Author Topic: Yellow armpits and collars  (Read 3543 times)

Steeze

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Yellow armpits and collars
« on: January 29, 2019, 04:44:08 AM »
Tried soaking in oxy clean, tried shout, tried the tide pen. Any clever ways to rejuvenate these old shirts? They are my button up work shirts which are all different colors.

How do I do this, or am I doomed to replace them every 4-5 years? Can it be fixed or is it a matter of prevention?

Linea_Norway

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Re: Yellow armpits and collars
« Reply #1 on: January 29, 2019, 05:18:57 AM »
Tried soaking in oxy clean, tried shout, tried the tide pen. Any clever ways to rejuvenate these old shirts? They are my button up work shirts which are all different colors.

How do I do this, or am I doomed to replace them every 4-5 years? Can it be fixed or is it a matter of prevention?

Painting dark with fabric paint? I have done this with success with trousers with stains in them.

Jenny1974

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Re: Yellow armpits and collars
« Reply #2 on: January 29, 2019, 06:55:35 AM »
Pinterest is your friend . . . look up yellow stain in armpits and you will find all sorts of ideas.  Personally, I used some mixture of Dawn, hydrogen peroxide and baking soda on DH's shirts.  Worked like magic!

AliEli

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Re: Yellow armpits and collars
« Reply #3 on: January 29, 2019, 07:07:07 AM »
Are they cotton? If so, it may take a few tries at soaking followed by a hot wash with high agitation and spin setting on your machine. With work shirts, I soak them in Napisan and Omo (a softener and detergent) for 2-4 hours, the hot wash, and line dry in sunshine. The heavily stained ones usually take at least a couple of rounds of soaking and washing to come up fresh.

bacchi

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Re: Yellow armpits and collars
« Reply #4 on: January 29, 2019, 09:34:55 AM »
Hand dish soap works for me. Put soap directly on the stain(s), let sit for 30 minutes, and then wash normally.

MrSal

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Re: Yellow armpits and collars
« Reply #5 on: January 29, 2019, 03:06:07 PM »
Tried soaking in oxy clean, tried shout, tried the tide pen. Any clever ways to rejuvenate these old shirts? They are my button up work shirts which are all different colors.

How do I do this, or am I doomed to replace them every 4-5 years? Can it be fixed or is it a matter of prevention?

Do you use deodorant or anti perspirant? Since I made the switch to anti-perspirant instead of using deodorant I don't sweat at all and my armpits are clean. All my other shirts had the armpits yellowing.

Something so simple that made a WORLD of difference.

EricEng

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Re: Yellow armpits and collars
« Reply #6 on: January 29, 2019, 03:25:10 PM »
Tried soaking in oxy clean, tried shout, tried the tide pen. Any clever ways to rejuvenate these old shirts? They are my button up work shirts which are all different colors.

How do I do this, or am I doomed to replace them every 4-5 years? Can it be fixed or is it a matter of prevention?
I've got the opposite problem.  The antiperspirant (old spice) stains my shirts.  I use an undershirt to protect my button down and polos.  These can get nasty and never visible, and cheap to dispose and replace as you desire if they get too ratty.
Do you use deodorant or anti perspirant? Since I made the switch to anti-perspirant instead of using deodorant I don't sweat at all and my armpits are clean. All my other shirts had the armpits yellowing.

Something so simple that made a WORLD of difference.
« Last Edit: February 01, 2019, 09:30:46 AM by EricEng »

highflyingstache

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Re: Yellow armpits and collars
« Reply #7 on: January 29, 2019, 04:24:39 PM »
On the note of deodorant, I switched to Arm and Hammer, which has no aluminum, among other things. Haven't seen yellow in years. Granted I haven't tried removing it as the above posters have, but I did replace everything one last time. I use white undershirts at work, they've never stained or faded, it's been probably 5 years.

