Remove Yellow Stains From White Shirts With These 3 Tried and True Methods
Your white tops may be turning yellow because of the way they're manufactured nowadays.
Published July 22 2024, 4:51 p.m. ET
Ring around the collar, sweat, and stains can all turn what was once a nice, crisp white shirt into something that looks dingy and dull. And while that may make some people frustrated enough to consider tossing their yellowing white T-shirt into the donate pile in favor of something that looks a little newer, you don't have to give up on those tops quite yet.
According to laundry and garment care experts, there are a few surefire ways to get your white shirts looking bright and clean again, and they don't involve harsh chemicals or bleach. Continue reading to learn about my favorite natural methods for getting yellow stains off white shirts, as well as why your whites aren't staying as white as they used to.
Why do white shirts turn yellow? Optical brighteners may be to blame.
While it may be tempting to blame yourself for the way your tops change color over time, you may not actually be the culprit. Instead, it may be the optical brighteners that were added to your clothing during the manufacturing process. The woman behind the popular @madamsweat Instagram account explained this process to her followers in a popular video, saying that she first noticed that her white clothes were turning yellow not long after she purchased them.
Optical brighteners are added to garments to give them that bright white look that they have when they're in the store. Once you get these items home and wash them, the chemicals used in the brighteners begin to go through the oxidization process, creating the yellow look. But, have no fear, because the hygiene expert says she has the perfect trick for slowing the oxidization process: baking soda. And, she says you'll need to add a half cup of the white powder to every load of whites.
Here are 3 ways to remove yellow stains from white shirts.
There are a few different techniques you can try if you're looking to get yellow stains out of your white clothes, according to the Laundry Sauce blog.
First up is this baking soda and peroxide hack. Just mix equal parts of the hydrogen peroxide (3 percent solution) with the baking soda to create a paste. Then, using a soft brush or old toothbrush you can scrub the paste into the stain while making small circles.
After around 15-30 minutes, you can rinse the top with cold water, repeating the process until the yellowing is gone.
The second method involves soaking your garment in equal parts water and white vinegar for a minimum of 30 minutes. Next, scrub any spots that still look yellow with an old toothbrush, and then rinse. You can repeat this process until your shirt is white again.
Lastly, Laundry Sauce suggests a lemon juice and salt combination, which involves applying lemon juice to the yellow part of your shirt, topping the saturated area off with a healthy sprinkle of salt. Using a soft bristled brush, you can rub the juice and salt into the shirt, being sure not to press too hard so that you don't damage the fabric. After you're done you can set the lemon-soaked shirt out in direct sunlight for a few hours.
Once the yellowing has disappeared, you can rinse the shirt and lauder it like normal.
As you can see, there are plenty of good ideas for tackling the yellowing of your white shirts. Figure out which one works best for your particular issue and then give it a try. If your shirt is already yellow, you won't have anything to lose!
