Dr. Zipper Q & A, Part II

Dear Dr. Zipper,

I am getting hideous yellow armpit stains in every white shirt I own. This is not a brand new problem, but it seems to be getting worse. Because I change my deodorant often, I think it is an inevitable occurrence that will never go away. What can I do to lessen the problem? I tried Oxy Clean and that worked for a hot second but ultimately failed! Help!
Signed,
Yellow Distress

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Dear Yellow D,
Sadly, armpit stains are ultimately unavoidable for some of us - but there are def some things that can help. Paradoxically, deodorant can worsen stains as it sticks to fabric and disallows a proper clean of the underarm area (also be sure it dries completely before you put on your clothes).
First off, always wash and rinse your whites in cold water – hot water acts to set the stain. Second, treating the armpit area of your t-shirts or blouses with a stain lifter as soon as you take them off can help tremendously. Rinse the underarm area to remove any deodorant remnants (our enemy), spray, and then toss in the hamper until laundry day. I swear by Oxy Clean Laundry Stain Remover (in the spray bottle) because its color safe and works on most every fabric (even silk, if used sparingly). I’m sorry to hear you haven’t had success with this product but if you treat your stuff from day one you can at least delay the moment when you toss your $85 Diesel tunic into the trash. If your item is cotton, then by all means, use good old fashioned bleach to whiten.
If you want to be more natural you can create your own pre-treatment product with white distilled vinegar. Pre-treat stains by pouring the undiluted vinegar directly over the underarm area of your beloved top or simply add a cup of vinegar to the rinse cycle of your cold water wash to brighten whites. Any vinegar odor should disappear once the item is dry. In addition, you can make a nifty paste from baking soda and water and use as pre-treatment stain remover. I've heard that simply rinsing sweaty shirts under cold water helps tremendously to lessen stains.
Overall, the key is preventing stains. If you know staining is an issue - rinse, spray and wash from the beginning for the best outcome.
Lastly, just to distinguish Dr. Zipper from Heloise – I feel the need to give one last piece of advice. There’s always a shot of Botox to the armpit to help stop excessive sweating, at least temporarily. You can even take a quiz to see if Botox to the pit is "right" for you. I don’t think this is a prudent choice as the only people I have heard getting this suffered from chronically sweaty palms and that’s an actual total bummer. Posting a link related to Botox is morally questionable especially as it relates to young women but Dr. Zipper explores all arenas for your benefit and in addition, lives in LA. Enjoy!