My hubby has this problem. He perspires heavily and only uses Mitchum clear gel deodorant. Over time, his cotton T's do the same thing...and I've tried everything. At our house, T-shirts have a life span and then we have to replace them. If you find a solution, I would love to know what it is!! :)

P.S. The body of the shirt makes a great rag.

I found that the gunk diminished, and eventually vanished, through long, very hot (140degF) washes in a front-loader. Sanitary cycles are commonly even hotter than that, and ought to do the trick. In my case the gunk came from Ban roll-on.

Can we say 'build up' instead of 'gunk'...? lol
"Gunk' makes me nauseous...
I thought I read on another forum straight ammonia works on armpit stains, will try to look it up...

I tried straight ammonia, soaking in hot BIZ water overnight, a BIZ paste directly on it, Oxyclean, Fels Naptha soap, and a couple of other folk remedies. Nothing worked. I would LOVE to know something that does...

LOL, jonsgirl. Buildup sounds good, but it does look like GUNK. haha

I replied to this same question before. I've removed yellow stains with Whink rust remover. Squirt it on the stain & rub with a toothbrush. Rinse under faucet & use more if needed & rinse again. May have to really rub if it has dried on them. It doesn't harm the material ( didn't for me). Then wash in the machine as usual. Once the yellow is gone, to make sure it doesn't come back I add STPP to the detergent when I wash the shirts. I also have removed the yellow from colored shirts and add STPP to those also. I only had this problem when I moved to Florida, not in Phila., or other locations.
I think it might be whatever is in the water, plus the deodorants. Was able to save my husband & son's shirts.
Hope it works for you.

Not sure if we're talking about the same thing here. I think what the OP is describing is more than a stain or discoloration. It's a stiff layer of some substance, clinging to the armpit area of the shirts.

I have used solid anti-perspirants for years. I also wear white cotton tee shirts. Underarm gunk hasn't been a problem since I installed a Miele FL washer capable of extended washes at high temperatures. I routinely wash tee shirts at a minimum of 140F using the extended wash program. Not only do I not have yellow armpits, but my tee shirts last way longer (2 to 3 times as long) than they used to, and they never develop that strange sort of semi-translucent look that old tee shirts frequently get.

Thorough washing in very hot water seems to be the key.

(P.S. Jonsgirl, I'm sure you meant nauseated, not nauseous)

...talking about armpit gunk makes me feel pukey...

I spray straight rubbing alcohol on mine, before washing, seems to work.

I am talking about removing the heavy yellow coating under the arms of the shirts. Suburbanmd & wa8b - yes the hot water will probably get rid of it. I have a toploader & cannot get my water 140 degrees.(Wish I could). Instead I first remove it with Whink rust remover, and then keep it from returning by adding STPP to the wash with your reg. detergent. I never had it years ago when I was able to buy detergent with phosphates. They cleaned great.
The STPP added helps to really clean. I also add bleach with it to my white load, but bleach only sanitizes & will not remove the yellow under the arms.

What does stpp stand for and where do you buy it?

This should help explain STPP.
http://ths.gardenweb.com/faq/lists/laundry/2003052601018823.html
You can get it at "The Chemistry Store.com" or any other chemistry stores.

My youngest son, every time he would come home from college, would bring those yellow tee's. I assumed it was a combination of the water, his lack of laundry skills, and the fact that he had basically dried the stains in the fabric.

So once you have run them through the dryer, the stains become permanent. So the only solution I found, was buying new tee shirts.

I am going to try the alcohol trick in a spray bottle. I thought of it more of a cheese than a 'gunk' but it is too stiff for crackers. I don't know what the stuff is but it laughs at every household cleaner I have thrown at it.

The Whink rust remover (or any rust remover) really works to remove the stain, even after the shirts have been in the dryer. Even on old hard yellow underarm stains, & I had tried everything. It's safe & you have nothing to lose.

Because you don't have a machine that is capable of a boil wash, fake it. Do what my grandmother did which is to boil the clothes in a pot on the stove. Add water and the detergent of your choice to a pot of water. Bring the water to a boil and add the clothes. Cook for about 20minutes or so. Check the clothes to see if the stains look like they are being removed. Turn off the stove and dump the mixture into your top loader. See if that helps with your t-shirts.

Good luck!

I am currently trying the boiling method suggested. I am on my second pot full of water with detergent added. The water is very grey (both times, yuck) but the two t-shirts are still stiff and yellow under the arms. Even scrubbed them a little in between the boilings. Maybe they are too far gone. So if heat and soap and friction don't work, what chemical do you need to remove whatever it is?

alyson-I remember using one of those "Rocks" YEARS ago -hated it! I still sweated (is that a word?)-I didn't know they still even made them!

I've discovered that I just need to buy new t-shirts -although I may start washing the new ones in the sanitary cycle to see if that helps prevent the build up.

Catbrat,
I wrote about removing the stiff yellow under the arms with Whink rust remover. It works for me. Try it. I explained above.

"Gunk" IS bacteria.
I disagree. The bacteria, and associated smell is (and I'd better double check the spelling) "funk" not "gunk". "Gunk" (aka goo, gook, guck, muck, ooze, sludge, slime) is the buildup on there. Actually it's the residue from the stick deodorants in this case. My washer always handled it, but I know what they're talking about on that cruddy buildup. I switched deodorants (was using Speed Stick) and eliminated the cause. And not using it 1/4" thick helps too. More isn't always better.

Have you tried a soak in an enzyme dishwashing detergent? Or a scrub brush? (Or both).

