by Diane Quinn

Created on: August 16, 2009

That crisp, white, new dress shirt looked perfect this morning when you put it on, but not quite so perfect at the end of the day. Because you rushed to make that lunch appointment, your sweat glands activated with your antiperspirant deodorant resulting in unsightly sweat marks under your arms. If you act quickly, you can learn the tricks for how to get rid of sweat stains in dress shirts.

Fresh stains are the easiest to treat with a simple soak in bowl of cold water and a half cup of ammonia for about 30 minutes. Follow this with a squirt of liquid detergent rubbed into the stain before machine washing.

Older, yellow, sweat stains in dress shirts are more difficult to remove because they have already been laundered and the stain has been set by dryer heat. However, there are a few stain busting techniques that can help.

First, soak your shirt in cold water to soften the fabric. Then, use a pre-washing treatment on the stain for 30 minutes before washing using one or more of the following suggestions. Depending upon the darkness of the stain, more than one may be necessary.

> Soak the stain in a quart of water with 1/2 cup white vinegar. Also add another 1/2 cup of the vinegar to the washing cycle.

> Heat the white vinegar and make a paste of borax or non-chlorine bleach, apply directly to the stain and soak the shirt again. (Chlorine is not recommended on sweat stains. When treated with bleach the proteins in perspiration can turn the stains darker.)

> Apply a bleach stick or full strength hydrogen peroxide directly on the stain. (Caution: never use bleach and ammonia at the same time due to toxic results.)

> Try soaking your shirt in water with denture cleaning tablets. (Following the box directions.) Let the tablets dissolve prior to adding the shirt. If you are lucky, the stain will fizz away!

Shirt collars also get yellow from ground in sweat and dirt if left untreated over time. No guy wants to hear the embarrassing words, 'ring around the collar.' These old stains can be improved with hair shampoo rubbed into the stain as a pre-treatment. Most of this dirt is a collection of skin cells and sweat where the constant rubbing ex-foliated the skin.

Sometimes the best offense is a good defense when it comes to fighting stains. Here are a few tips to help ward off stains in the first place:

> If you use a liquid deodorant, be sure to let it dry after application and before putting on your shirt. Some manufacturers claim that roll-on or gel antiperspirants are more likely to cause underarm stains because of their liquid composition.

> He who hesitates will have a tougher stain to treat. Perform a pre-wash procedure as soon as possible and launder immediately.

> A simple defense for your dress shirt is to wear a white undershirt that covers your arm pit. This is a good idea anyway because wearing one gives you a more professional appearance.

> If you prefer to have your shirts dry cleaned, there are solutions offered by some cleaners that can be applied to your garment as 'stain proofing.'

One more important tip: be sure to read all shirt laundering suggestions on the label prior to any special pre-washing treatment.

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