Black shirts are a wardrobe staple, but they can be a pain to keep clean. Deodorant stains on black clothing can be tricky to remove because the dark color makes it hard to see the stain.
First, you need to identify whether the stain is from an antiperspirant or a deodorant. Antiperspirants contain aluminum compounds that block sweat glands and reduce wetness.
Deodorants do not block sweat glands but instead mask body odor by killing bacteria on the skin’s surface.
The good news is that the stain can be removed with a few simple items you probably already have in your home.
Here are some ways on how to get deodorant stains out of black shirts.
What You’ll Need
- Baking soda
- Warm water
- Liquid laundry detergent or dish soap (like Dawn)
- White vinegar
- A toothbrush or small scrub brush
- Hydrogen Peroxide
Why Is My Deodorant Leaving Stains on My Clothes?
Deodorant stains are caused by so many reasons. Here are some tips to help you avoid them.
Too much deodorant or antiperspirant
Too much deodorant or antiperspirant is a common cause of deodorant stains on clothes. If too much product is applied, then it can run down onto your clothes and leave a stain when it dries on them.
Also, if too much product is applied and you don’t wash your shirt immediately after using it, then bacteria can grow in the wet area and produce an odor that will smell like body odor even though there is no sweat present anymore.
Sweat excessively
Another common cause of deodorant stains is excessive sweating. If you have very active jobs that require a lot of physical activity, such as construction work or gardening, then you may find that your clothes get stained more often than those who work indoors all day in an air-conditioned environment.
Can Deodorant Stains Be Washed Out?
Yes, Deodorant stains can be washed out of clothes. You can use baking soda, vinegar, OxiClean, hydrogen peroxide, dawn soap, or deodorant stain remover.
Use a laundry detergent that contains enzymes that break down protein-based stains. If a stain is not removed by cleaning it with water and detergent, try adding some vinegar to the wash cycle.
Vinegar is a mild acid that will help lift the stain from your clothing. The best way to remove deodorant stains from clothing is to pretreat them before washing.
If you don’t want to use vinegar directly on your clothes, then try using baking soda or OxiClean instead. Both of these products work well in removing deodorant stains from clothes without damaging the fabric or causing fading as vinegar does.
How to Get Deodorant Stains Out of Black Shirts
If you’ve ever spilled deodorant on a black shirt, you know how annoying it can be. Those white stains are hard to get out, but they’re not impossible. There are several options available to you that can help remove deodorant stains from your clothing.
Use Baking Soda to Get Deodorant Stains Out of Black Shirts
Baking soda is an effective way to remove deodorant stains from clothing. Since baking soda is a natural product that neutralizes odors, it works well as a deodorizer.
- To use baking soda to get rid of deodorant stains, simply fill a spray bottle with water and add 2 tablespoons of baking soda into the bottle.
- Shaking vigorously until all ingredients are dissolved into solution (about 30 seconds).
- Apply the mixture onto the stained area using a damp cloth or sponge and rub gently until the stain disappears.
- Allow the garment to air dry before wearing.
Use Vinegar
Vinegar is a great all-purpose cleaner that can help remove deodorant stains from a variety of fabrics, including cotton and polyester.
- Pour vinegar directly onto the stain and let it soak for 10 minutes before washing as usual. Be sure to use white vinegar rather than apple cider vinegar because white vinegar contains less acidity than apple cider vinegar and is less likely to damage the fabric fibers.
- Then rinse with cold water, and wash as usual with your regular detergent.
OxiClean Bleach Alternative
OxiClean Bleach Alternative is an excellent product for removing tough stains like deodorant marks from clothing.
The alternative contains sodium percarbonate, which works to break down dirt and stains so they can be rinsed away during laundering.
Apply OxiClean directly to the stain and allow it to sit for 30 minutes before washing as usual. This product is safe on most colors but could cause bleeding on certain fabrics such as acetate rayon or triacetate nylon.
Use Lemon Juice
If you want to use natural ingredients to remove deodorant stains, one of the best options is lemon juice.
Simply pour some lemon juice on the stain and let it sit for 15 minutes before washing as normal with cold water. The acidity in lemons works well to break down the wax in deodorants so that they don’t leave stains behind when they’re washed away.
Then rinse out with water and wash as usual.
Dish Soap & Hydrogen Peroxide
Another option to remove deodorant stains from black shirts is dish soap and hydrogen peroxide. This combination works well because it contains both an abrasive cleaner and an oxidizer that helps break down the waxes found in deodorants.
Start by pouring some dish soap on the stained area and letting it sit for 10-15 minutes before washing as usual with cold water. If all of the stains aren’t removed after using dish soap alone, mix together 1 cup of hydrogen peroxide with 1 cup of water, and dish soap.
