How To Get Yellow Stains Out Of White Clothes
There are many fantastic solutions on how to get yellow stains out of white clothes you can implement. Your white clothes will get the white color quickly after using these methods in this article. Therefore, do not miss any outstanding technique!
Yellow stains are a common problem that makes your white clothes look poor aesthetic. Many causes lead to this tricky issue, and your job is to find the reasons, remove the yellow stains and prevent them. Let’s do it right now!
Core Factors That Create Yellow Stains On White Clothes
The status of yellow stains on white clothes is caused by many different reasons. The agents happen every day when you use, wash, and store white clothes. Let’s find out the causes of this problem together.
1. Incorrect Washing Leads To Yellow Stains
When you wear clothes too many times before washing, yellow stains easily appear. In addition, forgetting to check clothes before storing makes clothes appear yellow stains caused by chemical reactions and decay.
People often have a habit of washing clothes with colored clothes, and this is the leading cause of color stains. Color from colored garments will stain your white clothes over time in washing.
2. Yellow Stains Cause From Decay Of Whitening Agents
White clothes are often dyed with whitening agents. However, they can decompose during clothing storage. Therefore, you will encounter yellow stains on white clothes after a period of storage or improper storage.
You should take care of your clothes and apply proper clothing care measures, as well as inspect the clothes before storing them to prevent yellow stains from appearing.
3. Sweating Causes Yellow Stains
Yellow stains appear more in the summer because the sweat secreted from your body will dirty the clothes. You will not notice the underarms or collar area, but yellow stains often appear in those areas.
The main cause of this condition is the amount of sweat in those areas the most, and you often do not pay much attention to them. Sweat contains perspiration with components such as ammonia, sodium chloride, urea, and lactic acid, so it causes yellow stains.
Listen to the reasons why sweat makes white clothes turn yellow.
4. Use Deodorants Too Much
In the summer, people often deodorize their clothes by using a lot of deodorants. However, you create favorable conditions for yellow stains on white clothes because deodorant chemicals react with sweat.
Therefore, if you want to use deodorants to keep the scent fresh on hot days, you should use products that do not contain aluminum to reduce the likelihood of yellow stains.
5. Bacteria
Bacteria is formed when sweat from the body causes the fabric to stick to your skin for a long time. If you continue to wear it many times without washing, yellow stains will appear on your white shirt.
Solutions To Get Rid Of Yellow Stains From White Clothes
Yellow stains on white clothes are undesirable under any circumstances. However, you can completely restore the full white color easily without throwing them away. To do this, you need to know the methods below.
Option 1: Hydrogen Peroxide, Baking Soda, And Salt
The first method that I would suggest to you is to combine hydrogen peroxide, baking soda, and salt to remove yellow stains from white clothes. Baking soda and salt are ingredients that can remove stubborn stains.
In addition, the presence of hydrogen peroxide makes this process faster. It is also mild bleach, so it is safe for white clothes to use it. The colored fabric may be washed off a little bit.
What you need
- 2 teaspoons hydrogen peroxide
- A bowl
- Cold water
- 3/2 teaspoons salt
- 3/2 cups baking soda
- A toothbrush and brush
How you do it
Step 1: Put hydrogen peroxide, baking soda, and salt in a bowl.
Step 2: Stir well to form a cleaning paste.
Step 3: Put some cold water on the yellow stain areas of the garment to moisten them. You do not need to use too much water.
Step 4: Apply cleaning paste to the stains.
Step 5: Spread the paste around with a toothbrush to cover all the stains.
Step 6: Wait for about 30 minutes. If the stain is stubborn, you can soak clothes in the mixture of water and hydrogen peroxide (equal part) overnight.
Step 7: Use the brush to scrub the stain areas until completely removed.
Step 8: Put the clothes in the washing machine with the usual detergent and cold water.
Step 9: Bring clothes to dry.
Note: If you do not want to use salt, you can substitute it with water for a strong and effective cleaning solution. Add the mixture to the stains to dissolve them easily.