Unfortunately, I've only found it in the US, it's quite literally the main reason for a border run for me.   

diapasoun

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Re: Yellow armpits and collars
« Reply #8 on: January 29, 2019, 05:05:52 PM »
Yellowing in armpits often comes from aluminum in anti-perspirants reacting with sweat, and then setting even worse in a drier.

For removing the stains, Oxiclean, or Raise. If they're real stained, you may want to make a paste with the Oxiclean instead of just soaking them.

For prevention:

-non-aluminum anti-perspirant/deodorant
-reduce need for anti-perspirant (can include things like trimming/shaving yer pits, changing office temps if possible, etc)
-wash shirts immediately after wearing
-hang dry instead of putting in the dryer

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As a related side note, if you have those ugly white stains from deodorant on black shirts -- I saved one of my favorite LBDs from white pit stain oblivion with a good baking soda scrub. Got that gunk right off.

Dicey

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Re: Yellow armpits and collars
« Reply #9 on: January 30, 2019, 12:35:47 PM »
I think there's a more recent update, but this will get you started.

https://www.thefrugalgirl.com/homemade-oxi-clean-for-armpit-stains/

One free tip I can offer is to soak things for long periods. Mom was a nurse, and queen of stain removal. Sometimes she would soak things for a couple of days. Typically, at least overnight.

MrSal

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Re: Yellow armpits and collars
« Reply #10 on: January 31, 2019, 09:08:43 AM »
Yellowing in armpits often comes from aluminum in anti-perspirants reacting with sweat, and then setting even worse in a drier.

For removing the stains, Oxiclean, or Raise. If they're real stained, you may want to make a paste with the Oxiclean instead of just soaking them.

For prevention:

-non-aluminum anti-perspirant/deodorant
-reduce need for anti-perspirant (can include things like trimming/shaving yer pits, changing office temps if possible, etc)
-wash shirts immediately after wearing
-hang dry instead of putting in the dryer

****

As a related side note, if you have those ugly white stains from deodorant on black shirts -- I saved one of my favorite LBDs from white pit stain oblivion with a good baking soda scrub. Got that gunk right off.

Well my experience was exactly the opposite... my deodorants didn't have aluminum thingy, and I sweted like crazy and all my shirts had huge yellow armpits after a while. Once I changed to an anti perspirant with high content of aluminum zinc (I think thats the name) it just stopped! No more sweating or even smelling and no sweaty armpits which led to the yellowing!

To me, it was life changing really. After 12 hours or so, before, I was already sweating and sometimes even smelling like armpit. I guess the conclusion is trying what works best for you.

FiftyIsTheNewTwenty

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Re: Yellow armpits and collars
« Reply #11 on: February 06, 2019, 01:48:54 PM »
Oxi-clean does work, but it may take time.  I've had great luck soaking shirts for days, stirring them occasionally.

Dawn cuts grease and oil and may help a lot too, applied directly before laundering.

If you do use Oxi-clean, do at least one extra rinse.  It's super concentrated and  doesn't rinse out easily.  Adding vinegar to the rinse helps get it all out too.


Frankies Girl

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Re: Yellow armpits and collars
« Reply #12 on: February 06, 2019, 02:46:10 PM »
What I've had some decent success with... ammonia.

 WARNING: DO NOT COMBINE BLEACH WITH THIS!!!!!! (!)
Unless you want to destroy/liquefy your lungs.
Also, ammonia might stain/bleach some types of fabrics and if you have protein based fabrics do not use on them. Examine your clothes to see if this might work for them, and maybe do a test soak with a few you won't mind if they don't come out perfect.

https://www.hunker.com/13422713/how-to-use-ammonia-in-the-laundry



I do a hot water wash with a full cup of ammonia. I do no or VERY little soap whatsoever. No liquid fabric softener either in the washer. Ammonia strips oils/grease/body oils and most protein-based grunge. I also do this if I get cooking grease spatter on a favorite shirt. Treating it with a mix of ammonia/water and then throw it in the wash usually gets the spots out. I get my ammonia from the dollar store and it's got the lemon scented cheap stuff, and seems to work just fine. Maybe don't add actual laundry soap and see how they turn out if you have a HE washer (I don't, so soapy stuff doesn't scare me).

