How to avoid sweat stains on clothes

A ring of sweat on your clothes can be quite uncomfortable depending on the situation. Although perspiration is necessary because it helps the body cool down to a healthy temperature, no one likes to wear sweat-stained clothing. And precisely removing sweat stains is not always easy.

The eccrine glands, responsible for producing sweat, are found throughout the body, but are more concentrated in the armpits, the palms of the hands and the soles of the feet. As for the smell, the armpits also contain apocrine glands, which secrete an odorless substance that however becomes foul- smelling when degraded by bacteria. That, along with the underarm hair, takes the scent up a notch…higher.

In addition, we must bear in mind that there are other factors that can increase the amount of sweat we produce, such as medications, diseases such as diabetes, cancer or thyroid gland imbalances, among others.

In other words, sweat will always be there, so what we can do to avoid sweat stains on clothes is, in the first place, try to prevent them from forming.

How to prevent sweat stains

1. Wear an undershirt. T-shirts help reduce sweat stains by creating a barrier between skin and clothing. To help regulate your body temperature, wear light, loose clothing. Also, keep in mind that wearing tight-fitting clothes—especially ones that hug under the arms—can cause the antiperspirant ingredients to transfer from the skin to the fabric, which will likely leave stains on the shirt. If you know you sweat in stressful situations, like a big presentation or a first date, apply antiperspirant the night before. Antiperspirant helps control sweat by temporarily blocking sweat glands, making it the perfect solution to reduce sweat when you need it most.

2.Drink water. Drinking water keeps your body hydrated and also helps keep you cool. Try to increase your water intake by drinking more water and eating foods that are high in water content like watermelon, cucumber and strawberries.

3.Reduce caffeine consumption . Believe it or not, your morning cup of coffee can be the cause of your sweat stains. Caffeine stimulates the nervous system, which helps wake up the body, but it can also cause sweating. Hot drinks (even those that don't contain caffeine) can also make your body sweat by increasing your internal temperature. To reduce sweating, try lowering your caffeine intake.

4.Talcum powder . Put them on after applying deodorant to your underarm area to prevent sweat stains from forming on your shirt, as they help the drops dry instantly

5.Botox. With Botox injections it is possible to relax the muscles and slow down the functioning of the soporific glands, so it is more or less like putting on antiperspirant because the secretion is regulated, but without it being permanently lost.

6.Low armhole. The armhole, part that is right in the armpit area, should not be too high or attached to the armpit. It is better that it is a little lower so that it is and that the area does not get wet.

7. Natural fabrics. Try not to use synthetic fabrics, that is, those that contain polyester, polyamide, acrylic, lycra... Whenever you can, opt for cotton and linen.

8.Patches. These are adhesive patches that are stuck inside the clothing in the armpit area to protect it from sweat. They stick to clothing, have about twelve hours of wear, and then are thrown away.

How to remove sweat stains

Now we are going to see what to do when the clothes already have some sweat stains. The curious thing about all this is that the sweat itself is totally transparent; however, the problem comes when the sweat ends up on your clothes and dries, salt, protein and fat mix and leave a residue.

The aluminum salts in antiperspirant deodorants are also part of the mixture that forms the stains and is responsible for their yellowing, explains Rexona.

1. Aspirin: It is believed that salicylic acid can be used to lighten white clothes. To try this trick, dissolve an aspirin in a small glass of water and apply the mixture to the stain. Then gently scrub using a toothbrush and let sit for around ten minutes. Finally, wash the garment to remove the mixture.

2.Salt: moisten the fabric so that it absorbs better. Put a tablespoon of salt on the stain and leave it to act for about 12 hours. After this time, rub the garment so that the salt penetrates well. Finally, wash and dry in the sun.

3. Hydrogen peroxide: it is usually used as bleach. Put half a cup of hydrogen peroxide on the stain and rub with a soft brush. Leave on for 15 minutes before washing with soap and water and drying in the sun.