Option 2: Oxiclean
A great product for removing stains from white clothes that you can buy is Oxiclean. This method is pretty safe and popular as it can remove general stains and yellow stains on white garments.
What you need
- A bucket
- 1 scoop Oxiclean solution
- 1 gallon of warm water
How you do it
Step 1: Pour water and Oxiclean into the bucket.
Step 2: Stir until Oxiclean is completely dissolved in water.
Step 3: Soak clothes with yellow stains in a bucket of water for about 3 to 6 hours.
Step 4: Put the laundry in the washing machine to wash with normal detergent and a scoop of Oxiclean.
Step 5: After finishing the washing process, you will dry the clothes.
It is simple to remove yellow stains from white clothes with Oxiclean.
Option 3: Hydrogen Peroxide, Dish Soap, And Baking Soda
Instead of combining hydrogen peroxide and baking soda with salt, you can replace salt with dish soap. Not only does it help remove grease on pots and pans easily, but it also helps in cleaning white clothes.
Dish soap will break down enzymes, so it is suitable for treating yellow stains. Combining these three wonderful ingredients will not cause any problems with your white clothes.
What you need
- 2 cups hydrogen peroxide
- A bowl
- 1 cup dish soap
- A small amount of baking soda
- Coldwater
- A toothbrush
How you do it
Step 1: Prepare a cleaning mixture with hydrogen peroxide and dish soap.
Step 2: Stir well to combine all ingredients.
Step 3: Put the cleaning solution on the yellow stains with a toothbrush.
Step 4: Put a small amount of baking soda on top and spread them out evenly.
Step 5: Wait for an hour or more if the stains are stubborn.
Step 6: Use a toothbrush to scrub the stains in a circular motion.
Step 7: Use cold water to rinse clothes.
Step 8: Take the laundry to machine wash on the cold setting.
Step 9: Hang to dry as usual.
Option 4: Denture Tablets
Denture tablets are another viable and effective option that you can use when clothes have yellow stains. This type can be used for large stains, but it is pretty time-consuming.
What you need
- A bucket
- Cold water
- 2-4 denture tablets
How you do it
Step 1: Pour cold water into a bucket.
Step 2: Put the denture tablets in the water bucket.
Step 3: Wait for the denture tablets to dissolve entirely.
Step 4: The clothes for about 12 hours or overnight.
Step 6: Put clothes in the washing machine to wash with regular detergent.
Step 7: Dry the clothes as you normally would.
Option 5: Vinegar And Water
Vinegar is a natural ingredient that helps you remove yellow stains from white clothes effectively. Thanks to its acid concentration of about 5 to 8 percent, stains will be easily destroyed (1). You need some water to dilute the vinegar a little.
What you need
- A cup of vinegar
- A cup of cold water
- A spray bottle
How you do it
Step 1: Pour cold water and vinegar into a spray bottle.
Step 2: Shake well to combine the 2 ingredients.
Step 3: Spray cleaning solution on stains on clothes.
Step 4: Wait about 1 hour. In case of stubborn stains, you can wait a little longer.
Step 5: Choose the cold mode and wash the clothes in the washing machine.
Step 6: When you still see stains, you should repeat the above process 1 to 3 times.
Step 7: When the stain is ultimately removed, take it out to dry.
Note: In some cases, you can add ½ cup of salt and ½ cup of white vinegar to a bucket of water and soak clothes in the solution to remove yellow stains from white shirts before washing.
Option 6: Hydrogen Peroxide (Or Ammonia) And Water
When you only need to discard small and not too serious yellow stains, you can combine hydrogen peroxide and water. In case absence of hydrogen peroxide, you can replace it with ammonia. For best results, follow the instructions below.
What you need
- A bowl
- 2 teaspoons cold water
- 2 teaspoons hydrogen peroxide or ammonia
How you do it
Step 1: Pour cold water and hydrogen peroxide or ammonia into a bowl.
Step 2: Stir until the mixture is entirely dissolved.
Step 3: Soak your clothes with yellow stains in the mixture for about 45 minutes.
