Where do they come from?
Sports enthusiasts or thrift store lovers, you are very familiar with these yellow sweat stains on t-shirts, shirts, caps, and even on mattresses and pillowcases. But do you know the cause of their appearance under the armpits and the reason for their yellow color?
These yellow stains are due to a chemical reaction between sweat and aluminum. How can this happen under the arms? It's your deodorant's fault (clever you!), which probably contains aluminum. It turns yellow upon contact with the proteins, salts, and oils contained in your perspiration.
Do you particularly encounter problems with yellow sweat stains on your shirts? This is normal, as some of these garments contain proteins in their composition, which can accentuate the chemical reaction.
You're probably also wondering how to explain this cardboard-like effect under the armpits on your t-shirts, polo shirts, shirts, and many others. If sweat leaves marks under your arms, it's due to elements like salt, uric acid, or lactic acid that make up sweat in addition to water. The sweat stain hardens on your fabrics and leaves this "cardboard" effect that you find so hard to remove. Men encounter this problem more often because their sweat generally has a more acidic pH, which accentuates this cardboard-like effect on their clothes. It is also possible that this inconvenience again comes from your deodorant.
How to get rid of them?
This is the big question you're asking. We promised to answer it, so here we go!
Better safe than sorry, as my father always says!
He's right: before we share miracle solutions to remove these yellow stains from your white, orange, blue, and all other colored laundry, or from all your textiles, we'll give you some tips to simply make them disappear from your daily life.
As you've understood, the culprit for this stain is deodorant. Since you're very perceptive, you've probably figured out that the best solution is to change products. Simply opt for an aluminum-free deodorant. Not only is it better for your laundry, but it will also be better for your health.
Prefer loose-fitting clothes; your sweat and deodorant will come into less contact with the fabric. You can also wait for your deodorant to dry before putting on your nicest shirt.
What mistakes should you avoid?
First, beware of certain ideas that could only make the stain worse, in both senses of the word!
The mistake to absolutely avoid when removing a stain is hot water. You probably use it incorrectly, thinking it's the right temperature to clean your clothes. Yes, hot water helps dissolve dirt better, but when it comes to stains, it only sets them into the fabric, making the task definitively more complicated for you! If this error is common, it's mostly due to the many articles that repeat it. All textile professionals will tell you, hot water is the enemy of stain removal, except for a few rare exceptions. Now you're warned.
Forget bleach. First of all because it's harmful, but especially because this product is far from being a stain remover; it's more of a decolorizer that could fade your white clothes or any other color, and damage the most fragile fabrics. And even if it's often used to whiten fabrics, here it would only accentuate the yellow stain.
It is also strongly advised not to give up when faced with a stain: never abandon a stained garment! We always have a solution to help you, just ask for our advice right here.
Also avoid the bad habit of putting aside stained clothing. Firstly, because it's a shame to deprive yourself of wearing that beautiful garment just because it's stained, but most importantly, the longer you wait, the more difficult a dry stain will be to clean. So go retrieve those clothes lying in the back of your closet and let us guide you. Now, we'll explain how to easily remove a yellow sweat stain, even if it's old and embedded.
How to remove yellow stains with a cardboard-like effect?
Stain removers or grandma's recipes? We offer both, it's up to you to decide!
You prefer stain removers for their guaranteed effectiveness and targeted action. But which one to choose?
We have decided to offer you only environmentally friendly solutions for your laundry, your health, and the planet. So we will not promote chemical and harmful stain removers that can be found in supermarkets. Very effective, yes, but at the risk of an unpleasant odor, irritations, allergies... the list is too long to mention everything.
However, there is one stain remover that we can guarantee is healthy, ecological, and above all very effective: it's the Jaune'Off stain remover. Simply because it was developed by textile experts for whom caring for laundry is as important as preserving your health and our environment. And if it is so effective at cleaning yellow sweat stains, it's because it was designed precisely for that. It is also capable of removing the cardboard-like effect under your armpits. This is its strong point compared to all grandma's tricks, because only a product developed by professionals can do it. Jaune'Off is initially intended for professionals in the field (dry cleaners, laundries, hotels, etc.). Its success is so significant that the product creators decided to also make it available to individuals. It also proves particularly effective on sportswear, which often falls victim to stubborn sweat stains.
The guaranteed, healthy, and ecological solution for your most stubborn yellow stains.
