How to Get Rid of Armpit Stains and Sweat Stains

You don't need special stain removers or strong chemicals to remove sweat stains on clothing, bedding, and other fabrics. Even if you have armpit stains changing the color of the underarm part of t-shirts, causing yellowing or darkening, there's an easy solution.

Never use hot water or toss in the dryer until the stain has been removed, as the heat can set the stain making it harder to remove or permanent. Do not use chlorine bleach, as the reaction between bleach and the minerals from sweat can actually make the stains worse.

Learn which simple ingredients or ordinary laundry products can eliminate those discoloration rings and the steps you can take to remove them.

Why Does Sweat Leave Stains?

Sweat contains high concentrations of salt and other minerals from our bodies. When it soaks into the fabric of clothing, bedding, and even pillowcases, this can change the color of the material. Your favorite black shirt may have white rings in the underarm area, or your bright white clothing can even turn yellow. However, sweat isn't the only cause of the stain.

When your clothes have sweat stains around the underarms, the real cause of these unsightly marks is a mixture of the minerals in your sweat mixed with the ingredients in antiperspirant or deodorant (primarily aluminum). This combination creates yellow stains on white clothes and discolors the armpit areas of colored clothes. When dealing with sweat and deodorant marks on clothing, treating the stains early is key. Once these inevitable spots appear on your clothes and bedding, it's best to rinse them in cold water before they dry completely.

Before You Begin

Test stain removers and cleaners, no matter how innocent they seem, on colored clothes before using them on sweat stains. Hydrogen peroxide, for example, is a mild bleaching agent that can lighten colored fabric that is not colorfast. Start by dampening a white cloth or a cotton swab with peroxide (or another stain remover or cleaner you'd like to use), then dab it onto an interior seam, hem, or inconspicuous area of the fabric to make sure no color comes off. If you see some color on the cloth or swab, use vinegar or a commercial stain remover that's safe for colors instead of the instructions below.

When to Call a Professional

If the stained garment is labeled as "dry clean only," take the item to a professional dry cleaner as soon as possible, and point out and identify the stain.

The 10 Best Laundry Detergents of 2023, Tested and Reviewed