We've all reached for a favorite well-worn shirt, only to discover that the underarms have gotten those yucky yellow stains. Lucky for us, a laundry expert on TikTok has shared their incredible way to get your shirt as clean as new.
The scoop
Laura de Barra (@lauradebarra) is a garment care expert who shares tips and tricks on TikTok and Instagram. She has even written a book on the subject. In one clip that has received nearly 50,000 likes, she explains her foolproof method for removing set-in underarm stains.
@lauradebarra So many white tshirts get thrown out becasue of pit staining. Lets solve it! #stain #stainremover #stainremoval #pitstains #yellowpitstainremoval #sweatstains #whitetee #whitetshirt #laundry #washingmachine #laundryhack #washinghack #ecoclean #slowfashion #slowfashiontiktok #stained #whiteclothes #laundrytips ♬ original sound - LauradeBarra
In the video, Laura says all you will need is her "holy trinity:" dish soap, baking soda, and distilled vinegar. Start by turning your shirt inside out. Then, using cool water, work some dish soap into the stain — "to remove any product, like body lotion, oils or deodorant," she says. The creator explains that this staining occurs because the sweat under our arms is more lipid-rich.
The next step is to rinse off the soap and soak the stain in two parts water to one part vinegar for around an hour. Once your stain has soaked for the allotted time, rinse it again.
To really break up those oils, Laura tells viewers to make a "lovely face mask consistency" paste using water and baking soda and put it all over the stain. She let this sit for an hour and a half but says, "The worse the stain, the longer you leave it."
Finally, using the same vinegar mixture from earlier in the cleaning process, you will use the chemical reaction of vinegar and baking soda to release any leftover residue from your shirt.
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You may need to give it another scrub if there are any remaining stains, but you should see a noticeable difference in the underarm discoloration. Rinse everything off and toss it in with the rest of your laundry, and you should have a stain-free shirt.
How it's working
Cleaning tips like this are just another reason to keep the aforementioned powerhouse cleaning ingredients on hand. Baking soda, vinegar, and dish soap can be used to clean virtually anything around your home, from baking sheets to bathtubs.
The best thing about this "holy trinity" is the affordability. Large containers of each typically cost under $10 and will last you months. These cheap ingredients can save you nearly $100 a year on cleaning supplies.
Additionally, many traditional cleaning agents can have negative effects on your health and the health of the environment. The EPA explains, "Certain ingredients in cleaning products can present hazard concerns to exposed populations (e.g., skin and eye irritation in workers) or toxicity to aquatic species in waters receiving inadequately treated wastes."
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What people are saying
The folks on TikTok loved this cleaning tip.
"This is awesome, thanks for the tip! Gonna try this, I've got so many white shirts with this issue," said one commenter.
Another person simply said, "This is amazing!"
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