Pit stains on clothing occur when sweat excreted from the armpits forms patches on your clothing. The proteins, salt and oils in the sweat leave embarrassing patches once they dry. The yellow patches may still be present after washing. Luckily, there are ways in which you can stop this occurrence.
How to Prevent Pit Stains
1. Wear Undershirt and Underarm Pads
Wearing an extra shirt underneath your top layer can help to absorb any excess sweat and prevent the stains from becoming visible. There are also underarm pads or dress shields that work to absorb sweat from the armpit areas, preventing stains on your clothing.
2. Wash and Change Clothes Frequently
Try to wash your shirts on a daily basis, giving the sweat no time to dry and cause a stubborn stain. This can be done by hand wash with detergent or via the use of a washing mashing. You should also ensure to change your clothes frequently, so they are not able to absorb days of sweat. It may also be wise to keep some spare clothing on hand, so you can change if your current clothing begins to become too sweaty.
3. Wear Antiperspirant
When ascertaining how to prevent pit stains, it is important to distinguish the difference between a deodorant and an antiperspirant. Deodorants mask smells while antiperspirants help to prevent sweating by blocking the ducts of the sweat glands, often with aluminum. Some precautions to note is that you should only apply antiperspirant to dry skin and use it no more than twice daily. Overuse of an antiperspirant can cause the aluminum to combine with the sweat and actually cause more stubborn stains.
4. Select Clothes Wisely
To learn how to prevent pit stains, clothing plays a vital role. Many traditional materials, such as cotton, tend to make sweat stains more visible. Specialized materials, such as microfiber, can help to eliminate the visibility of a stain. You may also try wearing loose fitting clothing instead of clothing that is directly pressed against the armpits because the latter is likely to absorb more sweat and produce stains. Loose clothing has the advantage of being cooler and allowing for the flow of air. Wearing darker clothes can make sweat stains less visible.
5. Make Lifestyle Changes
Losing weight can reduce the amount that you sweat and decrease the appearance of sweat stains. There are numerous foods that are known to reduce sweating, such as grapes, tomato juice, raw apple cider vinegar, wheatgrass juice and sage tea.
6. Seek Medical Help
You should speak with a health care professional if you can’t manage the condition. Medications are available to reduce your sweat. These may be in the form of oral anticholinergic medication or prescription antiperspirant. If you have extreme sweating, known medically as hyperhidrosis, you may require a more aggressive way of medical intervention. Botox injections in the armpit can be used to stop your body from activating sweat glands. The ‘miraDRY’ technique uses pulses of electromagnetic force to permanently close sweat glands. Surgical procedures can be administered to remover sweat glands.
How to Remove Pit Stains from Clothes
If you want to know how to prevent pit stains from remaining on clothes after washing, follow the cleaning methods below.
1. Baking Soda, Hydrogen Peroxide and Water
This mixture works with white shirts. Mix a ¼ cup of each of these ingredients (per shirt) in a suitable bowl or container. Put a towel onto the work surface to protect your counter. Rub the solution onto the stained areas of the shirt and allow it to sit for around thirty minutes. After thirty minutes, use an old toothbrush to rub the residue and then wash the shirt as normal.
2. Oxygen-Based Bleach and Household Ammonia
Obtain some oxygen-based bleach household ammonia. Never use chlorine bleach as it may lead to the development of toxic fumes. Once the right ingredients have been acquired, mix equal parts (two tablespoons per shirt) of oxygen-based bleach with household ammonia. Wear gloves when dong this. Only do it in well ventilated rooms and never mix it in a metal bowl. Rub the solution into the stained areas of the shirt. Allow the solution to sit for around five to ten minutes and then wash as normal.
3. White Distilled Vinegar
For darker clothing, white distilled vinegar can be highly effective to remove stains. Simply mix one cup of vinegar with a bucket of cool water. Place the clothing into the mixture and allow it to soak for around thirty minutes. Next, drain the water and wash the shirt as usual with cool water. If the stains are particularly stubborn, you can make a more concentrated version of this solution by mixing equal parts of white distilled vinegar with water and use an old toothbrush to scrub the solution into the stained areas before soaking it in the less concentrated mixture.
4. Remove Pit Stains from Delicate Fibers
To remove the pit stains from delicate fibers such as silk and wool:
- Dampen a sponge or pad with water and gently scrub with outward strokes from the middle of the stain.
- Use a mixture of wet spotter mixed with some droplets of ammonia to go over the same area in a similar fashion.
- Use an absorbent pad (slightly dampened with wet spotter) to cover the stain and leave it in place until the stain is no longer visible.
- You may have to change the pad if it absorbs too much fluid, but ensure that the new pad has been moistened.
- Wash the shirt thoroughly with water to remove the solution and leave it to thoroughly dry.