How To Remove Yellow Underarm Stains? 4 Different Ways

Don’t you just hate wearing white or light clothes? Sometimes you just need to look fresh all day and the inability of these shirts to stay clean can be very bothersome. But more often than not, the real reason is these yellow armpit stains that are so tough to remove.

People with hyperhidrosis may find that their white shirts are often stained yellow after several months of use. You probably ask “how to remove yellow underarm stains?” This can be a nightmare for people who actually like wearing light clothes but can’t, due to the staining.

A co-writer who also is a good friend of mine has been living a stress-free life despite having hyperhidrosis. If you want to learn how he did it, read his story here.

I’m so excited because I have researched and learned that there are solutions to this problem. In this article, I will be talking about different ways to remove the dreaded yellow stains and even some helpful tips to prevent these sweat marks from happening.

What Causes Sweat Stains?

Months after buying a shirt, you notice that your favorite shirt’s armpits look slightly yellowish. The only possible thing that you think may have caused this is your underarm sweat.

After reading a bit about sweating and the stains possibly caused by it, I discovered that sweat alone does not cause these horrible yellow stains. I learned that when a person sweats and they use antiperspirants, the reaction of your sweat to the antiperspirant you are wearing causes a yellow stain.

One of the active ingredients in antiperspirants is aluminum chloride. This is a component of most commercially available antiperspirants in the market. It is used as the first line of defense to excessive sweating problems or even just active people like me. But sadly, it turns white shirts yellow when it mixes with sweat. So I just had to learn more about it and how to prevent it.

Can I Use Bleach To Remove Stains?

We often turn to bleach when it comes to tough stains on white clothes. I had to make sure to warn you against using bleach before I teach you all the tips and tricks on removing the yellow stains.

I remember in high school that bleach was highly recommended by many when I asked how to remove yellow underarm stains. I used to wonder why it never quite worked and the stains never disappeared. I wasted a lot of school uniforms because I had to throw them out.

Most people get impatient with all the steps and processes behind stain removal that they use bleach and leave the stained clothing soaked in it. The results are terrible as the yellow stains are now more pronounced. In general, bleach is also known to make white clothing turn yellow over time.

So I repeat: Do not use bleach! If you have no patience for all-natural methods, I will surely recommend an over-the-counter product that can remove the stains in no time.

How To Remove Yellow Underarm Stains?

Below I will share two types of stain removing techniques which I have divided into two for natural ingredients and store-bought stain removers. I do love using homemade stuff but I also wanted to give you an alternative if you don’t have time or if the stains are too bad and would need stronger chemicals.

I want you to discover the best solutions to such a common problem as I think that these solutions aren’t that well-known to many people. This is disheartening as a lot of clothes get thrown out when they can still be saved with these tips on stain removal.

All-Natural Stain Removing Hacks

As promised, I will be talking about all-natural yellow stain removers. Most of the ingredients are often found in your home or if not, are very affordable when you buy them in stores.

Please take note that it may take longer than over the counter products because they don’t contain any harsh chemicals. The best part about going all-natural is that it is gentle on your clothes and on your skin. Read more below and discover the different methods I will share with you.

1. Lemon

When life gives you lemons, you make lemonade, or you can remove stains off your shirt. Good news! This citrus fruit has more uses than just being a drink or something you add to your favorite dish.

To remove yellow satins, start by rinsing the area with warm running water. This procedure softens the tough dirt and makes it easier for the stain to be removed. Squeeze the juice around the area and soak for 40 minutes.

You may now throw the shirt into the laundry along with the rest of your clothes.

Please take note that you may have to repeat the process a few times a week especially on tougher stains. Lemon might not work if the stains have solidified as this means that there has been build-up on the cloth that might need a tougher stain remover.

2. Hydrogen Peroxide and Baking Soda

Hydrogen peroxide is a clear liquid and a very mild bleaching agent that you can use to remove the yellow stains without ruining your shirt. It is easy to buy and it’s not expensive at all. What I love about hydrogen peroxide is its antibacterial properties as it breaks down the bacteria’s cell walls and dissolves it.

On the other hand, baking Soda is a common ingredient when cleaning surfaces. Some people add it when making their all-natural toothpaste. It is generally used as a natural whitening agent and adding this to the hydrogen peroxide increases its stain removing qualities by not only softening the build-up but also lightening the yellow mark.

