How to Clean Yellowing on a Dress Shirt

Treat yellow stains on dress shirts as soon as possible.

Yellow stains on dress shirts can mar both the collar and underarm areas. In addition to being unsightly, these stains can weaken the shirt’s fabric. Collar stains are created when dirt combines with body and hair oils. Underarm stains, however, result primarily from the chemicals in antiperspirants. Though both types of stains can be stubborn, you can get rid of them with persistence.

Things You'll Need

• Dish washing solution or shampoo
• Toothbrush (optional)
• White or apple cider vinegar
• Liquid laundry detergent
• Enzyme-containing presoaking product or laundry detergent
• Hot water
• Chlorine or oxygen bleach (optional)

Instructions

Collars

1. Remove the detachable collar stays.

2. Pour dish washing solution or shampoo directly onto the stain.

3. Gently scrub the stain with your fingers or a toothbrush, or by rubbing the collar against itself.

4. Let the treated stain set for about 20 minutes.

5. Check to ensure the stain is gone. If it isn’t, repeat Steps 2 to 4.

6. Wash the entire shirt in hot water, if allowed per the care label. Rinse thoroughly.

Underarms

1. Pre-treat the stains. If the stain is old, use white vinegar. If it is new, use liquid laundry detergent. Gently rub the stain to loosen it.

2. Soak the shirt in an enzyme-containing presoaking product for 30 minutes. Or soak it in laundry detergent that has enzymes.

3. Wash the shirt in your washing machine, in the hottest water the fabric will tolerate. Check the care label for guidelines. Use a little extra detergent in the wash.

4. Check to see if the stains are gone. If not, and it's safe according to the garment label, pour a little bleach on the stain and rub it in. Use a chlorine bleach for white shirts and an oxygen bleach for colored shirts. If you can't use bleach, pour some white vinegar on the stain and rub it in.

5. Launder the shirt in the washing machine, as usual.

Tips & Warnings

• Treat any yellowing in your shirts as soon as you notice it.

• If the garment care label says it’s okay, you can pre-treat white dress shirts with stain removers.

• To prevent underarm yellowing, let your deodorant/antiperspirant dry completely before putting on your shirt. Wearing undershirts can also help prevent underarm stains.

• To help keep stains at bay, occasionally include 1/2 cup of chlorine bleach in the wash water for your white clothes and 1/2 cup of oxygen bleach for your colored clothes.

• On collar stains, aerosol pre-treatment products are more effective than spray products.

• Select a spot on your shirt that won't be seen, to test stain removal products and techniques. The inside seam or the bottom of the shirt can work as test sites.

• Always check the care labels on your shirts. Many are made of synthetics or synthetic blends, which can turn yellow or weaken with cleaning products such as bleach.

References

• ShirtsMyWay: How to Remove Collar Rings from Your Dress Shirt
• Home Comforts; Cheryl Mendelson
• Heloise: Heloise Hints: Stains
• Wall Street Journal: Out, Out Pesky Sweat Stains; Ray A. Smith
• Iowa State University: Textiles and Laundry
• Buy Corporate Apparel: How to Care for Men’s Dress Shirts
• Men’s Style Guide: How to Remove and Avoid Yellow Armpit Stains

Resources

• Martha Stewart: Removing Stains: The Basics
• Reader’s Digest: 7 Solutions for Removing Sweat Stains