A spray of Oxy-Clean prewash spray usually does the trick on DH's whites

A second vote for Oxyclean prewash and let it work for 10 minutes before starting the load. I'm not sure it will help once stains have set into the fabric from repeated washings. For stained whites, you can always try a "nuke them with a heavy dose of bleach" treatment with chlorine bleach.

Scott, Thank You for the lovely compliment but I can't accept the expert award...haha.

Yep its fine to hang your dress shirts up to dry..I do this also and I never put polyester or other synthetics in a dryer.

As for your underarm stains...what detergent do you use, what water temp, and what washer do you have?

I wash all whites in Tide with Bleach powder not liquid...its loaded in oxygen bleach (not chlorine) so its safe for all your whites and keeps them white including the underarms. And hot water.

The underarm stains may be oxidized by now and won't be removed...another thing chlorine bleach will certainly oxidize them..I don't recommend chlorine for this.

Nuke with a heavy dose of chlorine bleach??? THATS got to be about the worst laundry advice I have heard EVER....Really nuke with chlorine???

Curious though...exactly how you nuke with a heavy dose of chlorine???

My husband used to get those stains before he switched from a stick deodorant.

Scott - You didn't mention if you dried your t-shirts in the dryer. Heat (from the dryer) will set the stains making them difficult, if not impossible, to remove completely. Besides the suggestions given, I would try ammonia and hot water along with a good whites detergent. Note * Never mix chlorine bleach and ammonia.

There is no alternative to using boiling hot water and a high quality detergent when washing whites if you want them to stay white. I use hot water when washing anything but wool and silk.

Ammonia with a whites detergent is an excellent idea Summer...but as mentioned the dryer may have already oxidized the stains.

Important to note....whites detergents will be powders like powdered Tide with Bleach or Persil Perls or Miele Ultr a White. I know Tide and a few others have liquid detergent that says with Bleach Alternative but there's not really any oxygen bleach in them.

Rita I wash most whites at 155to160 F...along with bath towels, bedding, and kitchen towels. As Rita says HOT water... I've been know to do boil washes lol.

"The underarm stains may be oxidized by now "

I don't think "oxidize" is the right word for describing a stain setting into a fabric, it describes the opposite. Bleaches, whether chlorine or oxygen, do their work by oxidizing the staining substance, breaking its chemical bonds, to lighten or remove it.

A heavy dose of chlorine bleach is a heavy dose of chlorine bleach.

I agree about using very hot water for whites and we do the same but for clothing items that have elastic, like socks, doing so shortens their life. When socks are included with our white loads, we tend to back down the temperature setting to something that to most people would still be pretty hot but not at 160F (70C). Should socks start to lose their stark white color, it can be restored somewhat in a load with a heavy dose of chlorine bleach.

Elmer....I will not be drug into sparring with you...but I know what I'm talking about...and since you know so much on the subject...don't you have a Miele washer....ummm think I'd be careful using chlorine since Miele frown big time on that.

I don't own many things with poly in them, mostly all cotton, but back in the day when I did and helped my husband with washing his poly blend work shirts, I know that using chlorine bleach on poly will almost certainly yellow it. When I have to get a stain like you're describing out of clothes, I put them in the washer with a good dose of oxygen bleach and hot water and let them soak for quite a while, then wash. I put all my cottons in the dryer on low for about 5 min, to warm the wrinkles out of them, then hang on hangers to dry - smoothing with my hands as I do. No ironing necessary.

There's no sparring to do because if something I said is wrong, please let me know.

Yes I have a Miele and am well aware of what's permitted and not. Loads requiring a heavy dose of chlorine bleach are done at a laundromat. What's usually done there are cotton mats that get so dirty they don't respond to normal treatment.

Let me explain....if chlorine bleach is used to remove a stain or even yellowing of a textile and it is not successful at removing said stain than the chlorine will have completed the chemical reaction....setting the stain. I do forget not everyone understands what's in my head.

I don't personally use chlorine in the laundry I just don't have a need. It does have its place in the laundry room expecially for emergencys. But there is a right and wrong way of using it...contact time between textiles and chlorine should only be 5 or 6 minutes...all of the positive benefits take place within that 6 minutes any longer and its damaging the textile..also once the wash is done if you smell chlorine than its still there and will continue doing damage..rinse until all scent is gone.

I'm with Elmer about hot water and elastics...elastics can't tolorate boil washes or even sanitize temps.

DD removed bad deodorant stains of long standing from her DHs undershirts this way--mix a little water with Oxyclean to make a slurry. Slather the slurry all over the stains and let the shirts sit on the kitchen counter for the 6 hours that the container says the Oxyclean works. Then throw in a hot water wash with your laundry detergent. We tried everything, and this was the only treatment that removed it. And then switch to another kind of deodorant--roll on or spray.

For anyone who wants to understand how chlorine bleach works to remove stains. Here is a piece from the Seattle Times explain what chlorine is made of (salt is a part of the answer) and how it affects discolorations.

https://www.seattletimes.com/life/lifestyle/how-chlorine-bleach-works/

If you want to know how OxyClean works (hydrogen peroxide,) this piece explains that.

https://www.stevespanglerscience.com/lab/experiments/the-science-of-cleaning-products/

I never use bleach or hot water.