Step 4: Put the laundry in the washing machine and wash it in a cold setting.
Step 5: If the stain remains, you should repeat the above steps until completely removed.
Step 6: Take the clothes out of the washing machine and put them to dry.
Option 7: Toothpaste
Besides removing plaque and stains on teeth, toothpaste is also your savior when dealing with yellow stains on white clothes. Abrasives, fluoride, and detergent are its main ingredients (2). This option should be used for minor stains to remove them quickly.
What you need
- A toothbrush
- Toothpaste
How you do it
Step 1: Put toothpaste on yellow stains on clothes.
Step 2: Scrub the stains in a circular motion with the toothbrush until the stains are gone.
Step 3: Wash clothes in the washing machine as usual.
Step 4: Dry clothes.
Option 8: Baking Soda And Water
Baking soda is a widely used cleaning solution to remove stains from floors and many other appliances in the home. In addition, it helps the yellow stains on white clothes disappear quickly when combined with water.
What you need
- ¼ cup cold water
- 4 tablespoons baking soda
- A bowl
How you do it
Step 1: Put baking soda in a bowl and pour the water.
Step 2: Mix well until the baking soda is ultimately dissolved.
Step 3: Apply the mixture on top of the yellow stains.
Step 4: Wait for at least an hour.
Step 5: Wash clothes with normal detergent in a cold setting.
Step 6: If the stains are still there, you need to repeat the process a few more times.
Step 7: When the stains are gone, hang the clothes to dry.
Option 9: Vodka
If you have vodka on hand, you can put it on your clothes to dislodge unpleasant and unsightly yellow stains. The process is pretty simple, so you can do it in a short time.
What you need
- 1 cup vodka
- 1 cup water
- A spray bottle
How you do it
Step 1: Pour vodka and water into a spray bottle and shake well.
Step 2: Spray the mixture on the yellow stains.
Step 4: Wait for a while and take your white clothes to the laundry like you do every day before drying them.
Option 10: White Aspirin
You can find white aspirins at the drugstore to treat stains on white clothes. The white aspirins both help relieve pain and give you clean clothes. When working with white clothes, you should not use colored aspirins to avoid staining the clothes.
What you need
- A bucket
- Cold water
- 5 white aspirin pills
How you do it
Step 1: Pour water into the bucket.
Step 2: Put the white aspirin pills in the water and wait for them to dissolve completely.
Step 3: Soak your clothes in the solution bucket for 3 hours.
Step 4: Use the washing machine to wash the clothes and put them out to dry afterward.
Option 11: Lemon Juice And Water
Cleaners are often made with citrus fruits because their acidity helps break down stains. In addition, they also give you a nice scent. In this case, I recommend using lemon juice diluted with a bit of water to discard yellow stains.
What you need
- 3 lemons
- Water
- A pot
- A knife
How you do it
Step 1: Cut the lemon into slices.
Step 2: Squeeze the juice from a few slices of lemon and apply it to the yellow stains on the clothes.
Step 3: Put the water and lemon slices in the pot.
Step 4: Cook until the water boils.
Step 5: Soak the garment in hot water.
Note: This method should only be applied to clothes with fabrics that withstand high temperatures.
Step 6: Wait about 1 hour.
Step 7: Wash and dry clothes as usual.
Option 12: Bluing Agent
A bluing agent is a fantastic solution to whiten your clothes. Its blue color will combine with the yellow color of stains and make them disappear entirely in just a few simple steps.
What you need
- Cold water
- Bluing agent
- Detergent
How you do it
Step 1: Combine water with the bluing agent according to the manufacturer’s instructions on the packaging.
Step 2: Put clothes in the washing machine.
Step 3: Put the mixture and detergent in the washing machine.
Step 4: Start the washing machine and wash the clothes as usual.
Option 13: Borax
Borax is a great replacement for bleach when washing clothes. It will make stubborn yellow stains completely disappear from white clothes without leaving any damage to the clothes. You can use it in 2 different ways.
