How to Get Rid of Armpit Stains and Sweat Stains

Eliminate sweaty rings from shirts, sheets, pillow cases, and hats

By
Sarah Aguirre
Sarah Aguirre
Sarah Aguirre is a housekeeping expert with over 20 years of experience cleaning residentially and commercially. Over that time, she has been writing about tips and tricks for housekeeping and organizing a home for national publications.
Learn more about The Spruce's Editorial Process
Updated on 08/28/23
Reviewed by
Melissa Homer
Melissa Homer headshot.
Reviewed by Melissa Homer
Melissa Homer is a trained cleaning professional, consultant, and educator with a two-decade career spanning commercial and professional residential cleaning.
Learn more about The Spruce's Review Board
Fact checked by
Emily Estep
Emily Estep
Fact checked by Emily Estep

Emily Estep is a plant biologist and journalist who has worked for a variety of online news and media outlets, writing about and editing topics including environmental science and houseplants.

Learn more about The Spruce's Editorial Process
In This Article
Project Overview
  • Working Time: 10 - 15 mins
  • Total Time: 2 - 3 hrs
  • Skill Level: Beginner
  • Estimated Cost: $15-25

You don't need special stain removers or strong chemicals to remove sweat stains on clothing, bedding, and other fabrics. Even if you have armpit stains changing the color of the underarm part of t-shirts, causing yellowing or darkening, there's an easy solution.

How to Remove Sweat Stains From Clothing

The Spruce / Caitlin Rogers

Never use hot water or toss in the dryer until the stain has been removed, as the heat can set the stain making it harder to remove or permanent. Do not use chlorine bleach, as the reaction between bleach and the minerals from sweat can actually make the stains worse.

Learn which simple ingredients or ordinary laundry products can eliminate those discoloration rings and the steps you can take to remove them.

Why Does Sweat Leave Stains?

Sweat contains high concentrations of salt and other minerals from our bodies. When it soaks into the fabric of clothing, bedding, and even pillowcases, this can change the color of the material. Your favorite black shirt may have white rings in the underarm area, or your bright white clothing can even turn yellow. However, sweat isn't the only cause of the stain.

When your clothes have sweat stains around the underarms, the real cause of these unsightly marks is a mixture of the minerals in your sweat mixed with the ingredients in antiperspirant or deodorant (primarily aluminum). This combination creates yellow stains on white clothes and discolors the armpit areas of colored clothes. When dealing with sweat and deodorant marks on clothing, treating the stains early is key. Once these inevitable spots appear on your clothes and bedding, it's best to rinse them in cold water before they dry completely.

Stain type Protein and chemical
Detergent type Enzyme-based laundry detergent
Water temperature Cold to warmest safe for fabrics
Cycle type Varies depending on the type of fabric

When to Call a Professional

If the stained garment is labeled as "dry clean only," take the item to a professional dry cleaner as soon as possible, and point out and identify the stain.

What You'll Need

Equipment / Tools

  • Sponge or toothbrush
  • Large basin or sink

Materials

  • Baking soda
  • Hydrogen peroxide
  • Enzyme-based stain remover (optional)
  • Heavy-duty laundry detergent
  • White vinegar (optional)

Instructions

Sweat stain remover supplies
The Spruce

How to Remove Sweat Stains From Clothes, Sheets, and More

  1. Make a Stain Removal Paste

    Create a paste by mixing 1/4 cup hydrogen peroxide, 1/4 cup baking soda, and 1/4 cup water in a bowl.

  2. Sponge the Stain

    Rub the mixture onto the stained area, using a sponge or an old toothbrush. Allow the item to sit with the solution for up to 30 minutes.

    Applying baking soda and hydrogen peroxide mixture to shirt stain
    The Spruce

    Tip

    Use a similar process to hand-wash sweat-stained baseball caps and other washable hats to keep their shape. During washing, scrub the stained area with an old toothbrush. Rinse well and let the hat air-dry.

  3. Rinse

    Rinse out the solution thoroughly with cold or lukewarm water.

    Warning

    Do not rinse with hot water because it can set the stain.

    Rinse stain solution under water
    The Spruce

  4. Pretreat With Enzymes

    Apply an enzyme-based laundry stain remover or laundry detergent (Tide and Persil are heavy-duty detergents with enzyme-based formulas) directly to the sweat stains and work it in with a sponge or toothbrush. Let it sit for five minutes or as directed.

