How to Get Rid of Yellow Underarm Stains in 20 Seconds Flat

last updated 8 November 2017

There's nothing worse than putting on your favourite white T-shirt or blouse, only to realise that it's actually unwearable due to not-so-pleasant yellow stains in the underarm area from deodorant residue and sweat.

Sure, you could try to hide the marks with a blazer or cardigan, but if you want to wear the top as is (and don't want to rush out and buy something new!), a quick solution to remove the stains is key. To help you decide what works best, we put three remedies found on Pinterest to the test. All of these use household items you probably already have at home—we're talking the lemon juice test, baking soda trick, and salt-solution formula.

Keep scrolling to check out our before and after photos—and uncover which item works best to remove underarm stains. And if you're in the market to just buy a new white shirt after all, we rounded up a few of our favourites below, too.

how-to-get-rid-of-yellow-underarm-stains-in-20-seconds-flat-1935251 — # 1: Lemons

What You Need: Equal parts lemon and water to create an at-home lemon juice solution.

how-to-get-rid-of-yellow-underarm-stains-in-20-seconds-flat-1935252 — The Process

Dab a liberal amount of your solution on a clean towel, and rub into the underarm area. Repeat a few times as needed. Note that you will need to wait until the area is dry to see any result.

how-to-get-rid-of-yellow-underarm-stains-in-20-seconds-flat-1935255 — #2: Baking Soda

What You Need: 4 tablespoons of baking soda and a 2 fluid oz of hot water.

how-to-get-rid-of-yellow-underarm-stains-in-20-seconds-flat-1935256 — The Process

Mix the baking soda and water together to make a paste. Then use a clean towel to rub the solution into the underarm area. Wait for it to dry.

how-to-get-rid-of-yellow-underarm-stains-in-20-seconds-flat-1935259 — #3: Salt

What You Need: 4 tablespoons of salt and 1 litre of hot water.

how-to-get-rid-of-yellow-underarm-stains-in-20-seconds-flat-1935260 — The Process

Dissolve the salt in the hot water, and use a towel to scoop up the solution and rub it into the underarm area. As with the other tricks, wait for the solution to dry before seeing results.

Shop white shirts:

Zara

Studio Knot Shirt

This isn't your average white T-shirt.

Topshop

Off-the-Shoulder Shirt

The cold-shoulder detail is so on trend for summer.

Mango

Cotton T-Shirt

We love the white-on-white look here.

Frame

Le Slouchy Linen T-Shirt

It's the slouchy fit that makes this tee so perfect.

COS

Top With Ruche Detail

Now this is how you do a T-shirt for the office. The ruching gives it that polished twist.

M.i.h Jeans

May Slub Cotton Top

You can wear this to the office, on the weekend, and beyond.

What's your secret trick for removing underarm stains? Let us know in the comments below!

Opening Image: Style du Monde

Bobby Schuessler is a fashion editor with over a decade of editorial experience covering shopping, style, and beauty. He's spent over seven years at Who What Wear, currently leading the market team to deliver highly covetable and convertible content. He creates data-driven shopping guides featuring top retailers like Nordstrom, Shopbop, and Net-a-Porter and is at the forefront of Who What Wear's shopping tentpole strategies, including Amazon Prime Day. He also works on branded content initiatives and appears on camera in video and shopping livestream franchises. He has also worked across a variety of other media brands and fashion retailers like Refinery29, PureWow, Men's Health, and Gilt covering commerce, trend reporting, women's and men's fashion, home, and lifestyle.