Avoid Armpit Stains This Summer
Where Underarm Stains Come From and How to Get Rid of Them
Apr 27, 2009
Summer is coming which means more time spent outdoors enjoying the weather and soaking in the rays. Unfortunately it also means more sweating and more sweat stains. Fortunately, knowing how armpit stains get there can help a person avoid underarm marks, and if it’s too late for that there are several effective methods for getting rid of that nasty discoloration.
Armpit Stains are Caused by Deodorant
Many people apply a thick layer of deodorant on in the morning in the hopes that it will prevent sweat stains from appearing on their clothes. However, a thick layer of antiperspirant could actually be causing those gross yellow armpit stains on your beautiful white shirts.
Mike Thomas, a chemical engineer and Team Leader for Proctor & Gamble's antiperspirant line, told Sweat Solutions “you wouldn’t have stains if it weren’t for your antiperspirant. Antiperspirants are very acidic and it’s that acidity that causes the colors on your clothes to shift.” He suggests that people apply a thin layer and wait for it to thoroughly dry in order to avoid underarm stains.
How Deodorant Causes Armpit Stains
Deodorants work by creating shallow plugs in the sweat ducts so that sweat cannot come out of the duct. The plugs are shallow enough that they come out when exfoliating in the shower; they also can be washed away if there is too much perspiration. Eventually the plugs simply cannot hold back all of a person’s sweat and the sweat comes through. This washes not only the sweat but also the deodorant onto the clothing.
Many deodorants are acidic and have aluminum compounds in them, it is this acidity that causes the underarm stain. Dark colored clothes may turn a whitish color whereas a white shirt may take on a yellowish color. The reason white shirts turn yellow and not another color could be due to the urea in sweat. Sweat has trace amounts of urea in it – which is a compound also found in pee.
Avoid Underarm Stains With These Tips
A person can avoid armpit stains with a little care. In the morning people should spread a thin layer of deodorant evenly across the armpit and wait for it to dry before dressing. Then, in the evening a person who really wants to avoid underarm stains should rinse the shirt with cold water before washing it. In fact, putting a shirt straight into the wash could do more harm than good as hot water can set a chemical reaction – binding the stain the fabric. Also, using organic deodorants may be a good idea as these do not have the aluminum compounds that mainstream deodorants have.
Getting Rid of Sweat Stains Once They Occur
If that favorite shirt has already turned a strange color, it may not be too late to correct course. There are many tips and tricks out there for getting rid of armpit stains. One is to do a simple spot treatment of bleach with a bleach pen. However, bleach is corrosive and could wear out the shirt faster – plus it’s not good for the environment.
Hydrogen peroxide is a good alternative that is effective and easy on the environment. Rubbing in a little hydrogen peroxide before throwing a shirt in the wash could help get rid of sweat stains. However, both of these methods are best used on white shirts. For colored shirts it is best to use an alcohol based cleanser such as baby whites or an enzymatic cleaner.
It’s not necessary to accept ugly sweat stains in life. They can be avoided with just a little knowhow.
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