Get Rid of Underarm Odor in Clothes: 8 Easy Tricks
Shirts a little "pitty"? Here are a few tricks of the trade to power away those unpleasant underarm stains and odors that can linger on fabrics!
Quick Reference: How to Get Rid of Underarm Odor in Clothes
- Turn it inside out: expose the underarm fabric and treat the spot directly, not the whole shirt.
- White vinegar: soak the garment in water plus 1/3 cup white vinegar for 20 minutes, then launder.
- Baking soda: rub on a paste of baking soda and warm water, leave 15 minutes or overnight, then launder.
- Salt soak: dissolve 1/2 cup table salt in a bucket half-full of warm water and soak the area.
- Do not dry yet: heat from the dryer sets odors and stains, so air dry until the smell is fully gone.
You laundered your favorite shirt, and everything looked and smelled clean, until the iron hit the armpits, or you wore the garment again and, whew, there was that stale odor right back where it started. It happens to the cleanest people. Even some antiperspirants leave a stain and a smell behind. The reason a regular wash does not fix it is simple: the garment needs to be treated, not just washed. Below are eight tried-and-true tricks to get rid of underarm odor in clothes, using things you likely already have in the kitchen or laundry room.
Why Underarm Odor Clings to Fabric
The smell is not really from sweat itself. Sweat is mostly water and salt. The odor comes when bacteria on the skin break that sweat down, and the residue, along with the aluminum compounds in many antiperspirants, works its way deep into the fibers under your arms. Once it is embedded, plain detergent and water cannot reach it. That is why the methods below ask you to soak, scrub, or sit a treatment on the spot first. Cooperative extension guidance, such as the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture fact sheet on removing stains from washable fabrics, makes the same point: protein and body-oil residues respond best to pretreatment before the wash, not the wash alone.
Tricks To Get Rid Of Stubborn Underarm Stains and Odors From Clothes
Each of these remedies works best if you turn the garment inside out and expose the underarm fabric before treating. These remedies are best used on shirts that can be handled a little “roughly,” so check a hidden seam for colorfastness before you treat a favorite. Work through them in order, or jump to the one whose ingredients are already on your shelf.
1. Aspirin and Cream of Tartar
Mix three white, non-coated aspirin tablets with a cup of warm water and a tablespoon of cream of tartar (you probably have a can in your kitchen cupboard). Scrub the solution into the underarm area with a nailbrush or old toothbrush, then let the mixture sit on the garment for at least 20 minutes. Launder as usual. Repeat if necessary.
2. Baking Soda
Seriously, what can’t baking soda do? It is great for neutralizing strong perspiration odors that are embedded in fabrics. Make a paste with baking soda and warm water, then rub the paste into the problem areas. Leave the paste on the garment for 15 minutes, or let it sit overnight. Launder as usual. Some have found luck with a paste of baking soda and Dawn dish soap, following the same instructions, but test for colorfastness first. Baking soda earns its place on the shelf for a reason, and our roundup of surprising baking soda uses covers plenty more.
3. Salt
Dissolve 1/2 cup of table salt in a bucket or large bowl half-full of warm water. Soak the affected areas of the garment, then launder. This one is gentle enough for the delicate shirts that cannot take a hard scrubbing.
4. White Vinegar
White vinegar is a powerful odor neutralizer and works wonders on the underarm areas of fabrics. Fill your washing machine with water, then add 1/3 cup of white vinegar. Turn off the machine and let the garment soak for 20 minutes, then launder as usual. Vinegar is a workhorse far beyond the laundry room, as our guide to the many powers of vinegar lays out.
5. Washing Soda
Sprinkle 1/4 cup of washing soda (sodium carbonate, not sodium bicarbonate), also known as soda ash, onto the affected area. Be sure to wear rubber gloves. Add water to make a paste and work it in with gloved hands. Leave the paste on the affected area for 30 minutes. Launder as usual.
6. Mouthwash
Listerine or Scope work well on underarm fabric odors. Simply pour several capfuls on the armpit areas, wait 30 minutes, then launder as usual. You might want to test it first if you are going to use mouthwash on white garments, since the colored kinds can leave their own tint behind.
7. Murphy’s Oil Soap
Pour the oil soap directly on the armpit, which has been dampened with water, and use a nailbrush or old toothbrush to scrub it in. Leave it on for 20 minutes, then rinse in cool water and launder.
8. Meat Tenderizer
This remedy might sound a little strange, but meat tenderizer works by “digesting,” or breaking down, the chemicals that get embedded in the fabric from underarm odors. Simply dampen the armpit area with water and sprinkle it generously with the meat tenderizer. Work it in with your fingers and allow it to sit for 20 minutes. Then launder.
Be sure the stains and odors are gone before tossing any garment in the dryer, which will further set the unwanted stains and smells. Line drying clothing may also help eliminate odors.
