How to prevent deodorant stains
Photos Louis Canadas
Words Matthieu Morge-Zucconi
Share the article on
For immaculate clothes (and lower laundry bills).
Jean-Baptiste is one of our testers, and when we asked for his experience with deodorants before Horace, he put it best: "there are plenty of deodorants out there that can do serious damage to your shirts and t-shirts".
Yellow stains at the armpits on white shirts and white stains on darker clothing are a true, and unfortunately widespread nightmare for stylish men, not to mention a substantial laundry expense. Why does this staining happen? Read on for the answer to this question, along with some good tips on how to prevent these stains.
Where do these yellow stains come from?
You've probably already wondered why your white shirts suddenly have ugly yellow stains. It's completely unrelated to the quality of your clothing's fabric, and has everything to do with the deodorant you use.
You might not know this, but antiperspirants contain aluminium salts and ethyl alcohol. As you sweat, your perspiration can mix with these ingredients, and as a result of this nasty cocktail, your shirts will stain.
So, what's the best way to keep your shirts immaculate?
A simple adjustment to your daily routine should ensure stains quickly become a thing of the past. All you need to do is to replace your aluminium salt- and alcohol-heavy deodorant or antiperspirant with an aluminium- and alcohol-free deodorant like ours.
What if it's already too late?
As you're putting your shirts in the wardrobe you might notice your shirts have taken on a distinctly yellow tint at the armpits. No worries. The first step is to throw out your deodorant. Then go to your kitchen.
Mix a small amount of water with an equal amount of lemon juice. This cocktail is as good for your shirts as it is for your body. Leave your white t-shirt or shirt in the sun with this mix covering the armpits and let it dissolve the yellow stains.
You can also try soaking the stains in white vinegar for an hour.
What about white stains?
White stains are even more insidious in that they only appear when you're putting on your navy blue t-shirt in a hurry before leaving.
These are often due to the texture of the deodorant you're using. Creamier deodorants, such as those sold by Schmidt's can leave white stains on your clothes as you put them on.
Deodorants such as ours, which aren't white, ensure your dark clothing will never be stained. Waiting a minute between applying the deodorant and getting dressed is a useful extra step to keep your clothes immaculate. Dry deodorant will never stain.
You can now wear your favourite t-shirts and shirts without having to worry about stains, yellow or white.
