Pit stain removal tips (yeah, I really just said that)

Yes, my white shirts get pit stains. It's gross, but I know I'm not the only one, and since I've found a removal method that actually works, I thought I'd share it even though it's a smidge embarrassing to admit that my armpits don't emit perfume. (It would probably stain anyway.)

A week or two ago, I got a sudden bout of fierceness and really attacked those stains because I was sick of them, along with some shirts that had perpetually smelly pits--the one you put on freshly washed, right after you get out of the shower, and in ten minutes it smells like you wore it to the gym three days in a row. Anyway, I'd read various magazine articles, internet articles, and tried a few things.

Here's what DOESN'T work:

1. Baking soda in the wash.
2. Peroxide in the wash.
3. Rubbing "an enzyme-containing detergent" on the stain, letting it set, then washing. (This does work on newborn poop stains--just FYI.)
4. Rinsing the stain with cool water, then doing #3.
5. A cup of vinegar in the wash for the stinkiness. I think it helped, but it wasn't strong enough.

What Worked:

For Yellow Sweat Stains

1. Make a paste of peroxide, baking soda, and water. Unless you're doing a lot of shirts you won't need more than a tablespoon of each.
Protect the counter with a towel, then lay out the shirt and coat the stains with the paste.
2. Let this sit for at least half an hour.
3. Rub it in with an old toothbrush.
4. Wash in hot water.
5. REPEAT.**

** I don't think it ever said in anything I read that it might take more than one treatment to see results. I could tell it had diminished the stains some, so I did the whole process at least four more times. Two of my three shirts looked almost new by this point! (And I don't mean to be gross, but the stains had been...substantial.)
Source

For De-Stinking

1. "Put a cup of baking soda in the wash if it's not too bad. For stubborn stink, read on."
Apparently mine were stubborn. :|
2. For stubborn stinkiness, dilute 3 tablespoons salt in 1 quart of warm water and soak the garment for at least one hour. [I was hurriedly typing this all into my phone in a doctor's office, having gotten it from a magazine I was reading, and it seemed to me like it might have said "or, for best results, up to 24 hours" and I left it out in my hurry. So I went for the 24.]
3. Rinse out and wash.
4. I added one cup of vinegar to the wash for good measure. It's also a good fabric softener.

This really did work! I wore one of the shirts yesterday and it didn't smell at all!

I'm not perfect at recycling and I use paper plates with only minor guilt, but I really like that all of this didn't require any scary chemicals or pesticides or anything. I mean, if it can be done naturally (and cheaply), that's gotta be better. I've been using these items so much for household cleaning and laundry that I've started buying them in bulk. It really does feel good to be green where you can!

I truly hope these tips help someone out there. I've been embarrassed by these things and even thrown shirts away because I thought there was no way to fix them. Have I mentioned I LOVE the internet and all you can learn on it?


One more interesting note: in getting the baking soda image, I came across this article for making your own simple, natural, non-aluminum deodorant! Intriguing! If I try it and it works, I'll let you know.