    Pretreat clothing stain solution
    The Spruce

  5. Wash as Usual

    Wash the item as you normally would, using the hottest water possible that is still at a safe temperature for the fabric. Do not use hot water or toss in the dryer until the stain has been completely removed.

    Clothes in washing machine
    The Spruce

  6. Line Dry the Garment

    Let the clothing air dry, then check for any evidence of the sweat stain. If the stain remains, repeat the treatment as before.

    Line dry clothing
    The Spruce

Tip

Prevent sweat stains by using less deodorant so the built-up layers do not soak into the fabric. Alternatively, consider a new deodorant that is aluminum-free or made with less aluminum than other brands which may help prevent stains.

Natural Cleaners to Remove Sweat Stains

Vinegar

Treat sweat stains using undiluted white vinegar. A couple of tablespoons should be enough to treat one shirt. Work the vinegar in with a sponge or toothbrush and allow the item to sit with the solution for up to 30 minutes. Launder as usual in cool water using a heavy-duty detergent and line dry. If the stains are gone once dry, continue future washes with hottest water possible that is still at a safe temperature for the fabric.

Lemon Juice

Lemon juice can be used to remove sweat stains. Make a paste with equal parts lemon juice, baking soda, and water and apply to the sweat stained item. Use a sponge or toothbrush to work the solution into the fabric and allow the item to sit with the mixture for at least 30 minutes. Then wash as usual. Use only cold water until the stain is completely removed, then continue future washes with hot water as needed.

Remove Sweat Stains With Dish Soap

Instead of an enzyme-based laundry detergent, Dawn dish soap can be used to remove sweat stains. Simply mix one part Dawn to two parts water and apply to the sweat stains. Allow to the treated item to sit for 30 minutes. Wash with cold water until the stain is completely removed, then continue future washes with hot water as needed.

Remove Armpit Stains From White Clothes

A mixture of oxygen-based bleach (not chlorine) and household ammonia is an effective method for remove sweat stains from white clothes, but it can be weaken fabrics, so it should only be used when other stain treatments haven’t worked. Mix the ingredients in a well ventilated room using rubber gloves. For one shirt, mix 2 tablespoons of oxygen-based bleach and 2 tablespoons of household ammonia in a non-metal bowl. Rub the mixture into the stains with a sponge or toothbrush and let sit for 10 minutes. Launder with a heavy-duty laundry detergent in the water temperature recommended on the garment’s care label.

Additional Tips for Handling Sweat Stains

Test stain removers and cleaners, no matter how innocent they seem, on colored clothes before using them on sweat stains. Hydrogen peroxide, for example, is a mild bleaching agent that can lighten colored fabric that is not colorfast. Start by dampening a white cloth or a cotton swab with peroxide (or another stain remover or cleaner you'd like to use), then dab it onto an interior seam, hem, or inconspicuous area of the fabric to make sure no color comes off. If you see some color on the cloth or swab, use vinegar or a commercial stain remover that's safe for colors.

Dealing With Stubborn Sweat Stains

As a last resort for stubborn sweat stains, try an alternate stain fighter. For example, if for your first try you used hydrogen peroxide and baking soda paste (unless, of course, your garment failed the colorfast test), try a vinegar soak. Never use chlorine bleach, as the reaction between bleach and the minerals from sweat can actually make the stains worse. Once you know the sweat stain is gone for good, you can resume drying the clothing in a dryer.

FAQ
  • Are sweat stains permanent?

    Sweat stains can be permanent if the stains go untreated and the affected items are washed in hot water and put in the dryer, which can seal in stains. To prevent permanent staining, treat affected items with a stain-removal treatment, wash in cold water, line dry, and then check to see if the stain is removed.


    Learn More: The Ultimate A-to-Z Stain Removal Guide for Clothes, Carpet, and More
  • How to do you remove dried or old sweat stains?

    Treat sweat stains as fast as you can, the sooner you do, the more likely it will come out. But even if stains are old or dried into fabric, there’s still a chance the stain can come out by following a stain removal treatment method best for sweat stains, from hydrogen peroxide and baking soda, to vinegar, to oxygen-based bleach. 

  • How do you remove sweat odors from clothes?

    Presoak clothes with perspiration odors overnight in baking soda and water. To do this, create a solution of 1 cup of baking soda dissolved in hot water and add it to a washer tub or sink that's filled with cold water. Add the smelly clothes, soak overnight, and then wash as usual.

    Learn More: How to Remove Armpit Stains and Odor from Clothes
How to Remove Bloodstains From Clothes in 5 Steps