How to Remove Deodorant Stains

One of the most common stains that plague our shirts are deodorant stains. This is caused by the reaction of the aluminum salts in the deodorant with your sweat. Purex® shares how to remove deodorant stains from your clothing.

One way to minimize deodorant stained clothing is to treat the underarms of your shirts every week. Once the staining has built up, it becomes more difficult to remove. For weekly treating, make a 50/50 solution of vinegar and water and use a soft bristled toothbrush to rub in the solution to the area. The vinegar can work to soften the stain.

Once treated, gently scrape any flakes off of the clothing and run water through the stain to rinse away as much of the deodorant stain as possible. Then pour a small amount of your favorite Purex® detergent, perhaps Purex® lavender scented liquid detergent and gently rub into the stained area. Let the detergent sit for approximately five minutes and then launder as usual with a dose of Purex® detergent or Purex® Pacs.

As always, we recommend checking the clothing or fabric to make sure the deodorant stain is fully removed before placing it in the dryer. The deodorant could set in the dryer if not removed. If you still see the deodorant stain after washing, we recommend repeating the steps above again.

Treating the underarms of your shirts every week will help to prevent the build up that turns into the yellow, hard deodorant stain that can be seen on older, untreated items. Do remember that bleaching these stains might remove some of the yellowing, but it will leave behind the crunchy feeling that tends to come over time.

Happy stain fighting! For other cosmetic related stains, read how to remove perfume stains and how to remove makeup stains.

Purex® offers an array of great products, all at an affordable price. Discover Purex® liquid laundry detergents, Pacs and Purex® Crystals. Purex® products will keep your clothes smelling fresh in a variety of scents while keeping them looking brand new.

We understand that life gets messy and want to make laundry as easy as possible for you. With quality & value continuing to be at the core of our product development, we continue to create highly effective laundry detergent & supplies. We tested some of the toughest stains to keep your clothing looking brand new. View our Stain Lab for our best recommendations to get life's toughest stains out of your clothing.