Get a bar of Fels-Naptha soap. It's the one thing that I know of that works at removing body soils.

Some grocery stores and hardware stores carry it.

Janet

Here is a link that might be useful: Fels-Naptha

OxiClean is a sodium percarbonate (C2H6Na4O12) detergent and bleaching agent which produces hydrogen peroxide when dissolved in water.

I used to have the yellow pit stain trouble until I changed deodorants (well, and detergents). Problem was on the white shirts when I had to wear them. Also found that after using the dryer a couple times those stains were not easy to get rid of, short of bleaching. For whites you can hang them in the sun to bleach too, but of course it'll bleach colors to a point too. I don't have the problem since changing detergents and changing deodorants.

Soaking is probably going to be the most effective. I think the Fels Naptha would be a good treatment too. A scrub brush could help too.

My suggestion would be to invest in a washer that's capable of washing for extended periods of time at high temperatures.

European front loaders are probably your best bet. I've owned Miele washers for years. My current washer is a long discontinued Miele model W1918, but Miele still sells models in North America capable of extended wash programs at high temperatures. Asko and Bosch also sell models capable of similar extended high temperature programs.

I routinely wash Jockey brand cotton t-shirts using extended wash programs (meaning the wash portion of the program is around an hour in duration - rinsing and spins are additional) at a temperature setting of at least 140F. Some of my t-shirts are 5 or 6 years old. None of them has a yellow or gray armpit, and all are still just as white as they day I took them out of their original package.

The extended wash programs on these types of washers insure that fabrics are thoroughly cleaned and that no soil remains imbedded in the fibers of the garment. Not only will this eliminate any trace of yellowing, it also extends the life of the garment. With no grime left in the core of the fibers to grind away at the fabric, my t-shirts last much longer. None of my t-shirts take on that sort of semi-transparent look that 2 or 3 year-old t-shirts typically get after being repeatedly washed in less-thorough American-style washers. My t-shirts last on average 5 to 6 years with regular weekly washings.

I never use chlorine bleach, and I don't need laundry additives. I use an ordinary detergent formulated for "He" washers, and that's it.

One word of caution -- if you're washing garments that include elastic (like Jockey shorts), don't use a wash temperature above 140F. Higher temperatures will shorten the life of elastic bands. The important element in thorough cleaning and eliminating yellowing is the extended wash cycle.

I think Heloise recommends pouring ammonia on the stains and letting them soak overnight.

If the stains have been set in by dryer heat, it may be necessary to wash the shirt(s) in hot water, detergent, and chlorine bleach. If you put baking soda in the washer drum before adding the clothes, it doubles the whitening power of the bleach.

Also, you may want to dry them on a hanger instead of in a dryer to make sure the stains are gone. Dryer heat will make the stains very difficult to remove.

If you are using an anti-perspirant stop using it and switch to a deodorant. That should stop the yellow stains from forming.

Janet
So glad to hear others know about Fels naptha - Mama used it for everything! Including scrubbing the floors

I've removed them by using Whink rust remover. Put some on the area & rub with an old toothbrush. Use gloves on hands. May have to repeat several times. Wash in machine to remove the rust remover.
If you use stpp in the wash along with detergent it should keep the shirts from getting yellow again.
Good luck.

Just wanted to say - I've used anti-perspirant for years (as have my dh and dc) and have never seen yellow stains on underarms.

Mara that's good. Perhaps the problem with me is my body chemistry and how it reacts to the ingredients in anti perspirant. I had problems with it for years, then switched to plain deodorant - end of stains. A few months ago I tried a new antiperspirant that was not supposed to leave white stains. I used it for two weeks. There were no white stains but the yellow stains started to appear so I had to discontinue. So the issue is with my body chemistry.

Never had yellow stains on my son or husband's shirts when living in the N.E.. When we moved to S. Fl. the water is very yellow (rust?) & that's when I started seeing the yellow stains. Someone at the time told me to use Fab(I was using a liquid det.).The fab's ingredient at the time was phosphates which was not in the liquid detergents. After I got the yellow stains out, I only used det. with phosphates & no more yellow. I used liquid with the other loads. Then they stopped the phosphates & now I started using stpp on the shirts thanks to this site.
I do like using powder det. now(Charlie's) because I can't stand rinsing so much to get out the 2X liquid detergents.

Put lemon juice on the stain. Rub salt on top of that and let it sit. Launder as usual and that should get it out. If that doesn't work. Use the lemon and salt on it, but place outside in the sun to bleach it then launder as usual.

I used to have a serious problem with staining shirts after wearing them once. The antiperspirant would also build up and get hard in the underarm. I had to stop wearing white shirts all together, or anything light colored. Through the years, it was getting worse, probably because they made them stronger and stronger.

I switched to deodorants which just didn't work for me, I would have odor in a half hour. Tried different antiperspirants and nothing fixed the staining or build up. Ends up, it is body chemistry mixing with the aluminum in the antiperspirant.

So after trying everything, I finally found something the works and doesn't cause any problems with staining. I now use Crystal Body Deodorant. No odor and no staining, plus it's natural. Antiperspirants, as far as I'm concerned, are just not healthy. The main ingredient is aluminum.

Few years ago I had this problem on my white t-shirts and I found this chemical called Yellow out, like Iron out, and I boiled the shirts out in washer w/ it. Very strong chemical smell thou. It was not recomended for other materialthan cotton. Long time ago friend of mine told me about product called Dissol that suppose to take care of the yellow stains butI have no idea where to find it.

Try adding a phosphate like TSP or STPP or TKPP to the wash. This softens the water and allows detergents to work MUCH better.

I agree with using STPP added to the wash. You will not get the yellowing when using it with detergent.
You can get rid of the stains on the shirts with squirting Whinck rust remover on it & rubbing with an old toothbrush. Takes it right off & doesn't hurt the fabric. I've used it on light colored shirts too, not only undershirts.

White shirts aside, weren't phosphates removed from detergents a while back to help preserve the environment?

chipshot, yes they were taken out of laundry detergents, but check your dishwasher detergent and dishwashing liquid...and other cleaners around the house.

not to mention fertilizer.

It's a highly biodegradable product. Companies were dumping it improperly causing bacteria to eat the stuff out of control. The algae bloomed to eat the bacteria, and the algae sucked out the oxygen in the small water systems and the fish died. All because of misuse, not use. It's like this. Manure is fantastic for crops, but you don't bury your fields 6 feet thick in it. Too much arsenic in your system, and you die of poisoning; too little can kill you just as fast. Moderation in everything is the key.

Here is a link that might be useful: USDA paper

Or if you're lazy, do what I do every so often with my dress shirts... take them to the dry cleaners. Point out the stains when you take them in.

Best $1.75 I spend all month and worth at least $1 of that to have one less thing to iron that week.

- IT Geek.