The Right Way to Remove Deodorant Stains From Your White Shirts

Whether you've been wearing the same white T-shirt for many years, or just wore it during one too many work presentations, there's no denying that ever-dreaded deodorant stains in the armpits of your clothing can be particularly pesky to clean. But before you turn that faithful white T-shirt into a rag or relegate it to your pajama pile for good, what if we told you there was a better way to get built-up deodorant stains out of your clothing?

We recently learned from our friends at Clorox, there is a way to remove troublesome armpit stains from our garments. Their website shared a few simple steps for removing deodorant stains from white T-shirts: First, you'll want to mix ½ cup of hydrogen peroxide with ½ cup of baking soda, and ½ cup of tap water. Next, boil approximately two cups of water. Arrange your shirt in your bathtub or a plastic bin so that the armpits are on the top. This way you won't have to move the shirt while tackling the stains. Carefully pour the boiling water over the stains to melt any build up that may be on your shirt.

Allow some of the hot water to run off the shirt into the tub. You can use heat resistant gloves or tongs to handle the shirt, if needed. Next, apply the peroxide-baking soda solution on the stains and allow it to sit for 5 minutes. Lastly, machine wash the shirt in warm water and use the appropriate amount of bleach for the fiber content of the shirt. Be sure to air dry the shirt for best results. If needed, you can repeat these steps until build up is gone.

Clorox also listed a few suggestions to prevent future build-up on your white shirts. The next time you're ready to wash a load of whites, be sure that you don't overload the washer. This will ensure that the clothing has enough room to tumble and that the water can easily circulate through the load. You should also wash your whites in hot water on a heavy-duty cycle. If you're worried about shrinkage, air dry certain items. A good detergent will have enzymes listed in the ingredients list, and you should only ever use the recommended amount of detergent, as using too much could result in further build up on clothing. It also doesn't hurt to always wash whites with bleach. Just be sure to only use the appropriate amount of bleach for the clothing fiber count you're washing.

Now you're ready to keep wearing that years white T-shirt for another few years! We're pretty sure Mama would be proud of your new approach to bright whites. Goodbye, yellow armpit stains!