How to Remove Sweat and Perspiration Stains

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Do you have pit stains that won’t wash clean?
Sweat stains can be some of the hardest to remove from clothes. Even though it is hard to admit, those yellow stains are from you and not your deodorant. These sweat and perspiration stains can show up on even the darkest of fabrics and can be nearly impossible to remove. Not only are arm pit stains ugly, but they can weaken the garment’s fabric as well. We have all battled under arm sweat stains at one time or another, but sometimes these sweat stains are so nasty that no amount of soaking or washing will remove them. Rather than throwing away clothing because you believe it to be a lost cause, use a cleaner that really works and save your favorite shirt from becoming garbage.

Most of us will reach for the bleach first, especially for white fabrics. You may not think it, but chlorine bleach is one of the worst things you can use to treat perspiration stains, even on white cotton fabric. The chlorine in household bleach will react with the proteins in the perspiration and cause the remaining stain to darken even further. You thought the pale yellow stains looked bad, well just wait until your collar and underarms are almost mustard in color. Detergents are supposed to clean our clothes, but none of them will remove a bad perspiration or sweat stain. Pre treaters and other stain removing products are also little help with these particular types of stains.

So what is the solution?

Try Quick n Brite. It is so easy to use and works great for sweat stains on your clothing. It is an all-natural enzyme cleaner, so it’s specialty is breaking apart organic stains. Sweat and perspiration stains are no different. Quick n Brite will remove even set-in or washed in stains. It doesn’t matter how long the perspiration stain has been there, or what you tried to use on it in the past. Just apply the paste full strength to the affected area and let it sit for 20-30 minutes, or for really bad stains let it sit overnight. Then just pop it in the wash and your clothes will come out stain-free. If you are in a time crunch, apply the paste and then rub the fabric back and forth on itself to loosen the stain. Then rinse clean with water, or remove with a terry cloth towel. Quick n Brite works great for perspiration stains or any other laundry stain you might have. It is the best laundry pre-treater available and it contains no chemicals. Quick n Brite is non-toxic and safe around children and pets. Whats even better is that Quick n Brite has hundreds of uses for cleaning all over your home. Buy it for your perspiration stains, but use it everywhere else.

Quick n Brite

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  • Susan

    I just ordered some of that Quick Brite you were talking about, and it worked fantastically on my laundry. I used it to not only remove sweat stains, but it worked on blood and grass stains too. Thank You so much for your advice.

    Susan

  • Allan Brant

    So the question is – will this work to remove sweat stains on caps???

  • http://tips.simplygoodstuff.com SimplyGoodStuff

    Absolutely. Just soak the cap overnight in a solution of Quick n Brite and water, then launder the next day. If it is a hat that can’t be washed in a machine, just apply the paste full strength to the stains using your fingernail or a toothbrush and let it sit for a while. Come back with a dry terry cloth towel and buff the stain out. You may need to apply a little water to completely flush out the stain. Repeat this process as necessary depending on the degree of the stain. Quick n Brite is safe to use on virtually every surface, and won’t harm or bleach anything you put it on.

  • Sterck

    I have a men’s hat (full brim all the way around the hat) — It is an off white color and 80% cotton – 20% linen. Will this work on a hat such as this with sweat stains? Thank you.

  • http://tips.simplygoodstuff.com SimplyGoodStuff

    It will absolutely work on your hat. No need to worry about colors or fabrics with Quick’n Brite because it is non toxic and chemical free. You could use the cleaner directly on the hat, or let it soak in a solution of Q&B and water. Either way it will completely remove those unsightly stains.

  • Rhonda

    I tried it on several white shirts with yellow perspiration stains and it did not work. I first tried rubbing in the paste, waiting 20 minutes, then putting in the washing machine. When that didn’t work, I tried again, this time letting the shirts sit overnight before washing. I can’t believe I just spent as much in shipping as the cost of the product only to be disappointed.

