Ugh. Armpits. They're the worst. - YouLookFab Forum

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Ugh. Armpits. They're the worst.

doubleh

Veteran

I hate everything about them. Anyway, in my quest to maintain proper care of my existing clothing, the white shirt gone yellow issue is still perplexing. Does anyone know anyway to remove (without bleach) stains and/or tricks to prevent?

I have been told no by many people, but since this is a global forum I guess I'm hoping there might be a "yes" on a different continent.

One little trick I can share: I heard a stylist long, long ago say she used panty liners on the armpits of her borrowed clothes. I do this with heavy sweaters and jackets- it does help! Harder to do with thinner/closer fit materials though. And really doesn't work with short sleeves.

Dressing

23 replies

Latest reply was from Ariadne

Joyce B

Veteran

I spray them with Shout or if it's bad with clorox color prewash before every wash. I gave found that doing that every time will prevent the ugly stains.

Anonymous

I have found switching to Certain-Dri antiperspirant and then a liquid crystal salt deodorant has worked wonders for me.

April

Veteran

Unfortunately, dh, it's one of those "solutions" that may not be better than the problem. The yellowing is actually not caused by perspiration, but by the aluminum in anti-perspirants. If you can get by using a deodorant only, or an anti-perspirant without aluminum, it might do the trick.

I'm guessing Ceit's good luck with Certain Dri is because you put that on the night before, so it douesn't directly touch your clothing.

I had a brief fling with these little disposable, stick-on barriers that are a nude-for-me color, but they weren't entirely successful. The adhesive isn't great and they would bunch up under my arm.

The ones that seem like they would actually be more effective, like these: http://www.amazon.com/Kleinert.....B000J09VGA are bright white, so they'd be highly visible under white tops, which is what you'd typically want to wear them with. Grrr.

Laura (rhubarbgirl)

(website)

Veteran

There used to be an item called 'dress shields' that ladies would wear ala panti liners underneath their dress at the armpits. I'm not sure if they're made anymore. In colder months, a short-sleeved piece of long underwear could help with absorbing a lot of the moisture.

ironkurtin

Veteran

Wet the fabric with shout, then make a paste with shout and tide with bleach. Apply and let dry, then wash. That's about as good as it's going to get.

Emily

Veteran

I've had some success removing (or diminishing) the stains by soaking with lots of oxi clean + water. As far as prevention, I try to wear short sleeved undershirts when practical.

Anonymous

Yeah, also, the Certain-Dri really helps stop sweating, and is a clear liquid, so there isn't as much transfer of the goo (waxes, binders etc) that is in stick antiperspirants and deodorants.

krishnidoux

Veteran

Panty liners under your arms! What an idea... so you stick it to you or to the garment?

I had already heard of - and tried - the sanitary napkins as insoles inside shoes for tired feet. And it works! (But don't remove shoes in from of pple because everyone will recognize what is inside you shoe!)

MsMary

Veteran

Dress shields are still available: https://www.google.com/search?.....l&

If you scroll down it looks like Nordstrom has some in a natural color (not bright white).

doubleh

Veteran

Thank you all! I am writing down every suggestion and will report back with any successes. I realized this particular shirt is probably 10 years old, and still very white. Just now starting to yellow....ah! And I did switch deoderants. Huh.

Dress shields- yes, that sounds a little classier.

krishnadoux- stick to the garment- and it sometimes is still a tricky application.

JAileen

Veteran

I read somewhere that spraying the area with vinegar before washing is effective.

April

Veteran

I've also had some success with a product called Deo Go: http://www.amazon.com/Deo-Go-D.....B0038D5EGG It's not, in my experience, quite as miraculous as people seem to claim it is, but it does work on milder yellowing.

Gigi

Veteran

I still have problems with yellowing underarms despite the fact that I haven't worn aluminum-containing deodorants for years. In fact, sometimes I just use some talcum powder (I have a lot of chemical sensitivities, so sometimes even the natural deodorants, including the crystal, can irritate my skin). So although the aluminum might make the yellowing worse, I do think part of it is probably the sweat itself. (That just gave me the idea to google it...I see that this site says that the composition of armpit sweat gives it a milky or yellowish color.)

