by Aldona Bird
Sweat stains can ruin a shirt or dress, especially if the garment is white. In the interest of combating fast fashion and preserving clothing rather than treating it as disposable, having a trick for restoring white clothing is a must.
To remove sweat stains and other discoloration, you will need:
- baking soda
- hydrogen peroxide
- dish soap
- bowl and spoon
Gather your items to be refreshed. This works very well on white clothing, but colored clothes can also benefit from this cleaning method.
Protect your work surface — the mixture will seep through, so work on a tile or other type of counter or table that wipes off easily.
Lay the piece of apparel you want to clean on your work surface, with the discolored areas flat and easy to reach.
Check armpits, collars and cuffs for sweat stains — these areas are particularly susceptible to discoloration.
Mix equal parts of baking soda, dish soap and peroxide in a bowl and stir until they are combined.
Spoon some of the mixture onto the discolored area of fabric. Using the back of the spoon or your fingers, gently work the mixture into the cloth.
Be sure to fully saturate the stained area. Flip the garment over to be sure that the cleaning mixture reaches any staining on the back.
Once you have spread the cleaner mix over all discolored areas of the shirt or dress you’re restoring, lay the clothing out or hang it on a drying rack.
If you are fixing white clothing, let the mix sit on the item overnight. If you are working with a colored item, let it sit for just a few hours.
The mixture of baking soda, soap and peroxide can lighten dyes as well, so if you leave it on a colored garment too long, it may lighten the area. To avoid this, rinse the item every hour or two to check — if there is still discoloration, simply reapply and let sit longer.
After sitting long enough to remove the stains, wash the clothing in the washer and dry as you normally would.
Dress shirts are prime candidates for this treatment. Overall, this is a great way to extend the lifespan of your wardrobe — even a white t-shirt can be wearable for a long time if kept free of pit stains.
Before pitching a seemingly worn-out item, try this trick to see if you can get a little more wearability out of it.