  • http://tips.simplygoodstuff.com SimplyGoodStuff

    Rhonda-
    Sorry to hear you are having so much trouble. We recommend Quick’n Brite because we find it to be the best, and most safe method for various cleaning chores.

    So…Try this. Wet the area with warm water first. Then work the paste into the stain using your fingernail or a brush. This will break the surface tension and allow the Quick’n Brite to penetrate the stain. Once the cleaner is worked in, just let it sit for a t least 20 minutes, but preferably overnight. Then rinse clean or put in the washing machine for laundering. For stains that have been around a long time or for severe stains, you may have to repeat the process to completely remove the stains. For really bad stains, or if this process still doesn’t work, you can make the cleaner even stronger by heating it up. Use the stove or microwave to heat it at a low setting. Once it becomes liquified, it is super strong. Wet the area with hot water, and then use the heated quick’n brite for the cleaning process. Quick’n Brite is guaranteed to work and comes with a full money back guarantee. Not only will it remove perspiration stains, but it will also clean hundreds of other things all over your home better than traditional methods.

  • soeung

    i have a grey dress shirt (97% cotton, 3% lycra spandex) from EXPRESS. it has dicoloration on the front collar portion. i was suprprised that the back o fmy neck didn’t cause any dicoloration.

    the color is kind of purple.

    i’ve used shout…. used shampoo…

    will this be good? or should i take it to the cleaners?

    thanks

  • http://tips.simplygoodstuff.com SimplyGoodStuff

    Quick’n Brite works on any fabric, and won’t harm or discolor anything it is used on. It will also work well for set in stains. It doesn’t matter what you have tried to use in the past, or even if it a washed in stain. The purple coloring is probably due to a darkening of the gray color of the shirt. Before taking it to the cleaners, you should give Quick’n Brite a shot. The only thing it won’t clean is permanent inks or dies. Thats it! Buy it for the sweat stain and keep it handy for the hundreds of other uses it is good for.

  • dave

    Hi,

    I have a gray shirt that has turned orange and a blue shirt that has turned white by the armpits. Would this product remove the stain or is the color some type of chemical reaction with the dye in the shirt that can’t be removed?

    Thanks for you help.

  • http://tips.simplygoodstuff.com SimplyGoodStuff

    Sometimes a white stain is caused by deodorant and not the sweat itself. Also without seeing it or the orangish stain it is hard to determine, without a doubt what actually caused them. There is a definite possibility of a chemical reaction being the cause. If it is indeed a sweat stain, Quick’n Brite will clean it for sure. Washed in deodorant stains are a bit harder, but will be removed with several applications too. The other stain could go either way, but without seeing it we can’t say for sure. In general, Quick’n Brite removes stains from clothing that nothing else even comes close with. You never run any risk of damage, so it can’t hurt to try it rather than tossing out an expensive article of clothing.

  • Martin

    I have a Gi that I use when training brazilian jiujitsu and over time it has stained extensively, both gray and yellow, especially on the inside upper back, armpits, neck and other areas. The Gi is supposed to be white, but now it is mostly yellow/gray in many areas. Will Quick n Brite solve this?

  • http://tips.simplygoodstuff.com SimplyGoodStuff

    From the sound of it, Quick’n Brite would work great. This discoloration is most likely all sweat, and can be easily taken out of the fabric. For your situation it will be best to soak the whole garment since the areas of staining are so large. Simply fill a bucket or sink with hot water, and add Quick’n Brite to it. Make sure the cleaner is fully mixed with the water and then place the gi in to sit over night. If the stains are really bad you can apply some Q&B directly to the stains before soaking. Once it has soaked over night, just launder as usual and the stains should be removed. If there are still areas of stain left, repeat this process, but definitely apply paste to the fabric the second time prior to soaking. We also carry an all-natural bleach alternative that can be used to whiten whites and brighten brights without the need for harmful bleach. It is an all natural detergent booster and stain fighter. This would be used to keep your gi looking great after quick n brite removes the stains.