What you need
- Borax
- A bucket of water
How you do it
Option 1: Pre-treat the clothes
Step 1: Combine 1 tsp of borax with a bucket of water.
Step 2: Soak the dirty clothes in a bucket of water for a while.
Step 3: Put the clothes in the washing machine to wash with detergent and leave to dry when finished.
Option 2: Put borax directly into the machine
Step 1: Put ½ cup of borax and detergent in the drum of the washing machine.
Step 2: Wash and dry as usual with the washing machine.
Option 14: Bleach
Yellow stains on ordinary clothes or garments after storage can be thoroughly discarded with chlorine or regular bleach. When using bleach, you should not use too much to avoid damaging your clothes.
What you need
- Bleach
How you do it
Step 1: Apply a sufficient amount of bleach to the yellow stains.
Step 2: Wait for a while.
Step 3: Wash clothes in the washing machine and dry them.
Note: You can put bleach in the washing machine if all the clothes you need to wash are white because it can bleach colored garments.
You can get yellow stains out of white clothes with the instructions to use bleach.
Option 15: RIT White Wash
If you do not want to use bleach, you can consider RIT White Wash as a worthy alternative. It removes yellow stains better and is safer for white clothes than bleach. You just need to follow bleach’s process but remember not to put it on dark fabric.
Option 16: Laundry Detergent – Simplest Method
Laundry detergent is the simplest and most convenient option for you to bring out the full white color of your clothes. When using it, you just need to put it in the washing machine, start it and wait for the clothes to dry.
Option 17: RIT Color Remover
Permanent yellow stains will no longer be a problem when meeting RIT Color Remover. This option works better and is safer than bleach but is not good for dark clothes. You just need to buy it from the store or pharmacy and apply the cleaning process like bleach.
Option 18: Soap
Soap is an ingredient that is always available in your home, so you should take advantage of its cleaning ability to discard those obnoxious yellow stains on white clothes. It is also pretty gentle and safe for your fabric.
What you need
- A bar of soap
- Water
How you do it
Step 1: Moisten yellow stains with a bit of water.
Step 2: Use soap to scrub the stains until they disappear.
Step 3: Take your clothes to the washing machine and hang them to dry.
Option 19: Get Sweat Yellow Stains Out Of White Garments
There are many options for removing yellow stains caused by sweat from your white shirt. You can combine baking soda, hydrogen peroxide, and enzyme-based stain remover for best results.
What you need
- Baking soda
- Hydrogen peroxide
- Enzyme-based stain remover
- Detergent
How you do it
Step 1: Make a paste by mixing baking soda with peroxide or water. You can use white vinegar if you do not have the above ingredients.
Step 2: Put the paste on the stains and rub it with a toothbrush or sponge. Let it sit for 30 minutes.
Step 3: Wash clothes with warm or cold water to remove the paste.
Step 4: Soak clothes with enzyme-based stain remover for 5 minutes.
Note: Instead of using enzyme-based stain remover, you can replace it with laundry detergent.
Step 5: Put the clothes in the washing machine to wash as usual.
Step 6: Dry clothes in the sun.
Option 20: Remove Stains With Rust Remover
For yellow stains caused by rust, you can deal with them by applying rust remover. This is a specialized product for these yellow stains, so you can be assured of its effectiveness.
What you need
- Rust remover
- Water
- Detergent
- Gloves
How you do it
Step 1: Wear gloves before using the product.
Step 2: Put rust remover and water in the washing machine.
Step 3: Soak clothes for 5 minutes.
Step 4: Put detergent in the machine.
Step 5: Start the machine and wash as usual.
Step 6: Bring clothes to dry.
Tips To Prevent White Clothes Turning Yellow
Besides using the above methods to remove yellow stains on white clothes, you can apply the tips below to prevent yellow stains from appearing on clothes.
1. Apply The Proper Ways To Store Clothes
The wrong way to store clothes is the leading cause of yellow stains on white clothes, so you need to apply the right and effective preservation measures.
- When storing white clothes, you should choose a dry, airy, and cool place. In addition, you need to avoid humid areas to avoid causing mold.
