Stop Wasting Money! How To Remove Yellow Stains From White Shirts (2024)

Are you sick and tired of throwing out white shirts with yellow sweat stains? Have you stopped buying white shirts altogether because you can't find a solution to this annoying, expensive problem?

We don’t blame you.

Today we’ll talk about how to get sweat stains out of white shirts so you can make your shirts last longer. Try these four money-saving hacks to get yellow stains out of your white shirts:

1. Solution #1: Hydrogen peroxide, baking soda and salt
2. Solution #2: Dish soap, hydrogen peroxide and baking soda
3. Solution #3: White vinegar, baking soda, salt and hydrogen peroxide
4. Solution #4: OxiClean

Pro tip: Before spot cleaning any garment, read the garment’s care tag first. If an article is “dry clean only” or made of wool, silk or leather, the following methods may not be appropriate.

Solution #1: Hydrogen Peroxide, Baking Soda and Salt

When it comes to removing yellow stains from white shirts, two ingredients work best:

hydrogen peroxide and baking soda. Both substances have powerful stain-lifting abilities.

When hydrogen peroxide breaks down, it releases oxygen gas. This process (known as oxidation) lifts stains or "bleaches" them.

Pro tip: Never use actual bleach on a sweat stain, as bleach can make the stain permanent.

Baking soda’s mild alkalinity makes it great for removing grease and oil, two ingredients that contribute to yellow stain formation. In addition, it fizzes when mixed with water, helping to lift dirt and other particles like antiperspirants. Because of its crystal-like structure, baking soda also makes an excellent abrasive.

Like baking soda, salt is abrasive. Its granular texture makes it great for scrubbing the toughest stains and absorbing grease and oil.

Ingredients

• 1.5 cups baking soda
• 2 tsp hydrogen peroxide
• 1.5 teaspoons salt
• Mixing bowl
• Scrub brush, old toothbrush or other short-bristled brush

Instructions

1. Combine hydrogen peroxide, baking soda and salt.
2. Dampen your shirt stains with cold water.
3. Apply the above mixture onto the yellow stains.
4. Let the shirt sit for 20 to 30 minutes.
5. Scrub the mixture into the stains with the brush.
6. Rinse, then machine wash in cold water with your regular laundry detergent for one washing cycle, then dry as usual.

Pro tip: The longer you let hydrogen peroxide soak into a stain, the better. Mix equal parts hydrogen peroxide and water and soak your stained shirt in it overnight. Then try treating the stains using the above method the next day.

Solution #2: Dish Soap, Hydrogen Peroxide and Baking Soda

Dish soap — it's not just for dishes! It's also a great stain fighter.

Ingredients

• 1 cup liquid dish soap, like Dawn
• 2 cups hydrogen peroxide
• Baking soda
• Mixing bowl
• Scrub brush, old toothbrush or other short-bristled brush

Instructions

1. Combine dish soap and hydrogen peroxide in the mixing bowl.
2. Apply the mixture to the yellow stain.
3. Sprinkle some baking soda over the stained area.
4. Let the shirt sit for one hour.
5. Use the brush to gently scrub in baking soda.
6. Rinse, then machine wash in cold water with your regular laundry detergent for one washing cycle, then dry as usual.

Pro tip: Dry your shirt in the sun instead of the dryer for even brighter results. Let “nature’s bleach” work its magic on your newly-clean white shirt!

Solution #3: White Vinegar, Baking Soda, Salt and Hydrogen Peroxide

This powerhouse combination works well together for removing stubborn, set-in stains.

Ingredients

• 1 cup white vinegar (Note: don’t use other types of vinegar)
• 2 cups hydrogen peroxide
• ½ cup baking soda
• 1 tablespoon salt
• Mixing bowl
• Scrub brush, old toothbrush or other short-bristled brush

Instructions

1. Combine ingredients and mix into a paste.
2. Use the scrub brush or toothbrush to work the solution into the stain.
3. Let the shirt soak. For newer stains, a 10 or 15-minute soak should be sufficient. For older stains, let the shirt sit a few hours or overnight for best results.
4. Rinse, then machine wash in cold water with your regular laundry detergent for one washing cycle, then dry as usual.

Solution #4: OxiClean

OxiClean is a powerful stain remover that may very well be the easiest way how to remove yellowing from white clothes.

Ingredients

• 1 scoop OxiClean
• 1 gallon warm water
• Tub or bucket

Instructions

1. Mix OxiClean and water in a tub or bucket until fully dissolved.
2. Submerge stained shirt and soak for 3-6 hours.
3. Machine wash the shirt with your regular laundry detergent, adding an extra scoop of OxiClean to the drum with your clothes.
4. Dry as usual.

Final Tips on How to Get Rid of Sweat Stains Out of White Shirts

Don’t use bleach to get rid of yellow pit stains. Many articles online recommend this solution, but it can actually make pit stains worse.

In addition, there’s a laundry list (no pun intended) of fabrics that you should never bleach, and if your pit-stained shirt has even the smallest percentage of one of those fabrics, bleach could make the stain PERMANENT.

Prevent Yellow Shirt Stains With a Thompson Tee>

Wearing a Thompson Tee could be the ounce of prevention you’re looking for. Our sweat proof undershirts are not just a barrier between your white shirts and sweaty skin. Each Thompson Tee is made with patented technology that absorbs sweat and releases it into the air as a vapor, keeping you cool, dry and stain-free.

Save your money and your white shirts and make yellow shirt stains a distant memory.

Try a Thompson Tee risk-free today!