  • CE

    This sounds like a miracle product. I have a dark blue cap with white embroidered words, and the sweat stain has bleached out the cap in some areas. Will this work for such a thing ? I have already used detergent to wash out the stain, but upon soaking, it seemed to have disappeared, but when i wrung out the water for it to dry, the stain re-emerged to the eye… not sure if this would work.

  • http://tips.simplygoodstuff.com SimplyGoodStuff

    Its less of a miracle product, and more just the right product for the job. Some of the results you get from Quick’n Brite seem like a miracle, but thats just because it is a really efficient cleaner. It works simply by breaking apart organic stains and build-up. It then floats it just off the affected surface so it is easy to remove. From the sound of your story, Q&B would work great. Just add some of the liquid to water and let the hat soak over night. The next day you can either launder or rinse clean.

  • Janette

    will Quick N Brite also work on set in stains that are unknown?

  • http://tips.simplygoodstuff.com SimplyGoodStuff

    Absolutely. Quick’n Brite works on stains that other cleaners won’t touch. It can be virtually anything and Quick’n Brite will do the job. The only things it doesn’t remove are permanent inks and dyes and rust. That’s it! Everything else is fair game.

  • Kate

    I have rust on my white skirt because the buttons were made from crappy metal so after my mom washed, there are yellow spots everywhere. Can this product get rid of the rust stains on my skirt?

  • http://tips.simplygoodstuff.com SimplyGoodStuff

    The only two things that quick n brite isn’t guaranteed to remove are permanent inks and dyes and rust stains. For this reason we can not recommend it for your particular application. It would probably do a good job, but due to the nature of the stain we can’t guarantee success. Most time this cleaner will remove stains that other cleaners have no chance with. A rust stain will be one of the hardest to deal with, but it is not necessarily impossible.

  • Debbie

    This product sounds great, but what about every day use? My husband is on roofs a lot and every day comes home with a sweat-stained hat and shirt. I don’t want to go through the hassle of letting them sit every time. Is there not something out there that you can just add to the regular wash? Borox maybe?

  • http://tips.simplygoodstuff.com SimplyGoodStuff

    You CAN use Quick’n Brite every day for this type of application. It can be used as described above to remove tough, set in staining. For daily sweat, just adding it to your wash as an additive would work as well. You could either use it in addition to your current detergent, or as an alternative. The liquid version of Quick’n Brite will be best suited for this application due to convenience. Basically you would just add a small amount of liquid to your washing machine when starting a load. This should give you the extra power necessary to remove those sweat stains. For any really tough stains left over, then try the more intensive cleaning described above. You should not always have to let them sit over night. This method is just the most thorough, so results are easier to guarantee.

  • Joseph

    So.. I have a white hat that has sweat stains.. And has been stepped on so has a black foot mark over it.. Kids.

    Would this work on the sweat stains AND the foot print?

    Theres another red stain on the back of the cap and dirt stains across the stiches. This sounds like a good product but will it work with all of these stains?

  • http://tips.simplygoodstuff.com SimplyGoodStuff

    Believe it or not. YES. Quick’n Brite can be used to safely remove all three of these stains. Simply approach the other two in the same manner as the sweat stain. The footprint should be even easier to remove than the perspiration. Once again though, this cleaner is completely safe to use on this type of job, and you run no risk of ruining your hat in the process.

  • Joseph

    So how do I go about applying the product? And how would a wash it out?

  • http://tips.simplygoodstuff.com SimplyGoodStuff

    The best place to start would be using a heavy solution in a spray bottle. Simply mix aprox 3tbs of the the cleaner into a quart sized spray bottle. It is easiest to use the liquid or the paste can be used if is melted first. Once you have the cleaner diluted, simply spray it on the stain, let it sit for a minute, and then buff the area clean with a dry terry cloth towel. You will see the stain transfer from your hat to the towel. If it is a tougher stain, just use the paste or liquid full strength on the stain. If this is a washable hat, you could also apply the cleaner and let it sit overnight, and then send the hat through the laundry the next day. Remember: Quick’n Brite is safe for practically any surface, and it is totally safe for it to touch your skin, or be used around kids and pets. Beyond that, it is incredibly effective, and super easy to use.

