July 26, 2018

How to Remove Deodorant Stains, Marks, Buildup & Pit Stains

how to get rid of deodorant stains

We’ve all seen them—those unsightly white or yellow-tinged stains that result from the aftermath of our deodorant. These marks can ruin a perfectly good outfit and wreak havoc on your morning routine. Luckily, there are some tips and tricks that you can use to get rid of these unwanted marks.

There are different types of stains and marks and there's a way to get rid of each one.

In this post you'll learn how to remove and avoid these stains. Get ready to learn all about how to remove deodorant stains. I promise your armpits and shirts will thank you afterwards.

Deodorant Marks

how to remove deodorant marks

Those are the annoying white deodorant marks you get on your shirt. More often than not, user failure is the main reason that our deodorant leaves behind stains.

Have you ever put your shirt on immediately after applying deodorant?
Are there ever times when you mindlessly put on your antiperspirant—only to realize that you’ve put on way too much?

Fortunately, these stains are relatively easy to take care of and are often entirely avoidable.

How to Remove Deodorant Marks

The most important thing is act quickly, you should act as soon as you notice the marks. Here are some great quick methods to remove fresh deodorant marks:

  • 1
    Dryer Sheet: Take a dryer sheet and clean the mark, you can also put one in your bag for emergencies it doesn't take any space.
  • 2
    Your Shirt: Just rub your shirt against the mark.  
  • 3
    Damp Cloth: Take a damp cloth, make sure it's damp and not wet. Use it to clean the mark.
  • 4
    Cotton Sock: Put your hand inside the sock and rub it on the mark.
  • 5
    Nylon: If you have some old stockings you can use them to clean deodorant marks. Just rub it.
  • 6
    Wet Wipes: You can use them for so many things, yes they will work for stains or marks as well.
  • 7
    Deodorant Removing Sponge: A great product that will remove deodorant stains easily. (Note: it's good for fresh marks). More Details on Amazon.
  • 8
    Foam Rubber: You can find it on hangers or just buy some at home depot. As usual just rub it against the stain.
how to get deodorant stains out of shirts

How to Avoid Deodorant Marks

If you’re finding that staining your shirts with deodorant marks is a reoccurring issue for you, there are some easy ways to fix this problem. 

First of all, your stains could just be arising from a timing issue. Some brands of deodorant take quite a few minutes to thoroughly dry. The next time you apply your deodorant, try giving it a few minutes to dry before putting your shirt back on.

Alternatively, try switching to clear gels and see if that makes a difference. There are also some deodorant brands out there that are designed to dry rapidly. Or, if you use thicker deodorants, make sure not to apply too much. Otherwise, a thick layer might spread all over your shirt fabric or take an extremely long time to dry.

You can also have an undershirt, this will protect the outer shirt.

Deodorant Buildup & Pit Stains

how to get deodorant stains out

Sometimes, when left untreated long enough, annoying deodorant marks turn into patches of deodorant build-up. Have you ever had hard, yellow stuff appear in the armpits of your shirts? If so, then you know just how frustrating, and even embarrassing, this can be. 

The main culprits of these types of stains are thick antiperspirants and deodorants.  The texture of these products can leave behind a thick layer of film on the inside of your shirts, and after time, if not cleaned properly, a thick, caked on buildup is sure to make an appearance.

Scientifically speaking, these crusty stains begin to form when colorless and odorless sweat combines with the aluminum that is often in many favorite antiperspirant brands. If you happen to use a deodorant that doesn’t contain any aluminum, that doesn’t necessarily mean that you’re exempt from worrying about underarm stains. If you sweat enough, even aluminum-free deodorant can cause the armpits of your shirts to crust over.

How to Remove Deodorant Buildup & Pit Stains

If you are like many of us, you probably have a few shirts in your closet that could benefit from a little sprucing up in the underarm area.

Even the hard, crusted on types of stains I’m talking about have some reasonably simple fixes that you can tackle within the comforts of your own home.

