Submitted by vava3791 t3_11urpc4 in BuyItForLife
Did anyone figure out how to keep the underarms on white tshirts actually white? My antiperspirants or deodorants (i’ve tried quite a few) stain it drab over time, and my detergents don’t get the drab out. Short of not buying white tshirts, or getting comfortable with the BO… anyone got some good advice on how to keep my white shirts clean? I’d like to keep them for life!
Lots of good options below. If an aluminum-free deodorant doesn't seem strong enough, try dusting on a bit of Gold Bond menthol foot powder after the deodorant dries. Actually does a very good job of controlling sweat and odor. (be careful not to breathe it when you put it on)
I use aluminum-free deodorant (MagSol) and still get stains. Unfortunately, this is the only non-aluminum deodorant that actually works for me. I’ve tried most other brands of non aluminum and none of them work at keeping neither sweat nor funk away all day.
Wash whites on hot with sodium percarbonate and whitewash powder, with a prewash and soak program. I like MieleCare Ultrawhite detergent, it's around $35usd a box, but it lasts for years as you only need a tablespoon per load.
This method also keeps bed linens from yellowing and removes ring around the collar.
I have good luck with the "crystal" deodorants. There are a few tricks to using these. One: you just want a solid one, smooth is nice, but it'll round over time. Two: you want to apply this immediately after you shower. If you shower at night, apply it then! Three: you want to spread that rock around like a ferret on crystal meth. Don't just get only the middle of the pit, the sweat glands go our farther than you might think. This will not stop sweat, it just knocks back the BO and doesn't stain shirts. Otherwise I got nothing and avoid wearing either pure white or pure black in my daily farm life xD
😂 Like a ferret of crystal meth! Amazing analogy!
I went to the derm for my excessive sweating and one of their recommendations actually ended up helping the stain issue. Bathing at night, make sure underarms are super dry, then apply the antiperspirant. It needs to sit on dry skin for a bit for it to work its best. By the time I get dressed, the antiperspirant has soaked into the skin and I notice I have less of an issue with it getting into the arm pits of my clothes.
TLDR: put your antiperspirant on as long before you put your clothes on as possible. Using a fan or hair dryer can likely speed up that process when in a rush.
Real question- is antiperspirant harmful? Is it just the aluminum in deodorant that is harmful?
there is no scientific proof that aluminum in antiperspirants is harmful, so you don't have to worry either way.
… I had no idea Thank you!
Numerous studies have looked for a link between antiperspirants and cancer/alzheimer's, but none of them have found a link.
The only health effects they have been able to find is acne, so if you’re getting acne in the areas that you spray with antiperspirant, the recommendation is to try different ones until it stops.
I had to switch off aluminum-based deodorant. Took a few painful months to find something that worked for me but I got there. Toms didn't seem like it was doing much for me but it was also my first foray and I might not have spent enough time with it. I was concerned about still being sweaty & stinky so I went hard with Schmidt's magnesium-- which dried me out so bad I chapped and I started to smell again 4-6 hours later. Love beauty love planet (there wasn't a lot of options locally at the time so I gave it a whirl) left me sweaty and made me smell like rotting meat. It was awful. I finally tried Native (mostly because I was curious about the bacteria additive) which is actually working out.
I used to have awful yellow stains on shirts and that's gone now so I can buy better quality stuff and keep it nice. Also we have some white cotton bed sheets that are great quality (handed down in the family) but they've been abused and were starting to feel like leather more than cloth. Tried a laundry strip on those and it worked like a charm!
Men's gel deodorant, blue color. The gel doesn't stain, really, but the blue colour also kind of helps in place of blueing agent (used to neutralize yellowed textile back to white).
I "stole" my SO's Old Spice Wolfthorn, the scent is subtle enough to not mess with my perfume. I've tried countless brands and types, no ladies' deodorant worked as well for me. Other men's lines might work just as well as the brand mentioned.
Check out Lume deodorant. It’s a cream that is aluminum free, doesn’t stain, doesn’t irritate my skin, and actually works. I tried lots and lots of brands before I found this. Coconut is my favorite scent
Tangerine is nice too. Light scent, not overwhelming. Actually works!
Soak your shirts in OxiClean overnight. Tumble dry on low just long enough to shake out the wrinkles then hang to dry. This solved the problem for me. Plus I quit using commercial deodorant and switched to isopropyl alcohol in a spray bottle- cheap and effective.