  • Joseph

    I see you have some Q@B liquid concentrate, that would be best for me to use, I love the hat and would like it to be as good as it was before.

    It also has black logos on the right side of it, will the Liquid smudge the colors together?

    I know I ask alot of questions.. I just like to be sure about whatever I buy, Thank you for your time!

  • Joseph

    1 more question.. Is the liquid Made for small stains or the bigger house stains? The paste seems more appropriate for my small hat.

    Other than that I got just about all the information from you I need, Thank you for your time and patience.

  • http://tips.simplygoodstuff.com SimplyGoodStuff

    The liquid is mainly for convenience, but the paste will always be slightly stronger for really tough jobs. If mixing into water it is easier to use the liquid. You can always add the paste to water, but you just have to melt it in the microwave first to liquify it. If you are going to just “spot clean” or pre-treat the hat, then you may be better off with the paste. Either version will clean your hat, and it really comes down to personal preference. You can always go with our kit and get both versions of the cleaner. As for colors smudging together; that is not something you will need to worry about. Quick’n Brite is safe to use on any color fabric, and will not cause a problem on the black part of your hat.

  • Weirdo_with a nasty stain

    OKay i have a stain from a work shirt that is a light blue. And the stain is turning to a light yellow with hits of blue? Will this work? I cannot ruin the shirt because, its a work shirt i HAVE to wear?

  • http://tips.simplygoodstuff.com SimplyGoodStuff

    This is a pretty normal color for a sweat stain. It is usually a combination of deodorant and sweat causing this discoloration. Quick’n Brite is a great product to use because you never have to worry about it ruining the surface you are cleaning and it works great on just about anything. You can certainly use it with extreme confidence to clean your shirt, and if you continue to use it regularly, you will never have to worry about sweat stains again.

  • Barbara Lee

    I just bought some very expensive sheets – blue. My husband has sweated terribly on the pillow case. I did a cold water pre soak and a cold water wash. No luck. Will this product take the stain out? It is covering almost the whole pilllow case. Can I use the liquid product on this stain? Also, will Quick n Brite work on grease stains left from a lubrication product? Thanks.

  • http://tips.simplygoodstuff.com SimplyGoodStuff

    WOW. Sounds like somebody liked the new set of sheets. :) Certainly Quick’n Brite would work for sweat stains on sheets. Exact fabric type doesn’t even make a difference. Also the fact that you have already washed the sheets will not make it less effective either. Just use the methods outlined above and you will be quite happy with the results. As for the grease stain, you are in luck because Quick’n Brite is also an incredibly good degreaser. For this reason you can use it to clean ovens, kitchen cabinets, oil stains on your driveway, and definitely the greasy stain on your new sheets. Attack the this stain just like the sweat. Pretreat and wash or just spot clean. Either way, Quick’n Brite will be quite effective on this sort of mess.

  • miss ward

    can u use it on couches

  • http://tips.simplygoodstuff.com SimplyGoodStuff

    Yes. You can use it on any couch, and virtually any other surface as well. It is totally safe and extremely effective!

  • Kimbelry

    I am looking for a way to remove dark sweat stain from the pit areas of colored t-shirts. I use that salt stick deorderant so not the normal stuff people use that has a bunch of chemical in it. I tried soaking in vinegar and washing but it did nothing. I don’t want the color to be dyed out of these shirts and they have been washed and dryed many times. Can I safely use this without the colors being altered? There is no yellow in the stains they are just dark. Thanks!

