Unusual ways to clean your gross sweat stains

Don't try this at home. But totally try this at home.
 By 
Jonathan Keshishoglou
 on 
Unusual ways to clean your gross sweat stains
Credit: Getty Images

When summer comes a-knocking, your sweat glands open up their doors first. That's right, the risk of summer sweat stains has tragically returned once more.

Baking soda, vinegar and special clothes are standard ways to avoid looking like a sweat monster. But you're not a standard person, and this may not be a standard stain. For the daring folks, there are other ways to un-stain your shirts, using strange and untested solutions.

Tie dye the shirt to cover the stain

"But this is my work shirt, I can't tie dye this." Keep in mind that the alternative is wearing that stained shirt to work. If you tie dye that tarnished button-up, your boss will be far too distracted by the explosion of colors you bring to the workplace to notice how much they make you sweat.


You May Also Like

And if you really need to keep that shirt plain for whatever job demands that of you, tie dye only the spot with the stain. People may see your rainbow sweat stains and ask if you're a unicorn, which is a great way to start a conversation or impress that special someone.

Stain the rest of your clothing

 "No, no, the whole point is to clean the stain." A stain is defined as a discolored spot or smudge, which means technically, a stain only exists so long it doesn't match the color around it.

For anyone who enjoys being "technically correct," blotching the rest of the shirt in the same way will mean you now have a solid alibi when your friend wrongfully accuses you of "staining" the shirt. Whether or not you've "soiled" the shirt is a different matter.

Oh, and coat it with air freshener when you're done.

Sew patches over the stains

If you sew or iron a cool new patch over the stain, it's a great way to express yourself while covering up the more unseemly parts of your person you've imprinted onto the shirt.

What patch you use doesn't matter, so long as it's big enough to tuck in just under the sleeve. So if you have, for example, a Grateful Dead patch lying around, go "riding that train" to a pitstop and represent your favorite band while covering your armpits. It only looks weird if you make it weird.

Turn up the heat until everyone else has sweat stains

"Is it moral to drag everyone else down simply for my benefit?" we hear you say. Not in the slightest, but you've already rejected the tie dye option so here we are. A quick trip to the office thermostat will result in everyone having it just as bad as you. 

And if your boss fires you for this act of office sabotage and hires someone new, they'll have to bring in a clean-shirted employee who will judge them for their sweat stains. If that happens, feel free to refer your boss to this article.

Mashable Image
Jonathan Keshishoglou

Jonathan Keshishoglou (he often shortens that last part to just "Kesh") was an editorial intern on the Mashable Watercooler team. Watch him ramble coherently on Twitter: @keshception

Mashable Potato

Recommended For You
Shark's new scrubbing-centric robot vacuum finds stains with a UV light. I tested it against other top robot mops.
Shark UV Reveal robot vacuum mopping hardwood floor near sneakers

'Forbidden Fruits' review: What if 'The Craft' was set in a mall?
Lili Reinhart, Victoria Pedretti, and Alexandra Shipp play the Fruits in "Forbidden Fruits."

The Shark UV Reveal robot vacuum came out less than a month ago. It's already on sale for Amazon's spring sale.
Shark UV Reveal 2-in-1 robot vacuum highlighting stain and mopping hardwood floor near doorway

Clean up the internet for your whole household for just $15.97
Girl using laptop


Trending on Mashable
NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for April 3, 2026
Connections game on a smartphone

Wordle today: Answer, hints for April 3, 2026
Wordle game on a smartphone

What's new to streaming this week? (April 3, 2026)
A composite of images from film and TV streaming this week.

Google launches Gemma 4, a new open-source model: How to try it
Google Gemma

The biggest stories of the day delivered to your inbox.
These newsletters may contain advertising, deals, or affiliate links. By clicking Subscribe, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Thanks for signing up. See you at your inbox!