Exercise and the perspiration that often accompanies a good workout can wreak havoc on your clothing. Proper care can help prevent, minimize and remove these unsightly stains. Many people use chlorine bleach to try to remove these stains from white clothes, but actually the chlorine will react with the proteins in your sweat and cause the yellow coloring to darken even more. Luckily, gentler and more effective methods can be used to deal with the problem.
Step 1
Determine whether the stain is due to perspiration or antiperspirant. If the stain is white or transparent with a greasy texture, it is probably from your antiperspirant and should be treated as a grease stain. However, if the stain is yellow or green and has a stiff texture, it is likely from excessive sweat.
Step 2
Soak your clothes in cold water as soon as you get home from the gym. This will start to immediately neutralize the bacteria involved.
Step 3
Apply a liquid pretreatment marketed specifically for protein-based stains, such as grass or blood. The label may say it uses oxygen or enzymes. Some enzymatic treatments can actually be found on the pet aisle and are marketed for removing pet urine and vomit, rather than laundry stains. After treating the stain with the product of your choice, let the product sit for up to 30 minutes before laundering.
Step 4
Combine the pre-treatment with sunshine. After applying pre-treatment, hang the garment out in the sun. Be sure to keep the clothing damp. If this step is not effective, you can continue following the steps until you achieve significant stain-lightening effects.
Step 5
Rub a few teaspoons of hydrogen peroxide into stains on white fabrics. It will react with the offending proteins and help to break them down. It should be used very cautiously with colored clothing items, as it has whitening properties.
Step 6
Mix 1 tbsp. of white vinegar and a half-cup of water to use with colored garments. Soak for 30 minutes before washing.
Step 7
Make a paste with 1 tbsp. cream of tartar, 3 crushed adult aspirins and a cup of warm water. Use a toothbrush to scrub the mixture into the stain, and let it sit for 20 minutes. Rinse the paste off before laundering.
Step 8
Add a half cup of baking soda to your liquid detergent if clothes continue to have odor after stains have been removed. An alternate method is to soak the item in a mixture of several spoonfuls of salt dissolved in one gallon of warm water.
Step 9
Check the stains before tossing into the dryer. If they are still present, utilize the soaking treatments again. Drying the item will only further set the stain into the fabric.
Tips and Warnings
- Launder using the hottest water that's safe for the fabric. To avoid antiperspirant stains, use a thinner application and let it dry thoroughly before putting your shirt on.
- These home-based treatments are not meant for delicate fabrics such as silk and wool. If the care label recommends professional cleaning, do not attempt to launder or pre-treat at home. Always test a small, inconspicuous spot of the clothing you want to treat to ensure the material is colorfast, meaning the color won't run or fade when washed.
Things You'll Need
- Laundry pretreatment liquid
- Hydrogen peroxide
- Vinegar
- Aspirin
- Cream of tartar
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Toothbrush
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