How to get a yellow stain out of a white shirt

A yellow stain from sweat or deodorant on a white shirt may lighten if you wash it soon, on its own, in cold water. It often does not come out completely. Treat it as a maybe. Do not iron it, and do not expect the yellow to reverse just because the shirt is white.

Why these marks stick

Sweat and deodorant sit on the collar, the underarm and sometimes down the front where a shirt is pressed against the skin. The yellow is often in the fibre, not sitting on top like fresh mud. Aluminium in many deodorants plus sweat is a common cause. The longer it has been there, and the more often it has been through heat, the less a home wash can do.

That is the honest part. You can make a fresh mark lighter. An old yellow arc under the arm may still be visible after a careful wash. Scrubbing harder will not reliably finish the job, and it can thin the cloth.

What to try at home

Do this on a shirt the label allows you to wash. If the label says dry clean only, do not soak it.

1. Do not iron the yellow area, and do not tumble dry it first. Heat can set what is left.
2. Wash the shirt alone, not with colours.
3. Wet the yellow area with cold water.
4. Work a small drop of mild liquid laundry detergent, or a drop of dish soap, into the cloth with your fingers or a soft brush.
5. Leave it for a short while, about 15 minutes. Do not let the soap dry hard into the fabric.
6. Rinse with cold water.
7. Wash the shirt on its own, cold, with a mild detergent.
8. Air dry. Check in daylight. If yellow remains, you can repeat the pretreat once. After that, more rounds are unlikely to help.

Skip chlorine bleach. It can weaken cotton, and on some yellowing it makes the tone worse rather than better. Do not mix cleaning products together.

Lipstick is a different mark, with a waxy layer you scrape off first. Those steps are in How to get lipstick out of a white shirt.

If it is still yellow

Stop. You have not failed the wash. The mark may be as light as it is going to get. Wear the shirt, or keep it for home, rather than scrubbing a hole in the underarm. A hole is not something washing will repair.

Letting the shirt air between wears, and not putting it away damp, slows the next yellow patch. It does not erase the one already in the fibre.

The shop in Cheras

Superman Laundry is in Cheras (Cheras Yulek). One machine serves one customer, so your load is not mixed with anyone else’s. Shoes are hand-washed and never go in a machine. Laundry and shoe cleaning are usually ready within 3 working days. Express exists, so ask if you need a faster time rather than assuming one. We clean. We do not repair tears, and we do not promise this yellowing will fully lift.

WhatsApp or call 013-833 5526.

Related reading: How to tell when your sneakers need a wash.

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