How to Get Rid of Sweat Stains: 11 Easy Solutions

You probably have these DIY sweat stain solutions in your home right now.

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Meat seasoning
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Meat tenderizer

Tenderize away hard-to-remove sweat stains. Before you wash that damaged sweatshirt, dampen the armpit stain and sprinkle some meat tenderizer on it. Then just wash as usual.

These are the things you never knew you could put in the washing machine.

2 / 11
Aspirin tablets
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Aspirin

Before you give up all hope of ever getting that yellow sweat stain out of your good white dress shirt, try this: Crush two aspirins and mix the powder in 1/2 cup warm water. Soak the stained part of the garment in the solution for two to three hours.

We’ve found more things to do with Aspirin.

3 / 11
Dish soap with sponge
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Dish soap

Have a stubborn sweat stain that just won’t turn from yellow to white? Mix one part dish soap with two parts hydrogen peroxide, then scrub the stain and let it sit for an hour.

Lazy people will appreciate these brilliant cleaning shortcuts.

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Salt
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Salt

Salt’s the secret to getting rid of those stubborn yellow stains where your shirt meets your armpits. Dissolve 4 tablespoons salt in 1 quart (1 liter) hot water. Just sponge the garment with the solution until the stain disappears.

Professional house cleaners reveal their most genius cleaning hacks.

5 / 11
Lemon sliced in half
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Lemons

Avoid expensive dry-cleaning bills! Remove unsightly underarm stains from shirts and blouses simply by scrubbing them with a mixture of equal parts lemon juice and water.

This is why you should be keeping a lemon on your nightstand.

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Vinegar
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Vinegar

Want to see those sweat marks disappear from shirts and other garments? Just pour a bit of vinegar directly onto the stain, and rub it into the fabric before placing the item in the wash. You can also remove deodorant stains from your washable shirts and blouses by gently rubbing the spot with undiluted vinegar before laundering.

Here are five brilliant new ways to use vinegar all around the house.

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Baking soda
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Baking soda

Pretreating clothes with a paste made from 4 tablespoons baking soda and 1/4 cup warm water can help vanquish a variety of stains. For example, rub it into shirts to remove perspiration stains; for really bad stains, let the paste dry for about two hours before washing. Rub out tar stains by applying the paste and washing in plain baking soda. For collar stains, rub in the paste and add a bit of vinegar as you’re putting the shirt in the wash.

These are other brilliant ways to use baking soda, for more than just cleaning.

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Cleaning spray
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Ammonia

Rub out perspiration, as well as blood and urine stains on clothing by dabbing the area with a half-strength solution of ammonia and water before laundering. Ammonia is a wonderful way to remove sweat stains—but you should avoid mixing it with bleach.

Don’t miss these 20 more things to do with ammonia.

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Ice water in cup
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Cold water

To nip sweat stains in the bud, run stain-prone clothing under cold water and gently rub the armpit or other problem areas before washing. If your clothes already show signs of yellowing, avoid using hot water during the wash cycle because it will set the stains.

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Pouring vodka
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Vodka

Yes, equal parts vodka mixed with warm water could help remove sweat stains. Angieslist.com suggests spraying the odour or stain before machine washing.

You can do these cleaning tasks in one minute or less.

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Borax
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Borax

Although you shouldn’t use it on delicate fabrics, borax is an effective product that helps remove sweat stains. All you need is one tablespoon of this powder mixed with a little water to turn it into a paste. Apply it on the affected area and leave it on for 30 minutes before scrubbing it off and washing the clothing as per usual.

Next, check out these easy tips for cleaning your microwave, stovetop and oven.

Reader's Digest
Originally Published in Reader's Digest