Which deodorants work best to prevent the problem of the buildup? Looks like someone said solid gels or ones without aluminum, have other people had success with that?

Cynic, you say that switching deodorants eliminated the cause? What deodorant do you use now?

Thanks.

I use Old Spice now but I've used several others too. Let's see there's bee Arm & Hammer, Gillette, and I don't recall what others. I used to really like the Mitchum aerosol but it's not made anymore. Again, more isn't always better so using smaller amounts probably helps a lot too.

Boiling on the stove- Im sure this works but come on - if your at that stage its time to invest in a good FL with a heater in it.

Your spending your way to it anyway in clothing wear and tear.

gunk, funk, manure, you name it a good detergent and a sustained tumble in 120-140 will stop that problem.

Deoderant/anti persperant does make a marked difference in how aggressive I need to be to keep the funk away. I settled on 2 and I switch - Jack black, and clarins with the clarins D-O seemingly the most chemically superior, but not much scent.

every 4-6 weeks I do an 8 hour soak in warm of oxy and do a double rinse and I have dress white shirts that I bought in 06 that are indistiguishable from the ones acquire in 09. The taylor marks my shirts year of assembly with a tag- I actually have to check.

I dirt bike ride, boat, and 4x4 all the time sweat like a hog and get really dirty. The equipment & detergent is really the secret.

Dave

Thanks for the advice on the deodorants. I hope I don't sound stupid, but, do all antiperspirants have aluminum? So, if I want something without aluminum, I'll have to use something that is just a deodorant? Or are there some products that act as an antiperspirant without the yellow gunk buildup from the aluminum? Thanks!

I've used this advice from a detergent website (Tide, I think) given by a deodorant company rep. Soak the underarms/garment in cool water, nothing else, preferably ASAP after wearing. Wash as usual. I've started putting my shirts in the sink to soak as soon as I take them off and it's working great. Sounds like a pain, wet shirts everyday, but it beats dealing with the yellow, sometimes hard, stain on laundry day. It's the aluminum in antiperspirants clogging up the fabric, just like it clogs your pores to keep the sweat in! You can see the water beading off the fabric at first, but after soaking for a while, it's gone. Try it!

I know what you mean about the build-up, it's thick waxy stuff, and it gets nasty yellow over time.

We don't have it since we started using roll-on deodorants by Nivea (you can find them in European-import groceries for about $8).

I was able to remove some ancient yellow waxy gunky funky deposits and staining in the armpit area by soaking overnight in a solution of Oxy-Clean with extra Oxy-Clean right on the stains too. I couldn't believe it when the shirts emerged white.

Granted, this method is a pain. I'd much prefer to have a washer that can boil my whites, but there are too many obstacles in the way of that happening for me.

the rock isn't meant to be used as an antiperspirant. it is strictly a deodorant. stopping the use of antiperspirants won't just keep the yellow "gunk" from forming under your tee shirts: it will also keep you healthier and at LESS risk for breast cancer. a little sweat never killed anyone but a little aluminum has.
i use a roll on called CRYSTAL. i don't smell, though some of my friends said they reeked. they all work differently so keep trying different brands (sans aluminum) until you find the one for you!

I've used this advice from a detergent website (Tide, I think) given by a deodorant company rep. Soak the underarms/garment in cool water, nothing else, preferably ASAP after wearing. Wash as usual. I've started putting my shirts in the sink to soak as soon as I take them off and it's working great. Sounds like a pain, wet shirts everyday, but it beats dealing with the yellow, sometimes hard, stain on laundry day. It's the aluminum in antiperspirants clogging up the fabric, just like it clogs your pores to keep the sweat in! You can see the water beading off the fabric at first, but after soaking for a while, it's gone. Try it!

I agree.....my bosch nexxt washer has a special setting which starts off in cold water, then slowly raises the temp to very hot via the internal heater.....this works for me every time.....cold water first.....followed by very hot water in the wash cycle...is the best......

The yellow armpit gunk stains is not caused by the alummium in your deodorant. Nor is it caused by the acidity. These are Urban legends. It is caused by Staphylococcus aureus. When conditions are just right (Temp and moisture) Staph cells begin to divide releasing a biofilm Or sticky glue protein (AKA Sticky Sweat).This Sticky sweat can adhere to fiber (Armpits) when These conditions are constant. The fabric will Stain a straw yellow color and become bolder as days progess. It is impossible to remove the yellowing because it is not a stain. The Biofilm adheres to the fibers Changing its structure. You can prevent the yellowing from happening by scrubbing your armpits with a brush or loafa on a daily basis. This kills the bacteria.
Below is a link on the shroud of Turin in regards to the yellow Stain like image of Christ. Also mentioned in the link is Ring around the collar.

Here is a link that might be useful: Secrets of the dead

There is a product Yellow out I used many times in past for stained white cotton items. I boiled it out on the stove. You might try it. It smells strong but it makes whites really white. I think Winn dixie sells it.

I got rid of my buildup using Goo-gone. It is a mixture of petroleum distillates and citric acid. As oil dissolves in oil, the wax in the stain dissolves in the petroleum. After the buildup is dissolved, it is important to wash the shirts in hot water and a wetting agent, such as dishwashing detergent, to get rid of the oils now soaking your shirt. Then I suggest washing the shirt in a washing machine afterwards.

This is a super old post. However... I will note that the underarm stains in all of my white t-shirts seem to have disappeared, and in fact all of my whites seem much whiter, since we got a Whirlpool Duet front loader with a heater and I wash them on the sanitize or allergen setting.

I loved the Fisher & Paykel top loader we had in our old house, but comparatively, whites clearly weren't its strong point.