Honkin' shirt armpits

Glastoun

I am a man, use Rightguard and wear cotton or cotton/polyester shirts to work.

I've noticed that the armpits don't tend to get properly clean, ever. I wash them on 40/60C with Ariel 3-in-1 gel capsules, which clean everything else really well, but when I iron my shirts the armpits still have this stale sweaty smell, sometimes with staining too.

Even ones that seem clean, if I wear them on a warm day or have to run for a train or something, the staleness seems to reactivate and it immediately smells like I've been wearing them for a couple of days already. I rarely if ever have this problem with t-shirts, just work shirts.

Any tips on what to do? I'm cutting down on the use of anti-perspirant as I think that's what the staining buildup is, but how can I clean my existing shirts to get rid of what's there already? Does they need a hotter temperature wash, something added to the wash, or some pre-treatment before they go in the machine?

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candlelight_2013

Hi Glastoun

Try making a paste out of bicarb and water, spread it over the offending area and leave. If possible leave overnight and then wash in the usual way, and I think you will notice a difference. It may take more than one application but I have found it works.

Hope this helps

Candlelightx

elona

I used to soak the armpits with vinegar, leave for an hour before washing items and the smell of vinegar vanished in the wash.

armyknife

Glastoun wrote: »

Honkin' Shirt Armpits

That takes me back a few years, man they were the sh** when they gigged; best psychadelic-funk-fusion band I ever heard.

Butterfly_Brain

My homemade cleaner cleans just about every stain. I mix a 50/50 solution of white vinegar and washing up liquid in a spray bottle, spray liberally on the stain and leave for a couple of hours.
Wash as normal but in the final rinse add a couple of Tbsps of bicarbonate of soda. Then in the softener cycle a good glug of plain white vinegar.
It not only gets rid of stains, it gets rid of soap and softener residue as well, hang on the line in bright sun and you should see a good result.

Alternatively use Napisan instead of soap powder, which is a bleaching agent used for nappies.
I always have a box to give my whites a bit of a boost

rach_k

Once you've gotten rid of the existing problem, it might be worth trying a different detergent. Different machines/waters/wash cycles/fabrics react differently so what works best for one family might not work so well for another.

Fruball

I agree with the deodorant making the stains. Try using a crystal deodorant (search ebay for best prices) and you won't get the build up of residue which causes the problem

Works for my friend's stinky teenager! (and me, although I am less stinky!)

Callie22

I found switching to a more natural washing liquid really helped with deodorant staining and the musty smell. I switched back to some ordinary stuff recently and noticed a big difference - normal fabric conditioners etc just seem to mask everything with perfume rather than leaving it clean.

theoretica

Also, make sure that your deodorant has dried before you put your shirt on.

booter

I've posted about this a couple of times - OH has a manual job and both winter and summer gets sweaty/stinky. In my old (hot and cold fill) washing machine, I never had the problem with his shirts/t-shirts/jumpers, but when the machine died and I had to get a new one (cold fill only) I discovered this problem. My solution? Anti bac spray and good old fashioned bar soap and hot water. I give the pits of the clothes a blast of anti bac as soon as they go into the basket. When I'm ready to wash, I put on the rubber gloves (otherwise the smell permeates my hands ) and run hot water (as hot as the fabric will stand) over the pit area, rub with white (cheap) bar of soap and rub the fabric well. Sometimes I give them an extra blast of anti bac, then throw in the machine on a 40 wash. It's labour intensive (and a pain in the butt), but works for me. The rubbing should also get rid of anti perspirant build up/residue.

kboss2010

Thanks for this post. When you suffer from hyperhydrosis this is a constant nightmare. I've found that long-lasting deodorants like driclor help with the smell, if not the sweat.