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Summer Solutions: How to Get Rid of Pit Stains

Summer Solutions: How to Get Rid of Pit Stains

It’s been a long, active summer full of adventure, activity, and one you’ll probably remember for a long, long time. But don’t let those pesky pit stains serve as a reminder of summer 2019! Unlike the memory of your wonderful summer, however, you’ll quickly want to learn how to get rid of pit stains so you can flaunt your summer fashion for many summers to come. For this particular lesson, you have Pico Cleaners. Let’s begin!

Be Quick!

One way to prevent armpit stains from leaving a more lasting mark is to act quickly. Sweaty clothing should be noticeable right away (you are sweating after all). Letting them fester with other dirty clothes will make figuring out how to get rid of pit stains a bigger chore than just washing them. So if you feel the prominence of sweat settling into your favorite summer shirt, take a moment to throw it into the washer and enjoy some stain-free attire as a reward for your swiftness.
Gather Your Materials

The most important thing to remember when learning how to get rid of pit stains is the color of the shirt that the stains appear on. White shirts require a bit more work and a few different ingredients, but here are the basics: 1 cup of white vinegar, ½ cup of baking soda, 1 tablespoon of salt, 1 tablespoon of hydrogen peroxide, 2 cups of warm water, a large bowl, a small bowl, a metal spoon, and a towel. For colored clothes, there are a few ingredients that won’t be necessary, but you might want to have another one on hand: Aspirin…we’ll explain in a bit.
Get to Work (White Shirts)

Start by pouring the 2 cups of warm water and a cup of white vinegar into your large bowl. Take the pit-stained white shirt and submerge it in the vinegar solution. Keep it soaking for 20 to 30 minutes. Next, take the smaller bowl and mix your baking soda, salt, and hydrogen peroxide until it forms a paste-like substance. Spread the towel over a flat surface and spread the white shirt over the towel (be sure to wring it out first). Spread your paste solution on the affected parts of the shirt and let it sit for around 20 minutes. After the allotted time, you can wash the white shirt as you normally would and your pit stains will be no more! Now for the other option…

Get to Work (Colored Shirts)

The process is a little different for colored clothing, as hydrogen peroxide will ruin any colored clothing it comes into contact with. Follow the same steps above with warm water and white vinegar. But this time, follow the soaking by running cold water over the affected area and gently rubbing the stained area with your fingers. Proceed to wash the shirt as normal. An alternative to the white vinegar method is to crush a few aspirins with water to create a paste. Rub the paste on the affected area and let it sit for around an hour. Wash the colored shirt as normal and you’re good to go!

Stay Clean

Learning how to get rid of pit stains isn’t exactly a hard process, but it can prove time-consuming. If you don’t want to take a portion of your busy day to make sure those sweat stains stay away from your treasured clothing…why not bring them to a reliable dry cleaner? Pico Cleaners is the dry-cleaning establishment you can trust! Follow us on Facebook for more updates on what we do here at Pico Cleaners.