white shirts and underarm stains

marianne

How do you remove underarm stains from white shirts? I went through my summer shirts today and all white ones have some degree of staining... even ones I wore 1 season. I tried bleach before but it didn't quite work. There seems to be a ton of advice on the net, but I obviously don't want to experiment, so I'm curious - what works for you?

17 years ago

Body Type

4 replies

Latest reply was from shiny

marianne

Active Member

Oops, sorry for posting it in this category.

17 years ago

shiny

Veteran

They call me the "laundry queen" so I can tackle this one.

First, if they are basic white cotton tee shirts (cheap - like from Gap or Old Navy or Target or someplace like that), you probably can't save them. Sorry!!!

You may also note that the fabric has deteriorated - such as around the neck. It may be subtle, but you'll know what I mean, if this is true. It won't fit or look the same way as last year. Some fabrics will deteriorate over time - whether you wear or launder them or not. White cotton, in my experience, deteriorates faster than other colors. If this is the case, you may just have to plan to replace them every year. (Or buy better quality knitwear).

If it is a quality garment, try laundering NOT with bleach - try using ammonia and/or vinegar instead, with hot water. You can also try treating with a stain treatment such as Zout. Launder a few times - *without* running through the dryer.

Then lay the garment out flat to dry in the direct sunlight. This part is key!! The sun can do the bleaching job. I have saved pit-stained linen shirts with this method.

17 years ago

marianne

Active Member

Thanks Shiny! I'll give it a try. Yes, those are mostly cotton or linen blouses, and I was hoping I could save them.

As for white tees and tanks, I try to replace them regularly, but I do buy them at places like Gap. Is there a noticeable difference with more expensive brands? If so, it would make sense to switch. How much longer would they last?

17 years ago

shiny

Veteran

Others can chime in, but it's hit or miss for me. I do have one white long sleeve knit from Banana Republic that has never gotten armpit stains, and I've had it for years. It has, however, started to loose it's luster overall... a bit of pilling... so I only use it as a layering piece now.

GAP tees - I do love them because they fit me very well (now that they have petites, even better!) But the white shirts never last more than one season. You don't even see the pit stains until the next year when you bring them out.

I have tried expensive white tees (blanking on the brand now, but it's sold on bluefly.com) and they also got pit stains after one season (appearing after being in storage).

The colored tees do better, but they do eventually loose their shape.... whether worn and washed, or just kept in storage. Black tees don't stay black either.

I do keep a stable of GAP tees for layering or just lounging around the house or for boating in the summer and I just buy on sale, and then replace them every year.

Your linen shirts should work very well with the method I described!! I have had the best luck with linen. Something about hanging them to dry in the sun brings back their whiteness beautifully.

17 years ago

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