1. Baking Soda and Hydrogen Peroxide

how to remove deodorant stains from shirts

To use this method, you just need to use a 1:1:1 ratio. Combine one part baking soda to one part hydrogen peroxide and one part water. Mix all of the ingredients until a thick paste forms. Thoroughly rub the baking soda mixture into the stain. Let the solution work its magic for at least fifteen minutes.

Once the mixture has had enough time to work itself into the fabric, take a hard-bristled toothbrush and scrub it. Afterward, just wash the shirt as usual.

2. Bleach - Only for White Shirts

Although I prefer the baking soda method, this technique can also be a great option to fight stains on white shirts.

Combine one part chlorine-free bleach with one part water. Pour the mixture onto the stain and let it sit for a few minutes before washing as usual. Be careful here; bleach can easily stain almost anything it comes in contact with, so make sure not to splash any on your clothing, and to protect your work surface.

3. Vinegar

Similar to baking soda, plain white vinegar has some fantastic household cleaning uses. For this method, just fill your washing machine up with water and pour in some white vinegar. Add your stained shirt(s) into the water and let everything soak for about half an hour. Afterward, just run a typical wash cycle.

4. Chemical Products

One useful method to remove stubborn deodorant stains is to purchase an oxygenated stain removal agent. There are a couple of different brands available, but I happen to be a fan of OxiClean.

It’s quite affordable and does a fantastic job getting rid of even the most stubborn stains. As another benefit, this method is quite simple as well.

Just fill your washing tub up with water, pour in the recommended amount of stain-fighting powder, add your marked up shirts into the water, and let it sit for a few hours. Afterward, just run a standard wash cycle, and you should be pleasantly surprised by the results.

Here's some products they can also help:

  • DeoGo is a product that is specifically designed to remove deodorant stains.
  • Krud Kutter is a stain remover, all you have to do is spray it on the stains

5. Aspirin

Another technique that’s great for tackling difficult stains is to use aspirin. Just crush up a couple of aspirin pills into a bowl, and then add in about half a cup of warm water. Mix the solution, and then apply it directly to the deodorant stains. Let everything sit for a couple of hours, and then just wash the shirts in your washing machine.

6. Lemon Juice

First off, lemon juice is a powerhouse when it comes to removing hardcore stains. All you need to do is squirt some lemon juice onto the stained area, pour on a little bit of salt, and then rub the fabric together. Let the liquid sit on the clothing for a while, and then clean as usual.

7. Meat Tenderizer

Just dampen the area where the crusted stain is, pour on a generous amount of meat tenderizer, thoroughly rub everything in, and then let the tenderizer sit for about an hour. Afterward, just throw your shirt in the wash.

How to Avoid Deodorant Buildup & Pit Stains

deodorant that doesn't stain

Save yourself the headache of removing stubborn deodorant stains, and learn how to prevent them from ever occurring.

First, consider finding a product that doesn’t contain any antiperspirants. Not only can ditching the aluminum that is often found in antiperspirants potentially benefit your health, but finding a product that uses ingredients that are more natural can help to prevent stains from forming.

If you’ve never used a plain deodorant before, prepare to sweat a little bit more. Luckily, though, I’ve found that some pretty impressive natural deodorant brands do an excellent job combatting any unpleasant odors from ever happening. If you just can’t imagine giving up the sweat-blocking benefits of antiperspirants, there are some products out there that contain lower amounts of aluminum.

If you are a fan of aerosol sprays, you may want to consider switching to roll-ons or sticks. I’ve heard reports of men seeing a decrease in the number of their pit stains after changing from aerosol sprays.

Sometimes, though, even after making some switches, you might find that those unwanted deodorant stains are still making an appearance. If this is the case for you, consider buying a prewash that you can use to treat your shirts with before washing.

A prewash can help to ensure that those crusty stains never have a chance to form in the first place. Furthermore, when you go to pull your shirts out of the wash, double check the underarm area to make sure that all of the stains have washed off completely.

If it looks like there is still some crusted residue leftover, applying heat to the marked up area (either through tumble drying or ironing) may just encourage the stain to set in even more deeply.


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