I've successfully gotten rid of stains with an 8 hour or longer Oxiclean & water soak. Pre-treat the stain with Oxiclean stick and then soak in a mix of Oxiclean powder and water for as long as you like.

For those that never use hot water washes...I'd highly recommend at least hot on bedding...it takes at least 131degrees F to kill dust mites. You use a dryer on higher heat maybe?

Rita I will read your links later...Thank You.

I was corrected by a home ecconamics teacher about bleach and hot water. Learned, that bleach does an excellent job in cold water.

and I don't use nor own a drier, unless you call my clothes line a solar drier.

Moni

I've used shielajoyce's method to good effect and also have given stained items a good long soak in warm water with a good shot of Oxyclean dissolved in it.

Am I wrong in thinking that Oxyclean requires hot water to activate the oxy action?

PK, if you're talking about spray on treatment of a stain with Oxyclean, I believe the work is done after the 10 minute waiting time has passed. It then washes out in the cycle.

We use it most often on stains that are from organic matter (not organic chemicals, which are something completely different). If something is stained, I tend to wash it in a lower than normal temp in case the Oxyclean hasn't removed it all. Not sure why, that just seems right to me. It may be wrong. Lower than normal is relative, we wash almost nothing in cold water. 85 deg F (30 C) is the lowest.

You can use bleach in a Miele. But Miele does not recommend it. I don't know if it's like Apple being able to void your warranty if the phone senses its been dropped in water, but Miele's instructions are very clear on bleach- do not use it in their machines.

Signed,

A former bleach addict.

Edited for clarity- italicized words.

Mamapinky, we have 2 long haired cats. I don't stress about dust mites. If I did, I'd have to wash the mattress pad, pillow protectors, and pillows every week. No way that's happening. I'm lucky to keep up with vacuuming and lint rolling.

Rita, the user guide for my Miele expressly says to not use chlorine bleach. It's getting to be an oldie now, over 10 years of service and going strong. Maybe newer ones use different parts, ones that can better tolerate chlorine bleach?

Elmer, there have been no changes in the user guide. I did not mean to say Miele endorsed using bleach. They most certainly do not. But nothing stops us form using it. (I have accidentally washed my son's phone- the phone still works- amazingly- but Apple has voided the warranty.) I gave up my bleach habit when I got the Mieles.

No, it doesn't iron clothes. My wife doesn't either. Clothes that need to be ironed (like dress shirts) are taken to the the cleaners to launder.

That's a large commercial model. Mine was about double the cost of other washers sold at the time but not nearly that much. Mine is >10 years old and is Euro-size to fit under a kitchen counter, but it was a "jumbo" edition with added capacity compared to their regular models at the time. It's still much smaller than front loaders sold today, even Mieles, but when you sort your dirty stuff down into similar types for temp and detergent differences, it was always adequate when our kids were still in the house.

Miele sells a mangle (rotary iron) for the ironing part of laundry :-)

True! And if you've been to as many different hotels in Germany as I have, you know that mangles are widely used there for bed linen. Probably many use Miele ones.

According to Google translate, in German it's Heißmangel, which means hot mangle.

Some people here have the large ironing machines. If I wanted my sheets ironed I'd probably have one.

JeCrigler, all I can say on this matter is that Europeans still iron a great deal- especially compared to their American counterparts. I have a rotary iron for my sheets and tablecloths as well as a regular iron and a steamer. All my family's clothes are ironed. I have friends who iron their underwear- not one or two friends like that- but many.

Mampinky I sent you a DM.

Rita, would you send me one please?

I have a Miele rotary iron and I adore it! Yes, I iron my sheets, pillow cases, napkins - even linen dishtowels.

Mangles used to be quite common and popular. Often, people had their laundress (when there was such a thing!) use it for their ironing. They were always pricey but nothing compared to the Miele rotary iron. I was very lucky to find a new one on CL for $500.

I know there are people who can iron a shirt using a rotary iron. I have no intention of trying. My late husband's shirts all went to the laundry as he liked his big, heavyweight Brooks Brothers oxford cloth shirts with medium starch. not happening at home...

I iron all the bedding in my house, 5 beds that get changed every 4 days. I enjoy my cotton percale sheets ironed. It isn't about wrinkling so much as it gives them an all over smooth feel. I use a hand held steam iron and I find it relaxing its my thinking time. Sometimes I find I get behind and have to rush but mostly I iron ahead. I don't use fitted sheets so all flats make it easier. LOL

Mama, my BIL does all the ironing at their house, he finds it relaxing. He sets up the ironing board in front of sports on TV and irons away ;0) All his dress shirts (does a flawless job), anything else in the household that may need it. He doesn't cook or clean, hates to shop, but does the laundry and irons.

They've just finished building a weekend home and he has his own laundry room there. Washer dryer, deep sink, cabinets, hanging space and folding counter, good lighting and a wall mounted TV.

DH insists on creased jeans, and I'm talking work jeans so we've agreed he will do his own. He'll iron his own casual stuff, khakis etc, but if he needs a dress shirt or dress pants I'm fine pressing those for him.

Morz, hubby does all the ironing here as well. He likes wearing buttoned shirts and irons both his and mine.