  • http://tips.simplygoodstuff.com SimplyGoodStuff

    You can use Quick n Brite without any risk or reason to worry. It is not possible for it to bleach or in any way remove the coloring from your shirt. It is all natural and uses enzymes to break apart stains and lift them out of fabrics. It will work just as well on the sweat stains on your shirt, despite the lack of yellowing or color of fabric. It also does not matter that you have washed in the stains. Quick n Brite works on washed in stains too! Your salt stick style deodorant should not pose a problem either as QB has proven to be great at removing salty hard water stains, and virtually and other kind of organic build-up or staining.

  • Printed sheets

    Does Quick N Brite work on printed sheets? I have a lovely duvet cover with a white background and a beautiful botanical pattern on it. I don’t want the Quick N Brite to fade or alter the pattern in any way. Can I still use this product to remove the sweat stains on the white part without worrying that it will affect the rest of the pattern? Thanks!

  • http://tips.simplygoodstuff.com SimplyGoodStuff

    You bet you can! There is absolutely no risk to the printed pattern on your sheets. Quick n Brite will clean the sweat without fading, removing or altering the print in any way.

  • gabby

    okay but my question is… is quick and bright for white clothes or colored clothes becuase i have a gray sweter that has deoterant stains and its been like that for a very long time

  • http://tips.simplygoodstuff.com SimplyGoodStuff

    Hard to believe, but Quick n Brite can be used on whites or colored clothes without worrying about ruining them. It is not a bleach or anything similar, so you are not running a risk of damage when you use it. It would work great on your gray sweater. It breaks apart the stain naturally, so that it is easy to remove, there are no harsh chemicals or dangerous solvents involved.

  • Tracy

    I have been battling with a white gi for months! Where can I get this stuff??

  • bran

    I sweat a lot and all of my white shirts have sweat stains. Where i live we have brown tinted water and i think this makes it worse. I recently noticed that my sheets are also stained I guess from me sweating at night. Do you think the Quick n Brite will work for me?

  • http://tips.simplygoodstuff.com SimplyGoodStuff
  • http://tips.simplygoodstuff.com SimplyGoodStuff

    It will absolutely work for you. Sweat stains on any fabric are no match for the cleaning power of Quick n Brite. Try it for yourself and you won’t be disappointed.

  • Suzanne

    I have some antique doll bedding that is red and white checked. It has gotten yellow stains over the years that I would like to remove, but I am terrified of the red running and ruining the whole thing. Would Quick n Brite be appropriate for this situation? Thanks so much for your time. :)

  • http://tips.simplygoodstuff.com SimplyGoodStuff

    Yes. Quick n Brite would be a good choice. It is safe to use on any fabric, and won’t cause colors to bleed. If the discoloration is due to aging and the natural deterioration of the fabric then it is not a stain that can be removed though. If it is staining that has set in over time then you should be in good shape.

  • Jenny

    Hi I have a question.

    How much are you getting paid to recommend Quick n Brite? It must be a lot!

  • http://tips.simplygoodstuff.com SimplyGoodStuff

    Actually we sell it. There is no money made off the recommendation itself. We have been selling this cleaner for more than 25 years now, and the real reason that we recommend it is: IT WORKS. This stuff is so amazing, and can be used for so many different cleaning tasks, that we find customers have better results when they can follow specific steps for each type of cleaning job. It is not sold as a sweat stain remover, but that is one of the hundreds of stains and messes that it will produce outstanding results with.

  • Dusty

    Really Any fabric? How about lightweight silk or cashmere?

    Thanks so much.

  • http://tips.simplygoodstuff.com SimplyGoodStuff

    Yeppers. Even delicate fabrics like silk are safe. This stuff is gentle on everything but the stain.

  • Mitch

    Quick n Brite is a great product and man I vouch for these thing!

    Mitch

  • Tabla tip tigla

    Really Any fabric? How about lightweight silk or cashmere?

  • http://tips.simplygoodstuff.com SimplyGoodStuff

    Yep. You got it. Because even dainty women sweat, this will work on fancy delicate fabrics too!

  • http://tips.simplygoodstuff.com SimplyGoodStuff

    Thanks for the endorsement Mitch!

