Having trouble dealing with disgusting stains and foul odor on your clothes? Read this how to remove sweat stains guide and keep them neat and fresh.
Imagine this. You’re done for the day, and you’re all sweaty, ready to take a shower and call it a night.
Then you see sweat and deodorant stains on your favorite shirt. You shrug it off, thinking it’ll disappear on laundry day. Days passed, you washed it and saw its dried-up version, and worse, it now has a foul odor.
So what are you going to do about it? Well, you can start by reading through this How To Remove Sweat Stains guide.
Learn the effective methods of getting rid of stubborn sweat stains on various kinds of clothing.
How To Remove Sweat Stains: Causes and Effects
Before you learn how to get rid of sweat stains, you need to understand what causes them.
Naturally, sweat is colorless, but when sweat patches form on your clothes dry up, things change. The salt, proteins, and oils leave residues, which can easily go away when you throw them in the washing machine.
The real problem starts when you toss your garments into a laundry basket and don’t wash them for days. The residues will build up and can mix with your antiperspirant, creating an unsightly yellow color.
When this happens, they’re harder to remove. Mild detergents will no longer do the trick, and you’re left wondering how to get sweat stains out.
How Do You Get Rid of Yellow Sweat Stains
So you’ve identified the problem, and you’re left with the question: “How do you get rid of yellow sweat stains?” There are many ways to go about it.
They’re not that complicated, though they do have specific steps that you need to adhere to. You can’t take shortcuts with the stain removal process because you might not get the best results.
To assist you, the topics below include different methods on how to eliminate sweat stains, from dress shirts to hats.
How To Get Sweat Stains Out of Shirts
To start, you’ll learn how to get sweat stains out of shirts. It’s a general and easy way to get rid of these annoying patches. Just follow the steps below:
- Prepare a mixture by mixing two cups of water and a cup of white vinegar. Soak your shirt in there for 30 minutes.
- Then, wring out the excess water and lay your clothes out on a flat surface.
- Keep it there for a while and grab a bowl. Make a paste using half a cup of baking soda, a spoonful of salt, and a tablespoon of hydrogen peroxide.
- Get your toothbrush, apply the paste to the sweat stains, and let it soak for 20 more minutes.
- After that, throw your shirt into the washer and set it on the hottest possible setting. Remember not to exceed the recommended temperature on the care tag.
Don’t throw it in the dryer afterwards, just hang the item and see if the stains disappear. If not, just repeat the process.
How To Remove Sweat Stains From Hats
Your head sweats, too. If you’re fond of wearing hats or caps, then you might see stains around the liner. They’re harder to notice since you don’t normally examine that area, but when you do, it’s probably too late. Stains will have already started to set in.
But don’t fret, there are ways to remove those nasty germs. Follow the instructions below, and you will learn how to remove sweat stains from hats in no time.
Please note that for especially delicate hats you should consult the manufacturer. Also, spot test felt hats before submerging.
- Fill the sink with cool water. Then, put in a couple of drops of laundry detergent or a tablespoon of stain-removal powder.
- Then, soak the hat for about 15 minutes. Once done, rinse it and carefully pat it dry with a towel.
- Reshape the accessory and place it on top of an upside-down container. You can use a coffee tin, a small bowl, or anything that resembles the shape of your head.
Let the hat dry completely before wearing it again. Don’t use detergents with bleach, as you might end up damaging the color.
For wool caps, use mild soap for cleaning but dilute it first before gently scrubbing it. Wools are delicate fabrics and can easily lose form when handled recklessly.
How To Get Sweat Stains Out of White Shirts
Next up is figuring out how to get sweat stains out of white shirts. There’s not much difference to the first one, except that there are added steps.
You will still need water, vinegar, and the homemade stain-removal paste, so prepare that in advance. After that, kindly follow the procedure below:
- Pour two cups of warm water and a cup of vinegar into the bowl.
- Submerge the shirt in the solution and let it sit there for 20 to 30 minutes. Make sure that the stained areas are completely soaked so you can easily remove them.
- Get a towel and cover a flat surface with it.
- Remove the shirt from the bowl and wring out any excess liquid.
- Spread it wide and use the paste over the soiled parts. Let it sit for an additional 20 minutes.
- Once done, proceed with regular washing along with your other whites, and you should see the stains done and gone.
It’s still ideal to wash your garments before your sweat and other nasty elements set in. You can easily see stains on white tees. If people notice, you’ll make a sloppy first impression.
How To Get Sweat Stains Out of Colored Shirts
Your graphic tees and colored tops need some love, too. Leaving them with stains will attract unwanted attention and faces of disgust.
To save you from that fate, here are some tips on how to get sweat stains out of colored shirts.
- To start, just mix baking soda with water and create a paste.
- Spread the baking soda paste over the stained area. You can use a small brush or a spoon, whichever works.
- Leave it alone for 20 minutes. After that, rinse the area with cold water to remove the mixture completely.
- Then, simply wash the piece of clothing according to the care instructions.
It’s a lot simpler to deal with colored shirts more than anything but steer clear of bleach products. You wouldn’t want the color to fade, after all.
How To Get Rid of Sweat Stains on Dress Shirts
Your Oxfords and button-ups need more care than any of your other staples. These are the tops you wear daily to the office or the ones you take to corporate meetings.
You wouldn’t want your boss to judge you, so it’s important to keep them neat and clean. Learning how to get rid of sweat stains on dress shirts requires attention to detail, but it’s not that difficult.
Begin by dealing with recent stains first. Follow the general procedure of mixing water and vinegar, applying baking soda paste, and machine washing it in hot water.
That should do the trick. For older patches and yellow stains, you might need to increase the paste’s concentration. Do this by mixing four tablespoons of baking soda with a quarter cup of warm water.
Then, scrub the affected area with a small scrub brush. Let it sit for 30 minutes, and put it back in the washer.
It’s not over yet. Check the French cuffs and see if they have sweat marks. You need to get rid of those, too.
For this, just soak them in a white vinegar-baking soda solution for two hours. Leave it overnight for older stains, and once done, throw it in the washing machine.
Keep these pointers in mind so that the next time you ask, “How do I get rid of sweat stains?” You will know what to do.
FAQs
Here are answers to common questions about stain removal:
Can old sweat stains be removed?
You can remove old sweat stains by using two key mixtures. One is the water-white vinegar solution, the other is creating a paste from baking soda, salt, and hydrogen peroxide.
Is vinegar or baking soda better for sweat stains?
Both vinegar and baking soda are inexpensive natural stain removers. They can effectively dissolve yellow pigments and odor caused by sweat patches.
How To Prevent Sweat Stains
People say prevention is better than cure. If you find the stain-removal process troublesome, then consider studying how to prevent sweat stains.
Wearing loose-fitting, natural fabrics is one effective method of avoiding sweat stains. Natural fibers like cotton and linen easily let the sweat evaporate from your body.
You can also equip moisture-wicking undershirts to protect your outer clothing. Sweat pads or guards might suit you more if you love fitted clothing.
Hygienic practices like trimming your armpit hair and using clinical-strength antiperspirant are also effective ways of preventing stains. You can lessen the collection of excess sweat and odor-causing bacteria if you practice proper grooming.
That’s everything you need to know on how to remove sweat stains. If you’re having trouble remembering the techniques, then simply come back to this guide.
Do you have other effective stain-removing methods? Tell us in the comments!
