your armpits. Dissolve 4 tablespoons salt in 1 quart (1 liter) hot water. Just sponge the garment with the solution until the stain disappears. Don’t miss these other little-known laundry facts that will change the way you wash.
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. Here are the common laundry mistakes you should be avoiding.
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. These are other brilliant ways to use baking soda, for more than just cleaning.
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. Ammonia is one excellent technique for how to remove sweat stains—but you should avoid mixing it with bleach. Here are the other cleaning products you should never combine.
Cold water
This is how to remove sweat stains before they begin: Run stain-prone clothing under cold water and gently rub the armpit or other 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.
Vodka
Yes, equal parts vodka mixed with warm water could help remove sweat stains. How to remove sweat stains with vodka? Angieslist.com suggests spraying the odor or stain before machine washing. Just don’t add these 11 things that should never, ever go in your washing machine.
Borax
Although you shouldn’t use it on delicate fabrics, borax is an effective product that helps remove sweat stains. All you need is one tablespoon of this powder mixed with a little water to turn it into a paste. Apply it to the affected area and leave it on for 30 minutes before scrubbing it off and washing the clothing as per usual. Next, learn the sneaky ways you’re ruining your clothes without realizing it.