Jolie Kerr is a cleaning expert and advice columnist. She'll be here every week helping to answer your filthiest questions. Are you dirty? Email her. Are you still dirty? Subscribe to Ask a Clean Person: The Podcast on Acast, iTunes or Stitcher, and like Ask a Clean Person on Facebook.
I have a navy blue cotton shirt that has white deodorant stains on it. I've tried everything I can think of to get it off—those little foamy dry sponge things, OxiClean, even the de-grease stuff (Lubrisol? Something? I forget the name. It looks like Golden Syrup and smells like paint.) Nothing has worked.
I'm afraid to give it to the dry cleaners for fear they'll make it worse, but if that's my only recourse, I'm happy to do so. Can you help? HELP!
Well gosh, you've gone and tried everything I would have suggested you try, so congratulations to both of us, I guess. It's always heartwarming when I get queries that demonstrate that you all have been paying attention, which helps to take the sting out of this pretty egregious stain you've got on your hands/shirt.
Given that you've tried a bunch of approaches to removing this stain that haven't done the trick, yeah, in this case I think the dry cleaner is your best bet—while dry cleaning doesn't solve every fabric care problem (dry cleaning isn't super great on smells, or, like, dog hair removal) the solvents used are quite good at stain removal. Plus, the cost of dry cleaning a shirt is probably comparable to the cost of buying a new stain removal product to try out, and the dry cleaning is more likely to work. So! Go forth and dry clean.
The End.
Haha no just kidding, there's more! Since we're here and talking about deodorant skidmarks, this is the right time to talk about removing them from your clothing. Now, the Letter Writer clearly had an extraordinary skidmark sitch on his hands, but when faced with your garden variety streak of chalky, white deodorant on a shirt, here are a whole bunch of different ways to remove them.
A Damp Washcloth
Let's start with the simplest solution to the matter of deodorant streaks: a damp washcloth (or any similar such damp thing). The key here is to wring it out, so that it's only damp and not dripping wet, and to swipe vigorously at the streaks until they're gone. Your shirt will be ever-so-slightly damp, but will dry, streak-free, fairly quickly.
Microfiber Sponges or Cloths
Microfiber sponges or cloths are awesome at quickly removing deodorant streaks. They can be used dry or dampened if the stains are especially stubborn. If you have a microfiber cloth designed for keeping your screens clean, press it into double duty for stain removal purposes, or get yourself a set of microfiber sponges like the ones from Casabella.
Baby or Adult Wipes, Face Cleansing Wipes
Got wipes hanging around? Personal wipes—whether they're designed for use on a baby's bottom, your own behind, or the face—are perfect for the job of removing chalky deodorant stains. However, steer clear of disinfecting wipes, which can contain bleach or other harsh chemicals that can damage clothing.
Deodorant Removing Sponges
Here's the good news about deodorant removing sponges: They also work as lint removers. Here's the bad news about deodorant removing sponges: They tend to come in pink, as apparently marketers think that only women suffer from the affliction of deodorant skidmarks? But here's one called Skid Out that's 1. black and 2. also designed to remove dog drool, which makes it one of the most curious multitasking product I've come across in my travels.
Nylons
Ask your lady if she's got an old pair of pantyhose hanging around the house—they're really great for taking deodorant stains out of delicate fabrics like silk or cashmere.
Foam Hanger Covers
You know how sometimes you get something back from the dry cleaner and the hanger has that protective foam covering? Hang onto that foam, because it's really good at quickly taking deodorant streaks out of clothes.
Got a favorite method of addressing white deodorant skidmarks? Shoot me a note and tell me about it!
