First few minutes
Just happened? Do this first
- Treat sweat stains promptly, since they can weaken most fibers.
- Keep heat away, with no dryer, iron, or hot air, until the stain is gone.
- Test any remover on a hidden spot first, and stop if color transfers or changes.
- Blot from the outside edge toward the middle, and don't rub.
Sweat on delicate fabric needs gentler handling than everyday cotton, since hot water, heat, and rubbing can all do damage. Underarm marks that turn yellow trace back to aluminum-salt antiperspirant reacting with sweat, and on heirloom or very old pieces a long-standing stain may already have weakened the fibers. When the tag reads dry clean only, a dry cleaner is the safer route.
For washable pieces, a mild delicate laundry detergent in cold water is the gentlest way to start. If you're trying to get body odor out of dry-clean-only clothes at home, stop after one gentle test and ask a cleaner. Delicate blouses with pit stains respond best to slow, light passes rather than a hard scrub.
Before you start
What delicates & lace can take
Use with care6
- Water
- Soaking
- Oxygen bleach
- Enzyme cleaners
- Solvents (alcohol, spot removers)
- Acids (vinegar, lemon)
Avoid4
- Hot water
- Chlorine bleach
- Scrubbing and abrasives
- Heat, once the stain is out
7 items
What you'll need
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- Oxygen bleachFor the warm-water soak, on washable fabric whose label allows bleach. (opens Amazon)
- White vinegarRestores color on old stains, and it is the choice for silk and wool. (opens Amazon)
- Household ammoniaRestores color on new stains. Never use it undiluted on silk or wool. (opens Amazon)
- Table saltFor the overnight soak that lifts lingering odor. (opens Amazon)
- Liquid detergent without enzymesFor the 30 minute pretreatment on odor. (opens Amazon)
- 3% hydrogen peroxideFor set-in stains on colorfast fabric only. (opens Amazon)
- White clothsFor the test spot and for blotting, so no dye can transfer. (opens Amazon)
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7 steps
Step by step
Step 1 of 7
Check the label and test first
Read the care label before anything else, because it decides whether water is safe at all. If the label is missing or unclear, don't guess: skip water and take the garment to a dry cleaner. Otherwise dab a little water or your remover on an inside seam, press it with a white cloth, and check the cloth.
Careful. Stop if color transfers to the cloth or the test spot changes.
Step 2 of 715 to 30 minutes
Soak the stain in warm water
Mix oxygen bleach into warm water and soak the stained area for 15 to 30 minutes. Use this only on washable fabric whose label allows bleach, and keep it away from silk, wool, and anything marked dry clean only.
Tip. Rinse the area after the soak before you go on to the next step.
Step 3 of 7
Restore the color with ammonia or vinegar
If sweat has changed the fabric's color, use a few drops of ammonia on a new stain or a few drops of white vinegar on an old one. Use white vinegar only, because colored vinegar can leave its own stain. On silk or wool, use the vinegar, since ammonia damages those fibers, and rinse the area well before you move on.
Careful. Never mix ammonia and vinegar on the same stain without rinsing between them.
Step 4 of 7
Launder in cold water on delicate
Wash the garment in cold water on the delicate cycle, with a detergent the care label allows. Hot water sets the stain, so it stays off the table for this fabric. Let the wash finish before you check the stain.
Step 5 of 7
Soak overnight to lift odor
If odor is still there, dissolve 3 or 4 tablespoons of salt in each quart of warm water and soak the garment overnight. Rinse it thoroughly the next morning before anything else.
Careful. Skip the overnight soak on heirloom textiles, which should stay wet only as long as needed.
Step 6 of 730 minutes
Pretreat with a non-enzyme detergent
Work a liquid detergent into the area and let it stand for 30 minutes. Pick one without enzymes, because enzyme detergents are too harsh for silk, wool, velvet, and lace. Launder again in cold water when the time is up.
Step 7 of 7
Air dry and check in good light
Lay the garment flat or hang it to air dry away from any heat, and check the spot in good light. If the stain or odor is still there, go back to the detergent pretreatment rather than drying it. Only call it done when both are gone.
Careful. Dryer heat can make the stain impossible to remove, so keep the garment out of the dryer until it's gone.
If you'd rather buy than mix
Best products for sweat on delicates & lace
Look for a mild liquid detergent without enzymes and a 3% hydrogen peroxide for set-in stains, and skip strong bleaches unless the care label allows them.
Woolite Delicates
How we picked these: each product is made for this type of stain, its maker doesn't warn against using it on delicates & lace, and its directions fit the steps above.
Finished the steps? How does it look?
Nice work. Let it dry completely and check it again in good light before using any heat. Here is what done looks like:
How to tell it's really gone →A faint mark usually needs one more round, not a stronger product.
If the stain was already dried or set, the method changes.
Old, dried or set-in stains →When to call a professional →How to tell it's working
The spot should match the fabric around it, and the garment should smell neutral once it is completely dry, not just while it's damp. Look at the spot in daylight, since yellow tints are easy to miss under indoor light.
What changes for yours
Adjust for your delicates & lace
Dry-clean-only clothes
Skip the washing steps on any garment labeled dry clean only. Test a hidden seam with a damp cloth first, and if color moves onto the cloth, stop there.
If the test is clean and the label allows water, you can work the stain with the vinegar step, but keep the garment damp for as short a time as possible. Otherwise take it to a dry cleaner and point out exactly where the sweat stain is.
