"How Do You Tell a Co-Worker that They Stink?"
"A friend at the gym swipes about 10 times with deodorant. Is there such a thing as putting on too much deodorant? How much deodorant should I put on?"
Deodorant stains are always a fear of mine, especially if I’m dressed up to go to a big event or business meeting (especially when wearing black). If you’re on the go, carry an extra pair of pantyhose in your bag, which can act as a micro cleaning cloth for newly-formed deodorant marks. Rub the marks off of your clothing with long strokes and rotate the hose as you go for a fresh cleaning surface. Another tip is to wear an undershirt and apply deodorant before putting the undershirt on instead of when clothing is already on. But if it’s already too late, how do you get rid of deodorant stains?
The best approach to removing deodorant stains is to go natural. You can soak clothes in in a 1 to 1 mix of water and distilled white vinegar before washing. You can also soak the clothes in water with some lemon juice and a little salt. The astringent properties of these natural acids will help work the residue out naturally. Even though these ingredients are mild, you should test it out with the fabric you’re going to use to make sure it doesn’t affect it. These should work with anything—black or white clothes, shirts or blouses, dresses or suits.
Whatever you do, don’t iron the garment before you get the stain out because it can react with the stain and possibly make it worse or permanent. Unlike removing other types of stains, leave your bleach on the shelf—it won’t do anything here. And if you use an antiperspirant instead of a deodorant, don’t worry because antiperspirant stains should be treated the same way.
I have gotten in the habit of putting my antiperspirant on at night before bed, that way when I put my clothes on in the morning, I don’t have to worry.
I hope this advice will help you quickly tackle what is now an easy problem. Keep on sending me your questions!
