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How to get deodorant stains out of colored clothing.

Whether you use a clear gel or a solid stick of deodorant, chances are that you've experienced the dreaded deodorant stains on your clothing. If the clothing is dark colored than it can be even more noticeable.

Making matters worse, deodorant can smear when applying it and can streak onto the clothing when applied before putting a shirt on leaving marks in places other than under the armpits. Clearly solid white deodorants are the worst culprit of leaving stains.

So how are some ways to remove these stains?

Remove any buildup.

Buildup is that hard gunk that is the dried up deodorant. This buildup is most common with solid stick deodorants but it can happen with other forms as well.

Try to rub the fabric against itself with the stained area in between the fabric to loosen up bits of the caked on deodorant. You may also consider using a towel or soft brush to gently remove the caked on deodorant. Shake out the piece of clothing as well.

Turn inside out and wash.

After you've removed a good amount of the bits and pieces of deodorant left behind, you'll need to tackle the actual stain. For most cases, simply turning the clothing inside out and washing per the tag instructions is enough to get the stain out.

Be careful not to include too many non-stained pieces of clothing in this wash load as the deodorant may come off and end up on other pieces of clothing. If the fabric can handle it, use warm water for the wash cycle and don't forget detergent.

To rewash or not?

Once you've washed the clothing in a cycle and dried it, you'll want to inspect it for left over deodorant marks, gunk, or stains. Check the clothing before you put it in the dryer as the heat can bake in the deodorant if it is still there.

If you find a stain still very visible on the clothing, you may need to wash it again.

If you need to rewash the clothing item, keep in mind that excessive washing and drying can damage and wear out the fabric more quickly. The colors can also begin to fade with too much washing.

Therefore your rewash cycle if needed should be the gentle cycle. You may even want to consider hand-washing the stained area if you need to rewash' the item.

Use care when putting on and taking off clothing. Avoid allowing the fabric to rub up against your armpits when putting on or removing the clothing.

Follow these steps to remove those annoying deodorant marks and stains.

Learn more about this author, Maxwell Payne.
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