How to prevent armpit stains on white items - YouLookFab Forum

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How to prevent armpit stains on white items

Steph

Veteran

I recently purchased a sleeveless white dress that I am hoping to wear often this summer. However, I am concerned that every time I get a little sweaty while wearing it (and there is no way to avoid sweating in the DC summers), it will begin to stain the dress, and eventually I will end up with yellow discoloration at the underarms of the dress.

Does anyone know how to best prevent this? Would something like Scotchguard work? Any other ideas?

General

21 replies

Latest reply was from StacyJo

Steph

Veteran

Okay, I did some research and answered my own question. Apparently it isn't sweat that causes the stains, it is the interaction of sweat with the aluminum in deodorant. So I'm going to purchase some aluminum-free deodorant to use when I'm wearing my white dresses (and make sure I put on only a thin layer and let it dry thoroughly before putting on my clothing).

Debora

Veteran

Brilliant! I've always wondered about this.

annette

I have some "rock" deodorant from a health food store that really works! It is in a deodorant-like container. You wet it to apply. It sounds weird but I swear by it.

Sarah

probably gross, but I definitely needed to know this!

Maya

Veteran

Steph, I tried going aluminum free a few years ago and didn't really have success. I was using an aluminum free deodorant from Toms of Maine, but just couldn't stand the feeling of wetness and was paranoid the entire time about sweat marks. It was such a relief to going back to antiperspirant.

Deodorant also needed to be applied and reapplied often, otherwise you'll stink. I know someone who only uses deodorant, and he definitely is far from odorless. He's not repulsive or stinky....but he definitely has a more noticeable aroma than most people...

You should definitely try it out, but just be aware of the drawbacks so you don't find yourself in an uncomfortable position.

Jenava

(website)

Veteran

It's true, but what Maya said is true, too...Also shaving armpits actually makes our smell more noticeable since the hair doesn't hold in the scent...gross, I know, but it's true. Now, I am not suggesting to stop shaving (if that is your preference - it is mine), but just pointing that out.

Maybe washing it every time you wear it would help? I've never had a white item (top or dress) that I didn't eventually toss due to staining...except my white Brooks Brothers shirt (which I always wear a cami under, so may that makes a difference?)

annagybe

(website)

Veteran

I was going to suggest dress shields, but I don't think they'll work since it's sleeveless.

elpgal

Veteran

I googled for 'sleeveless dress shields' after seeing Anna's suggestion and saw these:

http://www.amazon.com/Disposab.....B001EJAQOQ

rosee

Veteran

It doesn't work all the time, but if you do get marks at the end of the wearing day, soak the pits in a solution of water, vinegar and soap or shampoo. And leave it to sit on the stains until you launder. It also helps to use Oxy in the wash or another hydrogen peroxide type product. The thing is you have to get at the stains before they are set, so I use the "end of wearing day" rule.
If drycleaning, talk to your drycleaner, b/c they may not want that solution on the clothes you bring in b/c that process is different.

MsMaven

Veteran

This is a problem DH has with undershirts. They not only get yellow, but some anti-perspirants interact and make the fabric at the armpits gummy. Someone suggested we try Oxiclean. I sprayed it once before washing and it didn't do much, but then I keep forgetting to do it again. When he is giving a presentation or in a client meeting he doesn't want sweat stains to show through to his dress shirts, so he hates to give up the anti-perspirant.

I have been meaning to post about this to find out if there are different brands he can try, and if the damage to the undershirts can be undone. (I'd have to go check to see what he is using now.)

Jenava

(website)

Veteran

If someone came up with a product that solved this issue they would make a lot of money!

Scarlet

Veteran

I have said it before and I will say it again Old Spice deodorant does not stain and kills the stink like no other. Just try it. Nivea is advertising an anti-p at the moment that is supposed to "minimize" yellow stains. I bought it but don't trust it enough to put it to the test

suzanne

Do you have blue soap in America? Not bath soap - it's a harsher soap. If this is available, wet the arm area and work the soap in, let it sit for 10 minutes and then throw it straight into the machine. The trick to stop the discolouration is the wash the garment as quickly as possible after wearing - the longer the deoderant "sits" on the fabric the worse the chances of staining. (Oh, and don't put the dress on while your deoderant is still wet, wait till it dries) Good luck and don't let this spoil your enjoyent of the dress!

Kari

Veteran

Provided that it isn't dry-clean only, if I have any stains on my white clothing, I soak them in Kids'N'Pets (a stain and odor remover/enzyme cleaner) as soon as I can after incurring the initial stain. Then, I toss the item in the wash with a scoop or Oxy-Clean. It helps significantly. So far my white Carissa Rose blouse is doing fine after a few years with this treatment.

Anonymous

Oxyclean does a good job with these stains but may have to be used more than once. I've used the powder and made a paste of it to sit on stains before washing.
I think I heard recently that deoderant manufacturers are busy working on a non-staining formula that may solve the problem.

Steph

Veteran

These are some great ideas. Unfortunately, the dress is dry clean only, so my hope is to prevent the stains from taking form at all, rather than washing them out after the fact.

Maya, I should have been more specific--I was using deodorant and antiperspirant interchangeably, and I know that is wrong. I found an aluminum-free antiperspirant by Adidas online: http://www.amazon.com/Adidas-C.....B0015HPTTE

Elpgal, those shields are interesting, and they have a couple of very positive reviews, but I just don't understand how they wouldn't show on a sleeveless dress. The women who posted wore strapless and liked it, so I must be missing something, but it seems to me as soon as you lift your arm you would see the shield. Maybe they are really, really, really transparent?

Suzanne, I don't know anything about blue soap, or whether we have it in the US. I can do some research. Same about rock deodorant, Annette.

I guess for now, I might buy that Adidas antiperspirant and try it out. I'll report back if it seems to work, since I'm clearly not the only one with this problem.

Maya

Veteran

Steph, sorry to be dense, but it looks like the Adidas product you linked to is actually a deodorant? I always thought aluminum is what made the difference between deodorant and antiperspirant, but if I'm wrong and there is such a thing as an aluminum-free antiperspirant, I would love to know about it.

Steph

Veteran

Maya, you're not dense, I am. I googled aluminum-free antiperspirant, and so I stupidly assumed this was antiperspirant and not deodorant. I wonder if it will matter at all that I usually use antiperspirant if I just use the deodorant occasionally? Maybe I won't smell as much? I doubt it will help with the sweat, though, because I am not one of those people who never perspires (I wish). Back to the drawing board!

Maya

Veteran

Oh, boo. You might have better luck than me. I'm definitely a sweaty mess in summer so it just doesn't work for me

Oh, I thought of one possibility: Certain Dri is supposed to be applied at night, before bed,which makes me wonder if it might keep stains at bay, since it has so much time to absorb. If anything it might stain your PJ's. It's supposed to last up to 72 hours so you'd also be applying it less. So if you apply it say, 2 nights before you plan to wear the dress, you may not have any issues.

I'm not sure if this is the case or not but now I'm curious.

HeleenH

Veteran

I use a crystal deodorant (different brand). It works great. No smell, no stains. If you search you can get it as a stick, roll on or spray. You can also go the cheap way and get an alum block, the same stone your dad used when he cut his face while shaving.

StacyJo

(website)

A hyper-saline deodorant may work. I've not tried this, but googled it and found some posts on it helping to avoid underarm stains.