Yes! I use a Sunlight laundry soap bar directly on the stain and then a good oxygen bleach soak. Hanging them to bleach in the sun helps as well. I should try your trick of using rubbing alcohol in a spray bottle. I use some in a regular bottle sometimes but it’s messy and sloppy
Yes if the oxyclean doesn’t do it in one night you can rinse it out and soak it again in oxyclean and repeat up to 7 days, I saw this on a YouTube video and she got a vintage dress super white that way.
I have had good luck with this degree ultra clear deodorant
It is formulated to not leave yellow stains on white shirts.
Wear whatever deodorant you want. Soak your tees in vinegar before washing. Best thing for sweat stains. Second best and more universal option is to use blue dish soap and hydrogen peroxide. I keep a spray bottle of each in my laundry area (a black glass spray bottle or buy it in the spray bottle already at the store, the peroxide will lose its effectiveness if exposed to light) and spray stains with each before washing and it removes most stains. Context: I’m a vintage clothes dealer
Vinegar soak = straight or diluted? Ratio? Assuming white vinegar, right? Dawn/H2O2 spray ratio? Thanks!
I do a 50/50 ratio of vinegar and lukewarm water although you could probably get away with less vinegar. And more? Ive done straight vinegar for old ass pit stains on an amazing white vintage piece. I’m talking 50 year old sweat here. For the dawn and h202 is about the same 50/50, but I have a few different processes. General and new stains I use my spray bottle technique, straight h202 and the dawn is pretty heavily concentrated soap to water. Like 2 tablespoons soap and 2/3 cup of water something like that. It’s usually perfectly effective. If it’s more stubborn or I have a batch of clothes with more serious stains I take a bowl and make a mixture of soap and h202 and apply the mixture right into the stain, (again about 50/50) rubbing it in to let it sit. I use a toothbrush. For whites and really stubborn stains you can add baking soda, however the baking soda can turn that mixture into a bleaching agent so if you’re using colors you want to be mindful of how long you let it sit, start with 5 minutes and work your way up from there. Then, vaguely by color (sorry for all this detail lol I’m sure you won’t be washing clothes in an assembly line like I do but now that I’ve started I can’t stop) I soak them in a tub of lukewarm water for however long before washing and rinsing normally. I line dry a lot because actually the sun helps remove stains too believe it or not! And it’s gentler on vintage and the environment. Welp now you’re ready to start your own laundry service hope that helps
This is great info! As a fellow vintage aficionado, thanks for the tools to now consider vintage whites. :)
I would like to know as well. I love my white tees.
Wash once to clean off sweat or other body fluids, and then wash a second time with bleach. If you bleach the first time, sweat can react with the bleach to turn yellow. You can also add a blueing agent which helps counteract yellow to keep whites looking white.
I don't have a lot of white clothing, but this is how I wash mine and I haven't had issues with deodorant stains so far.
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I use gel deodorant, not flakey and don’t have this issue. I agree with other mentioned sentiments, though. Blueing agents in your white loads and not using aluminum in your product are both food. One of these days I should test my flakey speed stick against my gel Dove deodorant with white tees. Could be interesting!
Check out Lume deodorant. It’s a cream that is aluminum free, doesn’t stain, doesn’t irritate my skin, and actually works. I tried lots and lots of brands before I found this. Coconut is my favorite scent
If you have stains on stuff you want to wear still, look into stripping the clothes. Takes borax and washing soda (not baking soda, but you can bake the baking soda to make washing soda if you can’t find it), and detergent. In a bathtub full of hot water. Let it soak for 4 hours then wash again like normal. Take stains and smells right out!
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I use Toups & co Tallow deodorant. It's the only natural/aluminum free deodorant I've found that actually works!
Don't use antiperspirants. That's probably what's causing the stains, not your sweat.
Most of us would rather deal with the stains than to have visibly wet pits in public. There’s a guy in my office known as “sweaty pit guy” just for this reason.
I used to sweat a lot, but oddly enough, it stopped when I quit using antiperspirant and switched to just regular deodorant. I don't get pit stains with deodorant, either.
pumpkinsword t1_jcploot wrote
Use aluminum free deodorant. The stains are from a reaction between the aluminum and the detergent.