The RIGHT Ways to Remove Clothes’ Sweat & Deodorant Stains

Aren’t sweat and deodorant stains just “the pits?” Well, let’s learn how to banish them together so you can get your clothes to look new. We’ll explain what causes pit stains, how to remove them from a variety of fabrics, and how to prevent them in the first place.

What are Sweat Stains?

Sweat consists primarily of water and trace amounts of additional solutes. Sweat from the eccrine glands, which are found all over the body, is made up of water, salt, and very trace metals.

Sweat from these glands is produced primarily due to heat or activity. Meanwhile, sweat from the apocrine glands, which are found in the underarms and a few other key areas of the body, has an oilier composition. This sweat is produced primarily as an emotional response triggered by adrenaline. Rather than the water, it is these components and oils that can settle into fabrics and discolor them. They can also mingle with other body oils like sebum, which is naturally secreted in order to keep your skin moist. This mingling of oils and other elements, when combined with dirt and other grime from the environment, creates a matrix that will stain your clothes.

Further compounding things can be personal products that you apply to your body, especially in the underarm area. These also contain ingredients with staining potential, particularly the aluminum salts in antiperspirants combined with body oils to form those signature yellow underarm stains.

Even deodorants and antiperspirants without aluminum salts still have waxes and petrochemicals in them that can form matrices with dirt and grime. In other words, aluminum salts can be a chief offender, but even if your product of choice doesn’t contain them, it can still contribute to staining.

For example, solid stick products, when applied heavily, can leave behind a white residue on your clothing, while gel and aerosol products can leave behind a sticky film that traps sweat, body oils, and dirt, coating the armpit area. These products, which most people apply every day or even multiple times a day, build up in the fabric because, in order to combat sweat, they are water-resistant.

This buildup further compounds matrix development and can lead to a stiff and chalky feel in the fabric in addition to staining.

Steps for Sweat and Deodorant Stain Removal

With all that said, we’ll start today’s actionable advice by talking about how to remove localized sweat and deodorant stains. Unlike wine stains, grease stains, or the like, you’re unlikely to encounter an actual sweat or deodorant stain emergency. After all, it’s fairly difficult to spill deodorant all over yourself. Rather, these stains tend to build up over time, so you’re more likely to notice them when you take off your shirt at the end of the day.

1. Spot Clean with a Textured Cloth

If you do notice staining, set the shirt aside before wearing it again as continuous wear can make staining worse. This is especially true if you put the shirt into the dryer after washing it as the heat from a clothes dryer can set stains, and for efficiency’s sake, you may want to collect any of your shirts that are starting to show signs of pit staining and tackle them all at once.

First, in areas like the armpits that tend to have considerable sweat or underarm staining, you’ll want to begin by scrubbing the inside of the shirt fabric with a textured cloth like a microfiber cloth or towel, but make sure it is not too abrasive. Many people have also found nylon stockings, hose, or tights to be good for this purpose because of their fine, porous surface. Just be careful if you are working on a garment that is lighter in color, though, as cheaper nylons may leave marks if they’re dark in color.

This first step is important as physically removing the caked-on material will allow you to get directly at the stained fabric underneath. And be sure to check the whole of your garment for other stains.

In addition to the underarms, sweat tends to collect at the neck and hems of garments, but it could potentially be anywhere.

2. Apply Cleaning Agent

Next, we’ll want to apply a cleaning agent, but we should reiterate that, while most fabrics, even those that are marked as “dry clean only” or “delicate,” can be safely spot-cleaned, it’s always a good idea to check any product in a discreet or hidden area of the garment first; if you’re especially concerned about any particular garment, just taking it to a professional dry cleaner might be worth it.

With that disclaimer out of the way, you’ll want to apply your cleaning product of choice directly to the stain, covering the area fully. Regular laundry detergent should work well here, especially if the formulation is rich in enzymes, as these will target the lipids, proteins, and other solutes found in sweat. You could also use a dedicated stain removal product like The Laundress Stain Solution, OxiClean Stain Remover, Shout Triple Action Stain Removal, or Spray ‘n Wash Stain Remover. These are all great options with which we’ve had good personal experiences, but do keep in mind that this guide is not sponsored. You could also try Carbona Stain Devils #9, which is specifically formulated to combat underarm stains, although we haven’t noticed that it has any greater stain-removing potential than the other products we mentioned.

