Armpit stains on white t-shirts can be stubborn, but a home test found that a simple baking soda paste outperformed a commercial stain removal spray. The baking soda method eliminated marks on both white and grey tops, while the Astonish Oxy Active spray left stains mostly visible.
Testing two stain removal methods
Nicola Roy, a writer for the Spare Time section, gathered some of the most badly stained tops she could find — two white ones of her own and a grey one belonging to her boyfriend. Her stains were almost certainly down to fake tan, while the other was likely caused by deodorant. The marks were nearly black in colour.
The two products tested were the Astonish oxy stain removal spray, which cost around £1.50 from Savers, and a tub of baking soda. The spray directions were simple: spray onto the affected area, allow to settle for five minutes, then launder as usual. The product contains an oxygen bleaching agent.
For the baking soda method, she placed some in a bowl, added a small amount of washing-up liquid, and combined until it formed a paste. She spread it across the stain and gently scrubbed using an old toothbrush. The grey t-shirt had peculiar, almost black marks beneath the armpits, despite having been through the wash countless times, and the scrubbing took around five minutes.
The verdict: baking soda wins
After washing and leaving the clothes on the drying rack, the results were clear. The stains on the long-sleeve top treated with the spray were mostly still visible and hadn't really shifted. In contrast, the short sleeve treated with baking soda showed no mark whatsoever.
The baking soda also worked impressively on the grey t-shirt, with absolutely no trace of a mark remaining. This was particularly notable given how severe the staining had been beforehand — it genuinely looked brand new.
The one drawback of the baking soda hack is that it's quite messy and more labour-intensive than the spray, demanding a little more effort. If tackling a large number of t-shirts in one go, it could be quite time-consuming. However, if only a couple need dealing with, it's well worth the extra work.