And also - my dark tees that got deodorant white chalky build up (husband's shirts mostly) came out CLEAN using ammonia, so that might also be a good/cheap/easy solution.

I use this about every month to strip my towels and any really gungy workout gear, and so far so good. No damage to a variety of fabric blends (synthetics/cottons tho) and things seem cleaner and don't smell like ammonia either.
« Last Edit: February 06, 2019, 02:49:57 PM by Frankies Girl »

jtraggie99

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Re: Yellow armpits and collars
« Reply #13 on: February 13, 2019, 08:09:44 AM »
As to the prevention aspect, I will add, use deodorant / antiperspirant at night.  Yes, at night.  I'm 42 and all these years I have always put it on in the mornings.  A couple of years ago I was searching for a solution to the same problem.  I sweat easily and my t-shirts would eventually be ruined and I'd have to replace.  Then I read somewhere that you should really use antiperspirant at night before you go to bed.  Your body temp is likely at it's lowest (meaning less likely to sweat).  And overnight gives your pores time to absorb the antiperspirant before sweating.  It helps it work even better at preventing sweat, and, when you do, the chemicals have already been absorbed, so when you do sweat, less staining and residue.  Since I did this, the underarm staining has virtually been eliminated. 

Playing with Fire UK

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Re: Yellow armpits and collars
« Reply #14 on: March 26, 2019, 02:33:21 PM »
I use oxi powder mixed into a paste but work it really well into the fabric with a stiff (white) brush. It works better than even the longest soak at really getting it into the fabric (and you can see the yellow coming out). After that a machine wash and dry in the sunshine.


Overfocused

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Re: Yellow armpits and collars
« Reply #15 on: March 30, 2019, 10:10:32 PM »
I stopped using aluminum oxide deodorant and now I don't sweat like an animal, which allows for less odor AND no stains. I now use the cheap propylene glycol natural unscented arm and hammer stuff with a gentle dip in baking soda. 10x better at absorbing odor, even if wet, and never again had a stain. Those yellow stains set pretty hard, but flax oil soap dissolves oils fairly well. I've had some luck soaking them, but it hasn't been worth the effort for mostly t-shirts.
« Last Edit: March 30, 2019, 10:12:29 PM by Overfocused »

Padonak

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Re: Yellow armpits and collars
« Reply #16 on: March 31, 2019, 11:38:55 AM »
ptf

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Re: Yellow armpits and collars
« Reply #17 on: April 01, 2019, 08:43:10 AM »
Yellowing in armpits often comes from aluminum in anti-perspirants reacting with sweat, and then setting even worse in a drier.

For removing the stains, Oxiclean, or Raise. If they're real stained, you may want to make a paste with the Oxiclean instead of just soaking them.

For prevention:

-non-aluminum anti-perspirant/deodorant
-reduce need for anti-perspirant (can include things like trimming/shaving yer pits, changing office temps if possible, etc)
-wash shirts immediately after wearing
-hang dry instead of putting in the dryer

****

As a related side note, if you have those ugly white stains from deodorant on black shirts -- I saved one of my favorite LBDs from white pit stain oblivion with a good baking soda scrub. Got that gunk right off.

Well my experience was exactly the opposite... my deodorants didn't have aluminum thingy, and I sweted like crazy and all my shirts had huge yellow armpits after a while. Once I changed to an anti perspirant with high content of aluminum zinc (I think thats the name) it just stopped! No more sweating or even smelling and no sweaty armpits which led to the yellowing!

To me, it was life changing really. After 12 hours or so, before, I was already sweating and sometimes even smelling like armpit. I guess the conclusion is trying what works best for you.

If I wear a white shirt on a hot day, the collar and armpits will be dark yellow.  I don't wear antiperspirant (but do wear deodorant) on my armpits, but not on my neck.

My strategy is currently to buy shirts that are a darker colour so the stains don't show.

:P

 

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