A preventative cleaning hack helps reduce the severity of stains under sleeves.
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Mary Gagliardi, a.k.a. Clorox’s “Dr. Laundry,” a stain scientist and laundry expert, shared her laundry tips in a viral Reddit post.
As a parent, her education in laundry research and development proved useful with her kid’s clothes.
“Earning a degree in Textile Science was a great start. Working at Clorox (and seeing first hand the difference increasing the wash temperature makes!) took it a step further,” she said.
“And then when the kids arrived…wow — I think there’s a lot of moms and dads out there who are also laundry experts where it matters most!
“I know how to banish blotches, stamp out spots, and keep clothes looking their best, wash after wash.”
In an open Q&A session, a curious Redditor asked for her advice on the best technique to remove sweat stains from her husband’s shirt.
“I get this question so much–here’s what you can try,” Gagliardi replied.
She explained that a bit of prep went a long way to get ahead of stains.
“Pretreat with a little liquid laundry detergent right before you wash an item, every time you wash the shirt, even if you can’t see any stain,” she advised.
“This can help prevent the problem from building up in the first place.”
For pre-existing stains, she recommended a three-step treatment program that’s tough on the stubborn residue.
“Sweat stains on white undershirts that you already have, especially if they include built-up deodorant, can often be removed by first pouring boiling water through the armpit area to soften the stain,” she said.
“Next apply a solution of one part baking soda, one part hydrogen peroxide, and one part water to the stain, and let it soak in for 5-10 minutes.
“Rinse the shirt, and then wash the shirt in hot water using detergent and ½ cup Clorox Regular-Bleach, Concentrated.”
Why does sweat stain clothes yellow?
Jolie Kerr, a cleaning expert, explained in an article that pit stains on white shirts are often caused by the very thing we use to prevent sweating — deodorant.
The culprit? The active ingredient aluminum.
“The aluminum has a reaction to sweat, which is a protein, that causes the vile underarm yellowing that we so dread,” she said.
Kerr added that cotton shirts also contain protein, which worsens the problem.
The cleaning expert advised laundry go-ers to avoid using bleach on sweat stains, which will only emphasize them.
“Bleach will only serve to render the discoloration more yellow because bleach hates protein the way that Red Sox fans hate the Yankees, but without the benefit of being correct about the fact that protein sucks,” she joked.
The laundry expert added that while being adept at stain removal is part of her job, another tip is to be reasonable about what is within her control, whether it is her children’s or husband’s clothing sweat stains.
“Best piece of advice: Relax about your kids getting dirty,” she said.
“I tell everyone who tells me, ‘Well, your clothes are clean because you work for Clorox,’ that the Clorox products I use are the same ones anyone can buy at the store (just like I do!).”