How to Get Rid of Dark Spots on Shirts

Stains can come from any source.

White shirts should stay white. Sometimes, even after shirts have been washed, they still have faint dark spots or areas that did not whiten. Stains like these can come from almost any source, and you may not even know what caused it. In other cases, dirt, grease, blood food or any number of contaminants or debris made contact with your shirt while you were wearing it, and you know exactly how it happened. Treat stains with a bit of extra care and you can remove them from almost any shirt.

Things You'll Need

• Prewash stain remover
• Washer detergent
• Bleach
• Large bowl

Instructions

1. Spray the stain with prewash stain remover until saturated. Pinch the fabric together lightly and rub the stain remover into the stain. Let sit for 5 minutes.

2. Set the washer water temperature control to hot. Turn on the washer. Add detergent according to washer instructions on your brand of washer.

3. Mix 3/4-cup bleach with a gallon of water in a large bowl. Pour the mixture into the washer 5 minutes after the washer has started running.

4. Place the shirt in the washer and wash normally.

5. Dry the shirt normally. If you can still see the stain, treat with prewash stain remover and wash with bleach again.

Tips & Warnings

• On front loading machines, add the bleach to the pull out tray specified for bleach in the appropriate amount according to the machine's instructions for bleach.

• Do not bleach wool or silk. Do not add bleach to any washer containing ammonia, this can cause toxic fumes. Do not apply bleach directly to any fabric. Doing so could damage the fabric.

References

• Textile Affairs: Stain Removal Answers