- You should use good-quality acid-free paper, plastic boxes, baskets, or bags to store white clothes, and cardboard boxes should not be used because the clothes can stain.
- Before storing white clothes for a long time, you need to wash and dry them thoroughly.
- Do not hang white clothes near dark wash jeans when drying to avoid staining. You need to create a sufficient distance when drying clothes.
2. Do Not Wash White Clothes With Colored Clothes
It is extremely essential to wash white clothes separately if you want them to be free from yellow stains. If you do not have enough white clothes to wash once, you should wait for the next wash and should not be mixed with colored clothes.
3. Wash With Garment Regularly
Ideally, you should put clothes in the washing machine to wash after each wear or at most 2 times to avoid yellow stains appearing that reduce the beauty of your clothes.
You may not feel the smell or see stains after many wears, but sweat builds up day by day and turns clothes yellow.
4. Check White Garments After Washing
An essential thing you need to do after each wash of white clothes is to recheck them. If you find stains still present, you should treat them until they are completely removed.
If you ignore these stains, they will stick deeper into the clothes and accumulate over time, causing bad effects on the clothes.
5. Dry The White Clothes In Sunny Places
It is great when white clothes are left to dry in the sun. Sunlight will help clothes dry naturally and remove mold and bacteria on clothes. It is best to dry your clothes first with a dryer and leave them to dry in the sun.
6. Pre-Soak The White Clothes To Make Them Brighter
Soaking clothes before washing is a suitable option when washing clothes. This will help remove stains quicker and easier than washing with detergent. You can use Rin Ala Fabric Whitener in this case.
You just need to use 3.5 cups of Rin Ala Fabric Whitener with a bucket of water and soak white clothes for about 30 minutes to help remove stains easier. If stubborn stains remain, you can soak the garment in a mug of water with 3.5 cups of whitener.
7. Rinse The White Clothes With Warmer Water
After soaking white clothes, you need to rinse them with warm water or high-temperature water before washing them. However, you need to make sure the fabric of the garment can withstand the temperature of the water.
I recommend using warm, medium-temperature water for rinsing to help remove yellow stains more quickly and effectively.
8. Use An UnderShirt To Absorb Sweat
To prevent sweat from causing yellow stains on white clothes, you should wear an undershirt. It will help absorb sweat without reaching for white clothes. This may seem a bit hot, so you can try an alternative to wash the clothes right away.
9. Alternative Deodorant Products
You should use deodorant products that contain stain-resistant ingredients. The chemicals will directly contact your body and reduce the risk of sweat seeping into the fabric, causing yellow stains.
10. Extra Tips
You need to unbutton and turn them inside out before you put your shirts in the washing machine to protect them from wearing and tearing.
When you want to use the dryer, you should be careful because excessive drying will reduce the quality of the fabric and create yellow stains. It is best to dry clothes in a short period of time.
FAQs
Many questions are raised for discussion regarding this topic. This section will summarize the featured questions to give you a broader perspective.
Do Not Afraid Of Stained Clothes Anymore
You will no longer be embarrassed to wear white clothes with yellow stains on the street because it will be solved gently with the cleaning solution I have introduced. I wish your clothes would be whiter and brighter with my suggestions.
If you see yellow stains on your friends’ white clothes, please send this article to them. It will be of great help to their laundry. Let’s create a better life with clothes that are free of yellow stains after reading this post together.
Kevin Jones
Home Cleaning Specialist
Expertise: In-depth Knowledge of Cleaning Agents and Their Uses, Advanced Home Sanitization, Techniques Expertise in Cleaning and Maintaining, Various Floor Types, Innovations in Home Cleaning Tools
School: American College of Home Economics
Kevin Jones is a seasoned home cleaning specialist with over a decade of experience in the industry. A stickler for cleanliness and organization, Kevin brings a systematic and innovative approach to home maintenance. His expertise ranges from traditional methods to modern cleaning technology, ensuring homes are not just clean but healthy environments too.