Oxygen-Based Bleach & Ammonia
If you have an oxygen-based bleach, like Clorox or OxiClean, you can use that to get rid of deodorant stains.
To do this, put some clean water in a bowl and then add a little bit of the bleach. Then soak your shirt in the mixture for about 10 minutes. After that, take it out and scrub any remaining stains with an old toothbrush or other small brush.
How to Get Deodorant Stains on Shirt After Washing
Here are some ways for removing deodorant stains from your shirt after washing
Vinegar and baking soda
- Pour half cup of vinegar into a bowl, then add two tablespoons of baking soda.
- Dip a clean cloth into the solution and gently rub over the affected area until all traces of the stain have disappeared.
- If necessary, repeat until all traces have disappeared.
- After soaking, wash as normal.
Use lemon juice and salt
Squirt some lemon juice onto your stained shirt and rub it in with your fingers until it’s absorbed. Then sprinkle the area with salt and let it sit overnight before washing as usual in cold water with mild detergent.
How to Prevent Deodorant Stains on Black Shirts
If you want to prevent your favorite black shirt from getting stained, it’s best to be proactive and avoid the problem altogether. Here are some tips for how to prevent deodorant stains on black shirts:
Don’t over-apply your deodorant
Apply it once in the morning and that should be enough for most people. Just make sure you’re applying enough so that there is a thin layer of it over all of your armpits.
Allow your deodorant to dry before wearing your shirt
If you walk around with wet armpits, then you’re going to get stains on your clothes no matter what brand of deodorant you use or how often you apply it.
So make sure that your armpits are dry before putting on any clothing. If possible, let them dry for 10 minutes or so before getting dressed up for work or meeting friends for dinner and drinks.
Switch to roll-on deodorant
Roll-on deodorants are easier to handle and less likely to stain clothing than stick deodorants.
They also tend not to leave stains on the skin as much as stick deodorants do since they don’t contain any alcohol or other ingredients that cause drying effects on the skin.
An antiperspirant might be a good choice for sweating a lot
Antiperspirants contain aluminum salts which help block pores and prevent sweat from forming underarms while also killing bacteria that cause odor.
How to Get Deodorant Stains Out of Black Bras
If you’re the kind of person who sweats a lot, you may have experienced the problem of deodorant stains in your bras.
Deodorant stains are particularly common in black bras because deodorants contain aluminum and other ingredients that can react with the fabric dye in your bras.
Fortunately, there are several ways to remove deodorant stains from your bras.
Here are some tips on how to get deodorant stains out of black bras:
- Mix one cup of water with two tablespoons of distilled vinegar in a bowl.
- Soak your bra for about one hour. This will loosen up the deodorant stain so it can be easily removed by hand.
- After soaking, wash your bra in warm water using mild detergent and allow it to air dry on the clothesline outside.
Will Oxiclean Remove Deodorant Build Up?
Yes. If you’re looking for a product that will remove deodorant buildup from clothing, Oxiclean is an excellent choice. This stain remover has powerful enzymes that break down protein-based stains like sweat and deodorant residue.
It works great at getting rid of stinky armpit stains and preventing them from returning!
What Detergent Removes Armpit Stains?
If you want to keep deodorant stains from appearing on your shirts, choose a liquid laundry detergent that contains enzymes to break down protein-based stains like sweat and deodorant residue before they get a chance to set in.
A mild detergent like Persil Non-Bio Power-Liquid Laundry Detergent does the trick. It’s free from dyes, perfumes, and optical brighteners.
Does Vinegar Remove Armpit Stains?
Yes, Vinegar is one of the best choices for removing deodorant stains from black shirts because it contains natural enzymes that break down protein molecules like those found in sweat and body oils.
To use vinegar to remove deodorant stains, mix equal parts of water with white vinegar in a spray bottle, then spray the mixture onto the stained area of your shirt.
Let the solution sit for two minutes before blotting with a clean cloth until all of the stains have been removed (make sure you test this on an inconspicuous area first).
After blotting dry with another clean cloth, then wash as usual using cold water.
Will Dawn Get Rid of Deodorant Stains?
Yes, Dawn dish soap is a good stain-removing ingredient because it’s made with antibacterial agents that will help to break down the deodorant residue left behind on your shirt after washing.
Just pour some onto a sponge or washcloth, apply it to your stain and let it sit for 10 minutes before rinsing out with warm water and air drying outside or in the dryer if you have one available.
Does Hydrogen Peroxide Remove Armpit Stains?
Hydrogen peroxide is a great cleaning agent you can use to get rid of armpit stains from your black shirts. It’s actually an oxidizer, so it helps to break down any remaining residue left behind after washing with soap and water alone.
