How To Remove Deodorant Stains From Clothes
Pratima Ati is a postgraduate in International Business from Staffordshire University. After working in Marketing and Business Development for a few years, she jumped ship to pursue two things she loved – fashion and writing.
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You wake up all excited for an important meeting, put on your favorite black shirt or top, and very nonchalantly drench yourself in deodorant, and then reach out for the perfume. You take a last fleeting look at the mirror only to realize that your deodorant has left stains, more like huge patches on your shirt. Life comes crashing down. And, then you start questioning everything in your life. I have been there, done that, and I know that it is immensely irritating. But, we don’t have to be dramatic and all, because with a little patience and a few hacks later you can get rid of them. Do you relate to this, or have shirts with deodorant or sweat stains near the armpit or anywhere else? Let’s fix this. Scroll down to know how to remove deodorant stains from clothes.
In This Article
How To Remove Deodorant Stains From Clothes
1. With White Vinegar
What You Will Need
- 1 cup white vinegar
- 4 cups water
- Brush to rub (optional)
- Laundry detergent
Processing Time
1 – 2 hours
Process
- Dilute one cup of white vinegar in four cups of water.
- Spray or pour out a little solution on the stains.
- Scrub with your hand or with a brush, if you are using one.
- You can additionally soak the shirt in water for about an hour or so.
- Put it in the washer, or hand wash it with detergent.
2. With Baking Soda
What You Will Need
- ¼th cup of baking soda
- ½ cup water (approx)
- Toothbrush
- Laundry detergent
Processing Time
- 1-2 hours
Process
- Mix baking soda with water until you get a paste-like consistency.
- With an old toothbrush, apply and spread it all over the stains.
- Some stains can be stubborn, and thus need to be left soaked for a couple of hours.
- After an hour or two, wash the shirt in a washing machine or hand wash it, if it’s made of delicate fabric.
- Baking soda also removes body odor.
3. With Hydrogen Peroxide
What You Will Need
- Hydrogen peroxide – 1 cup
- Laundry detergent – ½ cup
- Old toothbrush (optional)
- Laundry detergent
Processing Time
1 hour
Process
- In a cup, mix half a cup of laundry detergent with the hydrogen peroxide and blend them thoroughly.
- Apply this gel-like paste to the affected area.
- Rub it with your hands, and soak it for some time.
- Rinse and put it in a washing machine or hand wash it.
4. With Lemon Juice
What You Will Need
- Lemon juice – 1 cup
- Salt, or vinegar
Processing Time
- 1 hour.
Process
- Apply the lemon juice to the deodorant stains.
- If you have white vinegar, pour it over the stain too.
- Sprinkle salt over the stain and scrub it thoroughly.
- Rinse and put it in a washing machine or hand wash it.
5. With Salt
What You Will Need
- Salt – ½ cup
- Vinegar or lemon juice (optional)
- Water – in a bucket
- Laundry detergent
Processing Time
- 1 hour
Process
- If you are dealing with tough and stubborn yellow stains because of sweat, etc., salt is a great ingredient to get rid of those stains.
- Add salt to half a bucket of water and stir it so that it dissolves.
- Soak the top or T-shirt in the water for about an hour.
- Rinse and put it in a washing machine or hand wash it.
6. With Aspirin
What You Will Need
- A few Aspirin tablets
- 1 cup of water to make a paste
- Half bucket of water to soak the T-shirt (optional)
- Old toothbrush
- Laundry detergent
Processing Time
- 1-2 hours
Process
- Crush the Aspirin tablets to make powder.
- Add a little water to it and make it into a paste.
- With an old toothbrush, apply this paste to the affected areas, and scrub it thoroughly.
- Leave it like that for about 30 minutes or so.
- For stubborn and deeper stains, soak the T-shirt in half a bucket of water and leave it for about an hour (add the leftover Aspirin paste to the water).
- Rinse and put it in a washing machine or hand wash it.
7. With Rubbing Alcohol
What You Will Need
- Rubbing alcohol
- Cotton
- Laundry detergent
Processing Time
- 1-2 hours
Process
- Dip a piece of cotton in rubbing alcohol; make sure it’s completely soaked.
- Rub this over the affected area and leave it on for about 15 minutes. The alcohol will dilute the sweat/stain build up slowly.
- Rinse and put it in a washing machine or hand wash it.
8. With Baby Wipes
What You Will Need
- Baby wipes
- Laundry detergent
Processing Time
1 hour
Process
- Take a wet wipe, and scrub the stains.
- Repeat this until the stains disappear.
- Put the T-shirt in the washing machine or hand wash it.
9. With Borax
What You Will Need
- ¼ cup of borax powder
- Cold water – 2 cups
- Laundry detergent
Processing Time
1 hour
Process
- Add 1/4th cup of borax powder to a bowl of cold water.
- Pour this solution on the stained garment.
- Let it soak for at least 30 minutes.
- Put this in the washer, or hand wash it as usual.
10. With Dryer Sheets
What You Will Need
- Laundry drying sheets (fabric softener sheets)
Processing Time
- 5 minutes
Process
- You just need to rub the stained garment thoroughly with a fabric softener sheet.
- Fresh stains will disappear, and you don’t even have to put this in the washer.
Tips To Prevent Deodorant Stains
- Wash your dark-colored or black shirts separately after using one of these ingredients, because some of them might cause the garment to bleed color. It is always good to do a patch test to be sure.
- Use gel-based antiperspirants and read the label before using/buying them.
- For yellow pit stains from light colored clothes, try and oxygenate the shirt first with gentle bleaching agents. It will protect your light or white shirts from being permanently discolored.
- Always rinse the stained garments with cold water.
- If you are trying to use more than one method, make sure you rinse off the first concoction entirely before you using any other solution.
- Wear an undershirt to reduce the impact of the stains. The deodorant transfers to the innerwear and leaves less residue on the shirt.
We don’t have to get rid of our clothes because of little glitches, especially those we can fix easily, and using stuff we all always have at home. Do you have any more hacks for this? Let us know by dropping in a text in the comments section below.
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