  • Rina

    Will Quick n Brite work on yellow oxidized stains on white cotton clothing?

  • http://tips.simplygoodstuff.com SimplyGoodStuff

    Tough question… If it is a stain, then yes. If it is discoloration due to age or something like that, then the answer is no or maybe. Quick n Brite does not contain bleaching agents or anything harsh, so it does not exactly work like bleach does. It will break up and remove almost any kind of staining, but it will not “bleach” fabric. Sweat stains, grass stains, ball point pen and so much more can be removed with ease from any kind of fabric using this great cleaner. If you can provide more information about how the yellow color got there, we may be able to give a better answer and provide the steps necessary to clean it.

  • KC

    I have a white shirt that has been stained to the point of embarrassment. They’re basically stained brown now. I did all of these things that I later found out NOT to do with pit stains (such as washing with hot water, drying it, and using bleach and pre-wash sprays), and I’m afraid that there will be no way of recovering it. I’ve had the shirt now for a couple of years so the stains are not only brown, but well set in (due to the many loads done already on it). Is there any hope for recovering this shirt or is it done for?

  • http://tips.simplygoodstuff.com SimplyGoodStuff

    There is hope. It won’t be as quick or easy as it would have if you had not done all of those things, but Quick n Brite should allow you to salvage this shirt. It works on set in and washed in stains, and will even remove stains that you have attempted to clean with different bleaches and cleansers. Give it a try, and you should be pleased with the results. If you really love that shirt, this stuff will help you enjoy it even longer.

  • ABerry

    Does the Quick Brite work on a skirt that I used Oxy Clean to get out a tomato stain, which didn’t help it, then I diluted bleach in water and put it on the stain then put it out in the sun, the stain came out BUT now my skirt has a LARGE yellow stain in front, like I pee’d on myself so I’m panicking because I LOVE that skirt.

  • Anonymous

    It sounds like what you have left is just a faded tomato stain. If this is the case then Quick n Brite should do the trick. It will work on stains that have set or washed in, and will even work on areas where you have used other cleaners. You wouldn’t want to walk around looking like you have a bladder problem, so give it a try and you should be please with the results.

  • Jeffergy344

    would quick n brite work on spandex/lyrca?

  • Anonymous

    Yes it would. It is safe for, and works on any kind of fabric.

  • woot

    i have a dark blue hollister shirt that has sweat stains… it came out as these red/pink marks…
    would quick n brite work for this and keep it navy blue?

  • Anonymous

    Yes it would. Quick n Brite usage will never result in discoloration or bleaching of any color or type of fabric. What did you already use on this? If it has been bleached, then nothing can bring the color back, but if this is just a stain brought on by washing in sweat and deodorant, then Quick N Brite can remove it.

  • boxelder bug control

    I have a white shirt and it has some tea stain…Since the shirt is new, I would like to know if quick n brite will work on tea and coffee stain.

  • Anonymous

    Yes it will. Coffee and tea are no match for Quick n Brite. It can remove these stains from any type of clothing but also carpet, upholstery and other fabrics.

  • Laziocylealamares

    Will quick and bright remove dirt inside the collar of my gi?

  • Anonymous

    Yes. It will. This type of stain is simple to remove with Quick n Brite.

  • smith

    I have a red and white lycra garment which has run horribly in the wash despite my best efforts to catch the color. Will the Quick N’Brite paste remove the red that has seeped into the white to bring the white color back out?

  • Anonymous

    This would not be guaranteed, but you would have a pretty good chance. Quick n Brite will not, for the most part, remove any permanent dyes. This is what makes it safe to use on any color or type of surface. Based upon the running that has happened, the red may not be 100% permanent, thus able to be removed. What has been observed is that this stuff works where other efforts fail. Give it a shot and you may be pleasantly surprised. It is not at all a bleach, but it is able to remove all sorts of tough stains.

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How to Remove Sweat and Perspiration Stains