Which Remedy for Which Fabric
Not every trick suits every shirt. A sturdy cotton work tee can take a stiff-bristled scrub with aspirin or oil soap, while a thin silk blouse wants the gentlest soak you can give it. Use this quick guide to match the method to the garment, and always test a hidden seam first.
| Fabric or Situation | Best Methods to Try First |
|---|---|
| Sturdy white cotton | Aspirin and cream of tartar, washing soda, baking soda paste |
| Colored cotton and blends | White vinegar soak, baking soda paste, salt soak (test first) |
| Delicates and silk | Salt soak or a short white vinegar soak only, no scrubbing |
| Heavy, set-in odor | Meat tenderizer or Murphy’s Oil Soap, then a vinegar soak |
| White shirts (avoid tinting) | Clear mouthwash, salt, baking soda; skip colored mouthwash |
Preventive Advice
All-natural fabrics are more breathable than synthetic ones, so choose fabrics made from cotton, wool, bamboo, or silk, and avoid polyester and rayon. Allow perspiration to evaporate before tossing any garment in the dirty laundry basket or rehanging it. And be sure to wash all of your clothing regularly. A few small habits keep the odor from ever setting in:
- Let a worn shirt air out on a hanger before it goes in the hamper, not crumpled at the bottom.
- Wash sweat-heavy shirts promptly rather than letting them ripen for a week.
- Go easy on antiperspirant, since the aluminum compounds are part of what builds up in the fabric.
- Treat a fresh stain the same day. Set-in odor is far harder to budge than a same-day spot.
Try Our Mineral Salts Deodorant Stone
The surest way to spend less time scrubbing shirts is to leave less behind in the first place. The Farmers’ Almanac mineral salts deodorant stone is made from 100% potassium alum mineral salts and creates an invisible film where odor-causing bacteria cannot thrive, so the residue that embeds in your shirts has less of a chance to form.
How to Get Rid of Underarm Odor in Clothes: Frequently Asked Questions
Why does my clean shirt still smell under the arms?
Because the odor is embedded in the fibers, not just sitting on the surface. Bacteria break down sweat, and that residue, along with the aluminum in many antiperspirants, works its way deep into the fabric where plain detergent cannot reach. The shirt needs to be treated, not just washed. Turn it inside out and soak or scrub the underarm area first.
Does white vinegar get rid of underarm odor in clothes?
Yes. White vinegar is a strong odor neutralizer. Fill the washing machine with water, add 1/3 cup of white vinegar, turn off the machine, and let the garment soak for 20 minutes before laundering as usual. It works well on the underarm areas of most fabrics.
How do I use baking soda to remove armpit odor from a shirt?
Make a paste of baking soda and warm water, rub it into the underarm areas, and leave it on for 15 minutes or overnight, then launder as usual. For a tougher smell, some people mix baking soda with a little Dawn dish soap, but test a hidden seam for colorfastness first.
Is washing soda the same as baking soda?
No. Washing soda is sodium carbonate, also called soda ash, and it is stronger than baking soda, which is sodium bicarbonate. For the washing soda method, sprinkle 1/4 cup on the area, wear rubber gloves, add water to make a paste, leave it 30 minutes, then launder. The gloves matter because washing soda is harsher on skin.
Can I put the shirt in the dryer to kill the smell?
Not until the odor is fully gone. Dryer heat sets stains and smells into the fabric, making them much harder to remove later. Air dry or line dry the garment first, check that the smell is gone, and only then use the dryer. Line drying on a breezy day often helps clear lingering odors on its own.
How do I stop underarm odor from setting into shirts in the first place?
Choose breathable natural fabrics like cotton, wool, bamboo, or silk and avoid polyester and rayon. Let perspiration evaporate before the shirt goes in the hamper, wash sweaty shirts promptly, and go easy on antiperspirant, since the aluminum compounds are part of what builds up in the fabric. What are your tricks for removing tough underarm stains and odors? Share them in the comments.
This article was published by the Staff at FarmersAlmanac.com. Any questions? Contact us at questions@farmersalmananac.com.
- Farmers' Almanac Staff
- Farmers' Almanac Staff
- Farmers' Almanac Staff
- Farmers' Almanac Staff
I bought a nice shirt second hand and the when I got home I discovered the shirt had really bad BO. I literally had to use a combination of laundry detergent, vinegar, baking soda, DAWN, and hydrogen peroxide and overnight soak/wash/rinse over a period 4 day to get the odour out.
WOW! We’re glad to hear that you were able to resolve the smell issue. Upcycling clothing is always such a great idea – so knowing how to remove smells is important!
I have used baking soda and white vinegar with pretty good success. turn the shirt inside out and position the top so the underarms are laid out flat. sprinkle with a good amount of baking soda and then pour a SMALL amount of white vinegar over it. This will cause an immediate chemical reaction and the baking soda will foam up a lot, so don’t put too much on at once! then use an old toothbrush to gently work the paste into the fabric. Let it sit for at least 30 minutes and wash.
Peroxide usually works for me- I spray it on the armpits, let is sit a few. sometimes I might need to do it twice- but it works 🙂
I smell ammonia on my cotton t-shirts and clothes after a hard workout. Does this sound familiar? Any suggestions to treat clothes?