Alternatively, using ingredients found around the house, you could also create your own stain-fighting solution. In this case, you’ll want to combine one-quarter cup or about 60 mL of baking soda, ¼ cup of water, and ¼ cup of hydrogen peroxide. Note here that hydrogen peroxide can have a slight bleaching effect, so for darker fabrics, you’ll want to replace it with about 2 tablespoons or 30 ml of white vinegar.

Finally here, you may also have success using shampoo as the ingredients that strip oils from the hair can also strip oils from sweat stains.

3. Work the Cleaning Agent with a Soft Brush

After applying your cleaning agent of choice, apply warm water; the warmest that is safe for your garment according to its tag. Apply just enough water to activate the cleanser, dribbling it on from a faucet or misting it from a sprayer.

Now, ideally, with a soft brush like a toothbrush or with a textured towel or sponge, work the cleaning product and water as a solution into the fabric. For heavier-duty garments like cotton undershirts, don’t be afraid to really get in there with the elbow grease and give it a good scrubbing as this physical action can help to work out the salts, metals, and other components that contribute to that matrix we discussed earlier. For all other materials, though, be gentle but firm—just like my parents were when they wouldn’t get me a real horse for Christmas.

4. Let Sit for 30 Minutes

After the product has been thoroughly worked in, allow it to sit for at least 30 minutes and then flush with cool water. If the stain remains but it’s been noticeably reduced, just go through this same process again. But, if the stain doesn’t appear to have changed at all, then move on to our next process.

Persistent or Old Sweat Stains

5. Soak the Garment

For stains that are old or cover a wide area of the garment, you may need to soak the garment first in order to reactivate the ingredients of the stain before you can wash them out. Most of the products we mentioned in our previous section can also be used to make a soaking treatment. Just follow their instructions for proper dilution. Again, you can also make your own solution in whatever quantity you need by just combining one part white vinegar with three parts water. Soak the stained area or the entire garment in your solution for at least 3 hours or, better yet, overnight.

Then, you can go through the process we already outlined for removing stains again and machine wash your garment. But be sure not to put it in the dryer until you’re sure that the stain has been removed.

6. If Nothing Works, Try Bleach Alternatives or Consult a Professional

If you’re looking for an even stronger cleaning agent to use, you can also consider incorporating bleach alternatives into the steps we’ve already outlined. You should avoid conventional chlorine bleach, however, as it can interact with the compounds in the stain, just making it worse. And of course, if none of these steps are resolving your stain problem, then it’s time to call in the cavalry and consult a professional dry cleaner.

And, of course, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure; so, if you’d like to learn about the several different ways that you can prevent stains from forming in the first place, then consult our guide on how to keep white shirts white.

Conclusion

So, whenever you now need to pit yourself against pit stains, we’ve no doubt that the steps we’ve outlined today will have you emerging victorious. Did we miss any stain-fighting tips that you’re aware of? If so, let us know in the comments below while I run down today’s outfit, which is—hopefully, anyway—pit stain-free.

Outfit Rundown

Today, I’m wearing a fairly casual outfit, which is good for being around the house, doing some stain removal or enjoying the warming spring weather we’re currently experiencing here in Minnesota.

The central element is my navy blue polo shirt with a textured weave and brown, wooden-style buttons providing a bit of contrast; and while it isn’t meant to be seen, I am indeed wearing an undershirt under the polo just to act as one more sweat barrier as I do suffer from hyperhidrosis or frequent perspiration. As such, underarm stains are something I know all too well.

My trousers are plain brown with a slight reddish undertone to harmonize with the buttons on the shirt; and my shoes are blue, suede loafers from Henry Stevens. I’m also wearing a plain brown belt with a darkened silver, metallic buckle; and I’m wearing my trusty, coconut straw pork pie hat as warmer weather is coming to us once again. 

Rounding out the outfit today are accessories available in the Fort Belvedere shop. These would include my two-tone, shadow-striped socks in midnight blue and royal blue; and the fragrance I’m wearing from the Roberto Ugolini collection—which is, of course, Blue Suede Shoes. This seemed like an obvious choice given my footwear.

In addition to the socks I’m wearing today, you can find a wide array of other classic men’s accessories, corduroy trousers, and other fragrances from the Ugolini collection by taking a look at the Fort Belvedere shop.