3. Vinegar

Vinegar can be used to soften and eliminate the build-up created by the aluminum chloride’s reaction to your sweat. This build-up can be tough, hard, and yellow. It can look disgusting and often, you’d just throw the shirt away because you don’t know what to do.

Now you can save your shirt and make it look like you just bought it yesterday. This is because of the acetic acid present in vinegar, which acts not only as a stain remover but also as a whitener.

First, soak the stained area in warm water. Then, spray the area with vinegar, make sure to use white vinegar as you don’t need anything fancy as you’re just removing stains. Soak the area for 45 minutes to an hour. Rinse the area. After this process, you can throw the shirt into the wash.

Over-The-Counter Stain Removers

1. OxiClean

You may have tried some of the all-natural methods above and find that they don’t fully remove staining or that you just prefer the easier way by buying products that are intended for stain removal.

I found OxiClean when reading about tough yellow stain removers and it did not disappoint at all. This brand removes the toughest stains like grass stains, grease, and of course yellow armpit stains.

I will guide you on how to remove yellow underarm stains using OxiClean. Unlike the all-natural method, you don’t need warm water anymore, although you can still presoak it as it softens the stained area, making it easier for the product to cover the area.

Spray liberally on stained area until fully soaked. You can now leave it to soak for 12-24 hours before rinsing and throwing your shirt into the wash along with your other light shirts.

Aside from my suggestions, a lot of people love OxiClean because it always does a good job of whitening the armpit area of their shirts. So you may want to try it out for yourself too.

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Here is a short video on how Oxi Clean saved his shirts from the horrible yellow stains caused by the reaction of sweat and aluminum chloride.

2. Raise Stain Remover

Raise is a brand that is solely dedicated to removing yellow staining in light clothes like armpit stains or collar stains on old white shirts that is usually caused by bleach.

Unlike other brands, Raise is specifically formulated for yellow stain removal. It is very easy to use and does the job perfectly. You do not even have to soak it for hours. 20-30 minutes would do and the job is done.

Unlike other brands, it is specially formulated to turn the stain into a salt that is easily washed off. So after the soaking and rinsing, you can just include it in the wash with your other clothes. You will be able to see the difference immediately as the yellow stains are greatly reduced or are gone completely.

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How to Prevent Underarm Stains

There is a popular saying that goes “an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure”. The same goes for underarm stains. I discovered that by following any of these steps can save me a nightmare of having to remove the yellow stains in the future. Below are some of the best tips on preventing these yellow underarm stains.

1. Wash Your Clothes Immediately After Use

Washing your white or light clothes immediately with an all-natural formula like baking soda and hydrogen peroxide or you can opt to use a pre-wash stain remover. It is totally up to you. Make this part of your routine whenever wearing light clothing.

The idea here is, you wouldn’t allow any possible to stick to the shirt. For pre-wash products, I highly recommend either Raise or OxiClean. Just never use bleach and you’ll be okay.

2. Use an Antiperspirant that Works

The main cause of these yellow stains is the reaction of your sweat and the aluminum chloride in the antiperspirant. So the best solution is to stop sweating entirely. You may want to try clinical strength antiperspirants. Although they may still have aluminum chloride, the formulation is higher, therefore, removing the chance of you sweating over it.

My best recommendation is SweatBlock antiperspirant wipes. This product not only applies to the skin like a second skin, but it also stops the sweat completely for up to 10 days after application.

Another fact about antiperspirants is that they are best applied at night when there is little to no sweat. This prevents any reaction between the sweat and the aluminum.

3. Wear an Undershirt

Undershirts can be a lifesaver especially if the sweat is so bad it still beats the antiperspirants you use. Wearing regular undershirts can help a lot, but I would suggest getting shirts that are 100% sweat-proof and are approved by people who have severe underarm sweating problems.

My recommendation would be the Thompson tee, which has padding that keeps the sweat locked in, keeping your favorite shirt from having sweat marks or yellow stains.

This undershirt is not only sweat-proof, but it is also so comfortable to wear because it is made from a bamboo cotton/spandex blend, making sure you wouldn’t even remember that you were wearing an undershirt in the first place.

Conclusion

Stains are always a problem when it comes to wearing white/light shirts. I have now given you the best techniques that you can use to prevent them from ever ruining your clothes.

Knowing these techniques now means that you can use your shirts longer than you did before as most people just throw their clothes away when the staining gets bad.

Do you know of any other stain removing hack? Did you ever try any of what I have mentioned above? Share your stain removal stories with me in the comments section below.

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