How to Get Rid of Deodorant Stains

Co-authored by Robert Shapiro

Taking care of your personal hygiene by using deodorant is a nice thing to do for humanity. However, the stains that can be left behind on your clothing are really annoying. Before you go without, there are simple solutions you can utilize to make those unattractive stains disappear.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Treating Deodorant Stains with Household Goods

1
Use distilled white vinegar. You can find it at your local market and it is very inexpensive. Vinegar is a weak form of acetic acid and works great at breaking the stain down. The smell will fade after it dries.
- Fill your washing machine with cool water and add one cup of distilled white vinegar. Allow your garment to soak for at least thirty minutes. Drain the vinegar water solution and wash as usual in cold water with your regular detergent.^{[1]
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- If the build-up is especially obvious, mix an equal part solution of vinegar and water. Treat the surface that has come into direct contact with your deodorant. Use an old toothbrush to gently scrub the area after applying the paste. Let it sit for up to an hour.
- You can also turn the garment inside out and douse the stain with full-strength white vinegar. Completely saturate the stain and let it sit ten minutes to an hour. Rub the vinegar into the stain with your finger or an old toothbrush.^{[2]
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2
Use baking soda for especially difficult stains. Baking soda is a natural cleanser and deodorizer. It is gentle enough to use on almost any type of fabric. Test a small spot first and don’t use on dry-clean only garments.
- Make a paste with baking soda and water. It should be thin enough to spread, but thick enough to stay put when spread. Make only enough to use.
- Allow it to set until it dries.^{[3]
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  howtocleanstuff.net/how-to-remove-deodorant-stains-from-clothing/#StepstoRemovetheStains} This should take about 30 minutes to an hour. Every ten minutes, rub the stain gently with your finger or an old toothbrush to better agitate the cleansing process.
- Wash as normal. Check the stain after you wash the garment. If the stain hasn’t come out, cover the stain with a small amount of laundry detergent and scrub it gently with an old toothbrush or just your finger.
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3
Use lemon juice and salt. Lemon is a great natural cleaners due to high levels of citric acid, low pH, and its antibacterial properties. They also smell fantastic and are unlikely to damage fabrics. (Check the tag and do a spot test first)
- Use the juice of a couple of fresh lemons or lemon juice concentrate. Apply directly to the stain until it is soaked through.
- Add a couple of pinches of table salt. Rub it into the stain gently, but firmly. Rubbing it in will help the salt work the lemon juice deeper into the stain.
- Expose the garment (if you can) to the sun. Allow it to dry. Hang it out as long as possible, utilizing the sun’s natural bleaching process.
- Wash in cold water. Drying the garment in the sun might leave the material a bit stiff, so it’s best to toss it in the laundry for one final wash.
4
Use salt, vinegar, and liquid dishwashing detergent for a miraculous stain-lifter. The salt helps push the vinegar into the stain to better remove it. The dishwashing detergent helps break down solids that created the stain in the first place.
- Mix until dissolved: 1 cup salt, 2 cups vinegar, 2 cups hot water, and 1 tablespoon (14.8 ml) of dishwashing liquid.
- Soak the stain for one to two hours, then wash as usual.^{[4]
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- You can even use soap and water to remove deodorant stains from clothing.
- Then follow up with some steam.

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Treating Deodorant Stains with Cleaners

1
Use Oxyclean and ammonia. Clean the stains of white shirts, especially white cotton shirts, immediately after the stain appears. It’s much harder to remove the stain once they’ve set.
- Use a room with great ventilation. Protect your countertop or table by using an old towel to mix your ingredients. Also, use gloves to protect your hands.
- Use equal parts Oxyclean and ammonia, a 1:1 solution. Rub the solution into your stain for thirty seconds and allow it to penetrate up to ten minutes.
- Wash as usual in cold or warm water.
2
Use straight ammonia. Always make sure to treat your stained clothes with ammonia in a well-ventilated room. Use gloves.
- Sponge fabric with ammonia. Let it sit for a couple of minutes. If you’re working with garments that contain wool or silk, cut the ammonia with water to create a 50/50 ratio.^{[7]
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- Rinse and wash as normal.
3
Make a paste with dry laundry detergent and water. Making a paste and letting it sit overnight will increase the strength of the laundry detergent. It will break down the solids overnight while you sleep.
- Pour detergent into a container like a jar or small non-metallic bowl. Use only what you need.
- Add water, just enough to create a thick paste that will not run when you apply it to the stain.
- Apply, let it sit overnight, and launder as usual.
4
Use Shout or other stain removers. While more expensive than what you can find at home, buying a stain remover might be faster than creating your own.
- Pretreat the stain with the stain remover. A newer dry stain only needs one to five minutes. A more set-in stain means you’ll want to let it set in overnight. Don’t be afraid to rub it in for deeper penetration.
- Launder in the warmest water the garment will recommends. This will help activate the cleanser to remove the stain.