Hi Jt Anthony, try the methods outlined in this article. It sounds like the smells are embedded in the fabric and every time you sweat, they “reignite.”
With each new summer seemingly warmer than the last, I’ve never had such difficulty turning out a truly clean load of clothes. I’ve tried all the usual suggestions, baking soda, white vinegar, borax, non chlorine bleaches and the problem persists. I’ve found underarm stains and odors to be the most challenging. I’ve concluded that the greatest hindrance to properly washing clothes is water that’s not hot enough. This is especially problematic if you’re reliant on commercial laundry equipment where you have no control over the water temp. For this reason, I’m thinking about soaking my clothes in boiling water, probably in combination with the use of some of the above named products before machine washing. Also, someone mentioned Dawn dish soap and I really like the idea of using it as part of my boiled water soak. If it can successfully wash up sea critters after oil spills, it may help me with my laundry odor issues. I should add that I’m finding the typical chemically, over perfumed laundry detergents make it difficult to determine whether your clothes are truly clean after laundering. So, I’m putting them aside hoping to find the most natural products available that yield a natural and truly clean wash.
Hi Pam, those overly perfumed detergents don’t do anyone any good. We’re actually working on an article about it. Let us know how the boiling water and dawn works, and we’ll add it to the list!
Also make sure you are not using too much detergent. It seems like more would get the places cleaner when in fact using too much detergent causes clothes to hang on to their stains and trap the odors so they can’t be removed. It traps dirt and building up over time. As detergent builds up, it can leave behind an invisible layer of film that can trap dirt and hard water minerals, giving clothes a dingy or faded appearance. It also is horrible for your washer and can cause it to smell really bad. I had a hard time breaking the habit of too much detergent. I not only would use more liquid but use a couple pods also. I noticed no one’s clothes were coming clean and my girls clothes hung on to body odor something horrible. You may need to use some borax or washing soda or baking soda (although expensive I found borax worked best) when you wash your clothes for a good while so you k ow they have all had as much residue removed as possible and never use that extra splash bc they need to be extra clean.
This is always a great tip! It’s definitely better for our clothes to use less detergent!
I’ve finally solved this problem, and I have been dealing with this for years and I’ve tried all of the solutions that you might find on the internet and have had only limited success. Here’s my solution: soak the offending shirt in soapy water for 24 hours before you wash it in the machine. Trust me, this works, and I’ve tried everything else. Get a large container. Fill it with enough water for your shirt to soak in. Add some laundry detergent (your call on how much). Soak the shirt in the soapy water for 24 hours. Then wash the shirt in the machine. This totally works and it will solve this very annoying problem for you. The reason why we were having this problem in the first place was because the amount of soaking time in a washing machine cycle isn’t enough. I now soak my shirts every time before I wash them and I am amazed by how well this works. I urge you to give it a try! I’m convinced it’s the only practical thing that works. I’ve tried everything else.
I also found that instead of using the extra detergent doing exactly this… Soaking at least overnight and then washing (with correct amount of detergent). I sometimes soaked in vinegar or borax if they smelled like they were about to get up and run away. The extra soak does wonders. I can also get them just as clean in cold water as hot water. I know someone mentioned their water not being hot but some fabrics can’t take extremely hot temps, it can make some stains set it (I think it’s blood however if I have something that has a lot of blood on it I dispose of it… There can’t be a good story behind it.
I’ve used a Dawn and washing soda paste on the affected area followed by a hot water vinegar soak for a while now with good results. Along with wearing my regular deodorant, I also spray the inside armpit areas of the garments with Dove deodorant spray before I put them on and it usually allows me to wear them 3 or 4 times before they start to stink again. Hope that helps!!
Washing soda was the only thing on this list that actually worked for me! First I tried the aspirin method to no avail, then I doubled down on the same shirts with the baking soda method, also to no avail. Then I bought washing soda, in the form of OxiClean, and success!
My advice is don’t waste your time with less effective methods, go ahead and go straight to washing soda.
How did you apply? Soaking? I’d like to spray but I don’t know if I’d have to mix up a new batch each time. Does it lose efficacy if it sits awhile?
My husband used t ih play baseball and nothing worked to get the odor out. One evening I had forgotten to bring his shirts in off the line and we had a thunderstorm. The next day the shirts were odorless.
Good old thunderstorm to the rescue ;)! Of course that may be hard in the winter, but the good old outdoors does wonder! Thanks for sharing.
Now I am waiting on the next Thunderstorm to try this trick out. I can see me now running outside as it starts hanging all the laundry on the line lol. Now with my luck there will be a drought or something lol
The lighting in a thunderstorm instigates the electrical process needed to ozonate the air…and thus the water falling through that air. Ozone is one of nature’s purification systems. You can replicate this year ‘round by soaking your stinkiest clothes in ozinated water.
My grandma always used to hang clothes or sheets if a thunderstorm was coming! This makes sense!
Another consideration is try to avoid the stains and odor by putting disposable armpit guards in your clothes. They are like really thin maxi pads that stick into the armpit of the shirt.
Interesting. Thanks for sharing.