How to Remove Armpit Stains and Odor from Clothes

Project Overview
  • Working Time: 10 - 15 mins
  • Total Time: 1 - 2 hrs
  • Skill Level: Beginner
  • Estimated Cost: $0

The best armpit stain removers can tackle tough sweat stains on clothing, and they're typically comprised of household cleaners you likely already have at home. Caused by a reaction between antiperspirant ingredients and sweat, left untreated these unsightly sweat stains can eventually ruin your favorite shirts.

Read on for our guide on removing armpit stains from clothing.

Methods to Remove Underarm Stains

The Spruce

How to Remove Armpit Stains and Odor from Clothes

 Stain Type  Protein and chemical
 Detergent Type  Heavy-duty
 Water Temperature  Hottest water that is safe for the fabric
 Cycle Type  Varies depending on the type of fabric

What You'll Need

Equipment / Tools

For All Methods

  • Soft bristle brush
  • Washing machine
  • Non-metal mixing bowl
  • Rubber gloves

Materials

Baking Soda Method

  • 1/4 cup Baking soda
  • 1/4 cup Hydrogen peroxide (3% solution)
  • Water
  • Heavy-duty laundry detergent

Oxygen Bleach Method

  • 2 tablespoons Oxygen-based bleach powder
  • 2 tablespoons Household ammonia
  • Heavy-duty laundry detergent

White Vinegar Method

  • 1 cup Distilled white vinegar
  • Water
  • Heavy-duty laundry detergent

For Collar and Cuffs

  • Solvent-based stain remover
  • Laundry soap bar
  • Water
  • Heavy-duty laundry detergent

Instructions

Remove Armpit Stains Using Baking Soda

The best way to remove armpit stains on white clothing is by using baking soda. Success will depend upon how old the stains are and the fabric content of your shirt; cotton clothes whiten best.

  1. Make the Mixture

    Mix one part baking soda, one part hydrogen peroxide, and one part water—a quarter cup of each for this mixture is enough to clean one shirt.

    Making a mixture for underarm stains

    The Spruce / Ana-Maria Stanciu

  2. Rub the Stain

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

    Rubbing the sweat stain with baking soda mixture

    The Spruce / Ana-Maria Stanciu

  3. Wash the Shirt

    Wash the shirt as usual with heavy-duty laundry detergent in the warmest water setting that is safe for the fabric.

    Washing the garment like normal

    The Spruce / Ana-Maria Stanciu

Tip

If you notice the beginnings of armpit yellowing but don't have time to tackle the stains right away, don't put the garment into the dryer after washing. The intense heat can set in residual stains, making them almost impossible to remove. Instead, line-dry the shirt until you have time to treat the stains.

Remove Armpit Stains Using Oxygen Bleach

A combination of oxygen bleach—not chlorine bleach—and ammonia is another great method for removing yellow armpit stains. This should only be used on white fabrics.

Warning

Never use chlorine bleach with ammonia, as deadly fumes can occur. This method calls for oxygen bleach.

  1. Mix Ingredients

    Find a well-ventilated room to mix ingredients. Be sure to put on rubber gloves.

    Mix one part oxygen-based bleach powder and one part household ammonia in a non-metal bowl. Use about two tablespoons of each ingredient per shirt.

    Oxygen-based bleach mixed with ammonia in glass bowl

    The Spruce / Nelly Cuanalo

  2. Rub Into Fabric

    Rub the solution thoroughly into the underarm stains with a soft-bristled brush. Rub for at least one minute.

    Oxygen-based bleach solution rubbed into underarm stain with old toothbrush

    The Spruce / Nelly Cuanalo

  3. Let Mixture Soak In

    Allow the solution to work for at least 10 minutes before washing away.

    Oxygen-based bleach solution soaking in underarm stain on white shirt

    The Spruce / Nelly Cuanalo

  4. Wash the Shirt

    Wash as usual with heavy-duty laundry detergent in warm or cold water, depending on the washing guidelines for the shirt.

    Oxygen-based bleach shirt placed in washing machine

    The Spruce / Nelly Cuanalo

Remove Armpit Stains Using White Vinegar

The best way to remove armpit stains on colored clothing is by scrubbing and pre-soaking them in vinegar before washing them in cool water. While not as evident as on white shirts, armpit stains on colored shirts create odor, stiffen fabric, and eventually cause discoloration.

  1. Pretreat the Stains

    Mix a one-to-one solution of white distilled vinegar and water. A couple of tablespoons of each should be enough to treat one shirt.

    Dip a soft-bristled brush or an old toothbrush in the solution to thoroughly scrub the armpits.

    White distilled vinegar and water mixed into underarm stained shirt with old toothbrush

    The Spruce / Nelly Cuanalo

  2. Mix the Ingredients

    Fill a sink or large bucket with cool water. Add one cup of white distilled vinegar.

    Plastic bucket filled with white distilled vinegar

    The Spruce / Nelly Cuanalo

  3. Soak the Shirts

    Add the colored shirts. Allow the shirts to soak for at least 30 minutes.

    Gray shirt soaking in bucket with white distilled vinegar

    The Spruce / Nelly Cuanalo

  4. Drain the Water

    Drain the vinegar/water solution from the bucket or sink.

    Plastic bucket pouring out white distilled vinegar in sink

    The Spruce / Nelly Cuanalo

  5. Wash the Shirt

    Wash the shirt as usual in cool water with a heavy-duty detergent.

    Gray shirt with stain placed in washing machine

    The Spruce / Nelly Cuanalo

How to Remove Sweat Odor

If heavy sweating or sweat odor are regular problems, baking soda can boost the cleaning power of your laundry detergent. Baking soda helps regulate the pH level in the washer's water, and adding one-half cup to each laundry load helps detergent work more effectively and reduces bacteria.

For heavy perspiration odors, use baking soda as a presoak. Dissolve one cup of baking soda in warm water.

Fill the ​washer tub or a large sink with cool water and add the dissolved baking soda. Submerge stinky clothes, and allow them to soak overnight. Then wash as usual. 

Additional Tips for Reducing Underarm Stains and Odor

  • Switch to an aluminum-free deodorant.
  • After applying any type of deodorant or antiperspirant, allow it to dry before dressing to prevent rub-off on fabrics. If pressed for time, use a hairdryer for a couple of seconds (this will also eliminate deodorant marks on the clothes).
  • Wear a protective undershirt to prevent staining on the outer garment.
FAQ
  • What causes sweat stains?

    Sweat stains appear on fabrics when body oils and soil combine with the ingredients of deodorants or antiperspirants embedded in the fabric. If not removed thoroughly, the stains will cause stiffness and yellowing on white clothes.

  • Does sweat stain permanently?

    The stains can become permanent if not treated properly and allowed to build up in the fabric.

  • How do you remove sweat stains naturally?

    Use baking soda as a gentle abrasive to remove the waxy build-up in shirt armpits and act as a deodorizer before washing the shirt. For colored shirts, presoak in vinegar and gently scrub the area with an old toothbrush to loosen debris before washing.

The Spruce uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
  1. Facts about Chlorine. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.