Handy Tips to Remove Sweat Stains from Your Fabrics

Sweat stains, particularly pit stains, occur when the salts in your sweat react with the compounds (primarily aluminum) in your deodorant or antiperspirant. This chemical reaction gives sweat stains their characteristic yellowish color. Depending on the type of fabric and the amount of time a stain remains unattended, sweat stains can be either stubborn or easy to remove. With that in mind, here are handy tips on how to remove sweat stains from your fabrics.

Soak in Distilled Vinegar

Vinegar has mild bleaching properties, and therefore, you can use it to eliminate stains from your clothes. To do this, mix equal quantities of water and distilled vinegar and soak your stained clothes in this solution for about an hour. This method is effective for removing stains, especially mild ones, from white clothes. It is worth noting that despite being a type of acid (acetic acid), vinegar is not harmful to clothes. However, you should not mix vinegar and bleach because the sodium hypochlorite present in bleach can react with vinegar to produce chlorine gas, which is harmful to humans. Additionally, chlorine gas is a strong bleaching agent, meaning it will cause your colored clothes to fade.

Apply Stain Paste

Because it contains strong bleaching agents, stain paste works particularly well for stubborn stains. Specifically, stain paste contains hydrogen peroxide, which is a powerful bleaching agent, according to the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI).  Additionally, the paste contains other strong stain-removal ingredients, including baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) and salt. To make a stain removal paste, mix a tablespoon each of hydrogen peroxide and salt and half a cup of baking soda to form a paste. Apply it directly on the stained area using a brush and wait for about one hour for the stain to dissolve. Then, wash and dry your garment accordingly. Remember, due to the strong bleaching agents present in the stain paste, you should only use it to clean white garments.

Soak in a Soapy Solution

Most detergents in the market, including dish soaps, contain some amount of bleaching agents. This means that you can use any deep-cleaning soap to remove sweat stains. For instance, mix dish soap with hydrogen peroxide and pour the solution into water. Stir the mixture well until it becomes soapy. Next, soak your stained fabrics in this solution for at least an hour before washing them normally. It is worth noting that this method is generally ineffective with deep-seated sweat stains and so can only be used to remove fresh sweat stains.

Apply Lemon Juice

Lemon juice is both a good disinfectant and a stain remover for different materials and surfaces, so you can consider using it to remove yellow sweat stains from your clothes. To get started, mix 2/3 parts water and 1/3 parts lemon juice and apply it to the stained part of your clothes. Rub gently and leave it for one hour before washing it off. Alternatively, you can mix half a cup of lemon juice with your everyday detergent and use this mixture in your washing machine.

Use these handy tips to remove stubborn sweat stains from your clothes. Another way to get your clothes clean without any hassle is to seek professional laundry services from experts who understand all types of stains and know how to remove them. At Fresh & Clean Laundry, we are your one-stop shop for all your laundry needs. Visit our website or call us today at 619-691-7626 to learn how we can help you do your laundry and dry cleaning in no time.

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