how to keep white shirts pristine? - YouLookFab Forum

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how to keep white shirts pristine?

tartangal

Would love to hear from Angie and others on how to best keep our gorgeous white shirts blindingly white as well as free of stains, particularly perspiration stains. (These can occur even with meticulous anti-perspirant use) I read recently to spray water with a tiny bit of clear detergent in it under the arms when you take off the shirt until you get around to washing it to prevent stains. I did find a wonderful stain remover -the new Oxi-Clean Spray-Away. It's a tiny bottle perfect for toting around, keeping in the car, office etc. It took peanut butter stains right off my new Anne Fontaine shirt-a real test, as far as I'm concerned.
Anyone have secrets to share? How best to wash our cotton shirts? I used Oxi-Clean liquid in with my laundry detergent and set the machine to delicate, then line dried. Or should they only be hand washed to retain their newness?

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15 replies

Latest reply was from tartangal

Rosie

Veteran

I have NO wisdom on this topic, but thank you for asking it.

taylor

Veteran

Most of my white shirts for to the cleaners.
My favorite BB's are washed at home with nothing other than detergent, unfortunately I have found white shirts must be replaced each year or 2 if they are worn often

April

Veteran

For actual stains/ yellowing, I remember Angie saying she has used Tilex bathroom spray on whites. (!)

Also, this is sort of an old-fashioned solution, but I wonder if "dress shields" are sold in a nude color? Remember those -- they were like a shoulder pad, but they fit into the underarm portion of a shirt and acted as a barrier. I had bought some a while ago, but they only came in white, and that just did not work under a white shirt.

Scarlet

Veteran

This is the greatest fashion secret that I know, and I am about to share it with you all.

Old Spice deodorant. The blue gel-like one without antiperspirant. It kills the stinky for the whole day and does not make yellow pit stains. The only disadvantage is sometimes I am tired of smelling like a man. Why does no one make a comparable product for women?

RoseandJoan

Veteran

I also wear my husbands deodorant Scarlet, you are right they are so much better.

I wash my white cottons at a higher temperature than other loads and wash after just one or two wears. I always have a travel pack of baby wipes in my handbag (MOTG) and these really are great for removing a fresh mark which could stain.

If it were an option my white wovens would go to the cleaners.

Sihaya

Veteran

I wash my whites very separately from any other colors. I was them cold and always after a single wear before any neck or armpit stains have had a chance to form. Sometimes though I can have pit stains after a long day or if I was very nervous that day! In those cases, I spray the area with Shout before throwing in the laundry. I never dry them. I iron them right after the washer and hang dry.

Kristine

Veteran

I usually wear a white camisole/tank under my white shirt, that seems to help. I use a little bleach every so often, machine wash on cold/delicate then line dry. I think Taylor's right though, if you wear them often you probably have to replace them every year or two.

janetinvirginia

The deodorant is definitely the key to this. Sweat doesn't really stain the shirts -- the deodorant/antiperspirant does it.

My husband wears a thin tshirt under all his dress shirts, so that keeps his shirt clean. The tshirts look awful. I borrowed his deodorant once and it stained my shirt, so it's something about the dye in the one he uses.

Maya

Veteran

Actually, you don't have to wear a man's deodorant. A deodorant is different from an antiperspirant. The former keeps you from getting stinky but doesn't prevent you from getting sweaty. The latter does both. It's the aluminum chloride (or whatever, aluminum zirconium and other derivatives) that cause pit stains. This is only found in antiperspirants, not deodorants. If you don't sweat much, sticking to a deodorant is fine. Personally I tried a deodorant from Toms of Maine for a while and hated it. I can't stand the feeling of underarm wetness, so I went back to antiperspirants.

Scarlet

Veteran

Yeah, but the key for me is that most deodorants without anti-perspirant don't effectively eliminate smell. I sweat a lot unfortunately. Also the old spice gel one has a nice consistency and doesn't irritate my skin.

Mac

Veteran

Scarlet - thanks for sharing your Greatest-Ever fashion secret with us! I feel honoured.

marianne

I wash mine on cold and hang dry. Occasionally I soak them with Oxy-Clean for a couple of hours before the washing. I wear them multiple times between washings. I echo others about anti-perspirant - I've ruined enough tops with it in the past.
Another trick that I learned here on YLF is drying them in the sun (I believe it was Shiny's tip).

Scarlet

Veteran

I am no stylist, Mac, but I could write a book on deodorants We all have our arenas. If anyone out there is like my mother and doesn't actually perspire ever under any conditions, then you just won't understand. My white shirts last for years. I don't smell, and I don't need to stain treat them. And where did I learn it from? my big sis. The same sis who ran out and bought me certain-dry for my wedding day.

Megan

http://www.everythingaustralia.....rsoap.html

this is the best stain remover I've ever used. There are spray versions and stick versions but they pale in comparison to the cleaning power of the soap version.

I rub any stains with the Sard Wonder Soap then soak overnight in some detergent then wash as usal

tartangal

THank you so much everyone for your great replies! I just checked this site today and am delighted at so many worthwhile suggestions. I, too soak my shirts in OxiClean for a couple of hours before washing. Now I'll try the Old Spice deodorant for starters!