Discover Jaune'Off →If you're still leaning towards grandma's tricks, here they are! But be careful, not all of them are as miraculous as people think, so we'll give you our tips to find the most judicious solution.
Acidic solutions
We recommend using lemon juice. It is very effective for removing most stains and has a bleaching effect, perfect for eliminating these yellow stains. And it's very simple: squeeze a fresh lemon and soak the stained area. Then wait a few hours before putting it in the washing machine.
Another popular cleaning ingredient is white vinegar, probably the most economical. It works very well for yellow stains, especially for thick fabrics like wool. Diluted in water, simply soak the garment and then put it in the machine.
Be careful with these two products on very delicate fabrics, as they will ruin your clothes containing acetate, like most of your blouses or linings.
The soda family
You can also try baking soda. Forming a paste with a little water and letting it act for a few hours will be enough to make the stain disappear.
While it is a very good stain remover and fabric softener, baking soda is not a whitener. So we recommend percarbonate of soda if you want to whiten your laundry. It's also a very good deodorizer, ideal for your sportswear, often prone to stubborn perspiration stains. By soaking your stained laundry for several hours in a basin of water with two tablespoons of percarbonate, the yellow stain should come off after a machine wash. It is also suitable for bedding, perfect for removing sweat stains from your mattresses, duvets, or pillows. For this, use the same mixture that you can apply with a washcloth to the stained area. Be careful, however, this product is more powerful than the baking soda you are more familiar with. This one is not edible, and we advise you to use it sparingly and always wear gloves.
In the same family, we offer soda crystals. Same result, same instructions, same precautions as for percarbonate. We suggest them if you are looking for an effective solution, but prioritize the gentle and harmless products we presented previously. They could particularly damage your woolens: prefer vinegar instead.
Be especially careful of the whitening effect of this family; it can be tricky for your brightly colored fabrics. So abandon the idea of baking soda, percarbonate, and soda crystals for cleaning your bright or dark colored clothes.
Internet's trap solutions
To remove a sweat stain from dark fabrics, some websites recommend salt of sorrel, also known as oxalic acid. It is very similar to soda crystals, meaning it provides an effective result but is not without risk. It is particularly corrosive and should never be used without gloves and goggles. These sites also fail to mention its powerful bleaching ability – great for white laundry, but absolutely not for a dark garment!
For the most stubborn stains, some suggest using hydrogen peroxide or ammonia because these strong products are very effective. The downside is that they are toxic, corrosive, irritating... in short, dangerous for your health. Hydrogen peroxide has a powerful decolorizing effect at high doses, while ammonia must absolutely be diluted so as not to damage delicate fabrics. With all the healthy solutions we've provided, we really don't recommend these two.
We rely on our grandmothers' experience to recommend these products, but as you can read, these recipes should not be followed blindly. While you appreciate them for their simple and natural side, we are far from being able to affirm that they are all effective and beneficial for your textiles, especially for cleaning delicate fabrics and brightly or darkly colored clothes. The solution for confidently removing your stains, regardless of the fabric, remains a product designed for this purpose by professionals. And contrary to what you might think, this solution can also be ecological and healthy. Natural in origin, biodegradable, allergen-free, odorless, endocrine disruptor-free. Yes, yes, it exists because we created it. And in addition to working every time without leaving marks under the arms, you can be sure that this solution will smell good and preserve your laundry without damaging it.
How to do it right?
This is the question that both individuals and textile professionals ask themselves, because it's true that the right product is not always enough; you also need to know how to use it correctly. Luckily, at Djossye, we cater to both individuals and professionals. And since we always go the extra mile, we're exclusively sharing Omar's secrets with you. With the professional advice of this dry-cleaning expert, no stain will resist you!
His instructions for impeccable results
💡 Start by turning the sleeve inside out and apply the stain remover to the stain. Add a few drops of cold water and dab. Then remember to rub the stain on both sides of the garment; you're guaranteed to get better results! You can then dab and rub on both sides. Let it act for 15 minutes and put the garment in the machine; it will come out like new!
His warning for effortless stain removal
💡 No need to kill yourself over the stain; just rub for a few moments and let it act. Time will finish the job for you!
His secret that makes all the difference
💡 Remove excess stain with the side of a spoon or a bone spatula, perfect for professional stain removal!
Now that you know everything about these sweat stains, you have the power to take care of your laundry, so we're counting on you!
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