Underarm deodorant stains are very evident on white shirts because the fabric turns yellow. While they may not be as apparent on dark colored shirts, they are there. The underarm stains from deodorant and body soil trap bacteria, cause odor and cause stiffness and discoloration of the fabric.

How does this happen to me?

Underarm stains are caused by the reaction between anti-perspirant ingredients and the salts in your sweat.

Most anti-perspirants contain aluminum compounds to reduce wetness. It is the aluminum that causes the build-up and yellowing on fabrics. The stains don’t appear overnight, but without proper handling of garments may happen after continuous wear.

How can I prevent stains?

Wear an undershirt to help protect your more expensive outer shirt. However, if an extra layer is just not possible, try switching to an aluminum-free deodorant. Read the labels and you’ll find that anti-perspirants have varying levels of aluminum compounds. Choose a brand with the lowest aluminum content that provides the protection you need.
After applying deodorant, allow it to dry before dressing to prevent rub-off on fabrics. If you don’t have time to wait, a couple of blasts of air from a hair dryer will do the trick. This will also help with those white zebra stripes that happen when you pull a shirt over your head and your deodorant is not dry! Learn how to remove those stripes with these tips!

How do I remove the underarm stains?

Darker colors often have stiffness or residue on the fabric under the arms.

To remove the build-up and freshen the garments, fill the washing machine with cool water and add one cup of distilled white vinegar. Allow shirts to soak for at least 30 minutes. Drain vinegar water and wash as usual in cool water and your regular detergent.
If the build-up is really heavy, mix a 1:1 solution of white distilled vinegar and water and use that old toothbrush to scrub the area before soaking.

If the garment is dry clean only, point out and identify the stain to your professional cleaner. If you are using a homedry cleaning kit, be sure to treat the stain with the provided stain remover before putting the garment in the dryer bag.

The yellow underarm stains on white shirts must be treated a bit differently, so follow these tips to get rid of those stains.