Anyway, I think that using a stain stick or presoaking in oxygen bleach is probably the best solution. But I think you will want to use the stain stick *before* you notice a problem, like Joyce B said. That reminds me that I have a few shirts I should do this to next laundry day!

Helena

Veteran

I've had luck with vinegar - spray right on for stains, or maybe 1/2 cup in the white wash for maintenance. Some did tell me that would eventually wear down the clothes, but I wouldn't have thought it could be any worse than bleach is.

Stuti

Dress shields. Saw at Joann fabric the other day. (Different name though)

Echo

Veteran

Something that hasn't been mentioned yet, and is probably not an issue for anyone who has city water, but we tend to have iron dissolved in our well water. When the softener needs replenishing, those minerals "stick" to perspiration areas on clothing, and they are impossible to remove. When I say impossible, I mean impossible. Even acids used by dairies to clean iron from pipes will not remove it from fabric once it is stained. Anyway, so we fill our softener with special iron fighting salt, and as long as that is done, the non-clorox bleach (hydrogen peroxide is the active ingredient) works for us.

Alassë

Veteran

Seconding the aluminum-less deodorant suggestion. My cream tops are staying cream much better.

doubleh

Veteran

Oh! We do have well water! Still getting used to living in the country.... I am going to attempt these solutions, but I also think that anything white and nice I own from now will be sent out for laundering.

Linda

Yes, Echo -- we also are on a well. We have extremely iron-rich water too. I think that once the stains appear the metals are actually adhered to the threads of the fabric, or the fibers, so that's why they're nigh impossible to remove. The special salt really makes a positive difference. Doubleh, yes, if you want to be totally safe, send the whites out!

shiny

Veteran

Sunlight can work surprisingly well. I have saved some white tops simply by putting them out to dry in bright, direct sunlight. It doesn't work for everything, but if you have tried everything else, it's worth a shot.

Otherwise, I think you just have to plan and budget on replacing white tops frequently. It's like knits that are just going to pill eventually.

As for deodorant/antiperspirant, I stopped wearing it almost completely. At first it was because I suspected it was ruining my blouses-- doing more harm than good. Then I dunno, somewhere along the way, I realized I am sweating a lot less these days. Not sure what is up with that. Maybe it's an age thing? I do sweat horribly at nighttime, but not during the day so much.

But the yellowing can still happen, I notice it happens most on items that I haven't worn in awhile. Items that were properly cleaned and stored for the season. I bring them out and there's a stain that wasn't there before. Sweaters are like this too, and anything with elastic. I just think that most fabrics degrade naturally over time -- no matter how gentle you are with their care.

Mia

Veteran

Fascinating thread. My mom wore dress shields and I swore I would never do it finding it faintly "gross" as a youngster. Now I wish I had them for dry clean only dresses with sleeves. I actually tried panty liners at one point with mixed success. Shape isn't quite right and they can bunch.

The yellowing armpits on tees and my tennis whites drives me bonkers. Lately I've been getting a pinkish not yellowish stain. What's with that?
I do the Shout and soak routine with mixed success.

I will try the Certain Dri if it's available in Canada.

minimalist

Veteran

I've had inconsistently good luck using a mixture of peroxide and baking soda.

Ariadne

Veteran

Certain Dri is available in Canada. I've been using it (or Drysol, same thing) for years and can find it at just about any pharmacy, as well as some big grocery stores. You can order it from well.ca, too:
http://well.ca/products/certai....._9195.html

My routine is the same as Ceit--Certain Dri at night, crystal deo in the morning after my shower. I only have to apply Certain Dri once every month or two (really!) at this point. It's the only antiperspirant that works for me. I swear by it. I used to get yellow underarm stains when I used daily antiperspirants, but I don't anymore.