Washable delicates
Washable delicates can take the full routine, so use the overnight salt soak for odor before reaching for anything stronger. Wash in cold water on the delicate cycle and air dry every time.
Silk and wool need the vinegar step instead of ammonia, and they skip the bleach soak and enzyme detergent entirely. Stop if the fabric shows any change in color.
Delicate blouses
For heavy deodorant buildup, pretreat the armpit, wait 5 to 10 minutes, and then launder. Only do this on a blouse whose label allows an oxygen-based cleaner.
Silk and wool blouses need the vinegar step instead, because bleach is not safe on them. If the deodorant mark is still visible after washing, repeat the pretreatment before drying.
Old, dried or set-in stains
Old sweat stains that have changed color respond better to the vinegar than to ammonia, so use the vinegar route first. Put it on the spot, let it sit, and rinse it out before trying anything else.
For a stain that has dried in, the stronger option is 3% hydrogen peroxide, left on for 15 to 20 minutes per application and repeated 2 or 3 times. Test it on a hidden spot first, because it can change the color of fabric that isn't colorfast. An oxygen-bleach wash is the other option, but only on fabric whose label allows bleach.
If the stain has survived the dryer or several washes, it may not come out at all. Aluminum salts left by antiperspirant can be impossible to remove, and on heirloom textiles a long-standing stain may already have weakened the fibers. Leave a stain that survives washing on a museum textile alone, because removing it can create a hole.
Vinegar, baking soda, peroxide and more
Do home remedies work on sweat on delicates & lace?
Most home remedies you'll find are either too harsh for delicates or only do part of the job. Some of these clear sweat on delicates, and others only do part of the job.
Works3Helps1Skip1Avoid2
Chemical safety
Never mix these
Some products in this guide react dangerously with each other. Use them one at a time and rinse with water in between.
Chlorine bleach + Vinegar
Vinegar is an acid, and acid mixed with bleach gives off toxic chlorine gas.
Chlorine bleach + Oxygen bleach (OxiClean)
Both makers advise against combining them: OxiClean says not to mix it with chlorine bleach, and Clorox says the two bleaches cancel each other out.
Chlorine bleach + Hydrogen peroxide (3%)
Washington State's health department says bleach reacts with hydrogen peroxide, and Clorox says not to mix bleach with other household chemicals.
Oxygen bleach (OxiClean) + Vinegar
OxiClean's maker says it should not be mixed with household chemicals other than detergent in the wash.
If they mix by accident: Stop and add nothing else; leave the area for fresh air, open windows and keep children and pets away; call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222, or 911 if anyone has trouble breathing.
What makes it worse
Mistakes to avoid
Don't put chlorine bleach on this stain
Chlorine bleach is too harsh for delicate fabric, and it is never safe on heirloom textiles. It must also never touch a stain that has had ammonia or vinegar on it.
Don't wait to treat sweat stains
Sweat can weaken most fibers, so a stain left to build up gets harder to remove and can damage the fabric. Treat it as soon as you notice it, even if you can't wash the garment right away.
Don't rub or scrub delicate fabric
Rubbing and brushing push the stain deeper and can damage the fibers. Blot gently and work from the outside edge toward the middle.
Don't iron velvet
Heat and pressure flatten the nap of velvet, so steaming is the safer choice. Keep velvet off the iron even after the stain is gone.
When to call a professional
Take the garment to a professional dry cleaner when the label says dry clean only or when the test spot shows color transfer. For heirloom or vintage pieces, choose a dry cleaner who specializes in wedding gowns and historical items.
Questions
Sweat stains on dry-clean-only silk: can I remove them at home?
Usually not. Dry clean only silk should go to a professional dry cleaner, because water can leave a mark and the label rules out most home methods. If a hidden seam shows no color transfer with a little water, the vinegar step is possible, but a dry cleaner is the safer call.
Can I put a sweat-stained delicate in the dryer to check the stain?
No. Heat sets sweat stains, so a hot cycle can lock in a mark you could have removed. Check the spot in daylight after air drying instead.
Why do my white shirts turn yellow under the arms?
The yellow comes from sweat reacting with aluminum salts in antiperspirant, and it builds up in the fabric over time. Treat it early, and for buildup pretreat the armpit before washing.
Should I use ammonia or white vinegar on a sweat stain?
Use ammonia on a new stain and white vinegar on an old one that has changed color. On silk and wool, use vinegar, because ammonia can damage those fibers.
Is 3% hydrogen peroxide safe on delicate fabric?
Only the 3% strength, and only on fabric that is colorfast. Test a hidden spot first, because it can change the color of dyed fabric. It's a set-in option rather than a first step.
Why does my dry-clean-only blouse still smell after I cleaned it?
Residue from sweat and antiperspirant can stay in the fibers, and a home soak may not reach it. Take the blouse to a dry cleaner and say that the odor is the problem, and keep it away from heat until then.
Does the smell go away after one wash?
Often not in one go. Odor usually takes the salt soak and a detergent pretreatment, and it can take more than one round before it clears.
Which underarm stain remover is best for dry-clean-only clothes?
Choose a mild liquid detergent without enzymes for odor, and 3% hydrogen peroxide only for set-in stains on colorfast fabric. Skip strong bleaches on dry-clean-only pieces, and send the garment to a professional dry cleaner when the test spot shows color transfer.
Sweat on other materials
Other stains on delicates & lace
Start from the bigger picture
How we know this
Every method, amount and warning here comes from university extension services, industry bodies and product makers. We read them, check every step for unsafe combinations and changed amounts, and write it up so you can follow it.