Keeping white shirts white

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Meatservo
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Re: Keeping white shirts white

Post by Meatservo »

Some people just have different body chemistry, Supercharged RS. When I was in my teens and twenties, my sweat would turn white cotton shirts yellow. But it didn't affect blended fabrics. Now I'm older that doesn't happen anymore. The "ring around the collar" stains are very common for men and have to do with a waxy substance that is in male sweat. Some people have it more than others.

We think of sweat as being a cooling agent for our bodies, but evolutionarily it serves many more purposes. In our modern lives we don't like to acknowledge it but as mammals our sweat carries pheromones that are meant to transmit sexual information to females, hormones that transmit aggressiveness information to other males, chemicals that are meant to keep our fur in good condition, all kinds of disgusting shit. And that's just MALE sweat. Don't get me started on what is in our female friends' sweat. You don't want to know. And you're right, diet will play a part too. We're just pretending to be civilized. Each one of us is living inside a dirty animal and trying to make the best of it while wearing white fabrics.
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av8ts
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Re: Keeping white shirts white

Post by av8ts »

I wear white Kirkland undershirts from Costco year round. Keeps your work shirt from getting stained and cheap and easy to replace
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jschnurr
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Re: Keeping white shirts white

Post by jschnurr »

I've seen some folks put clear tape on the inside of their collars to prevent stains. Apparently it works but I've never tried it.
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Tail-Chaser
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Re: Keeping white shirts white

Post by Tail-Chaser »

I'm jumping on the undershirt band wagon. I also don't get more than one day of use per white shirt unless it's an exceptionaly easy day.
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av8ts
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Re: Keeping white shirts white

Post by av8ts »

Even with the under shirt I only wear the work shirt for one day between washings because of the collar dirt/oil or whatever it is. However the undershirts do prevent the yellow armpit stains on the work shirt
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lazyeight
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Re: Keeping white shirts white

Post by lazyeight »

SuperchargedRS wrote:Never had a problem with shirts turning yellow form contact from my body, misc dirt or BBQ sauce or something sure, yellow secretions not so much.

What your diet like?
It's not yellow secretions. From what I understand it's sweat reacting with the aluminum?

I eat very healthy, work out 5 days a week. Don't drink really much at all. I'm sure it's not my diet.
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lazyeight
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Re: Keeping white shirts white

Post by lazyeight »

This guys a bit of a bro, but I've been using this method for a few days now. Seems to be working decently and by spraying a bit of the stuff on it before I throw it into the washer is kinda holding off the stains. They slowly come back but letting it soak for a while seems to bring it back to white.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nFioRHiLNpw
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looproll
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Re: Keeping white shirts white

Post by looproll »

Hydrogen peroxide is the key. Mix it with Dawn and some baking soda for good measure and use a brush to work it into the stains. It breaks down sweat/antiperspirant stains better than anything else I've tried.
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beaverbob
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Re: Keeping white shirts white

Post by beaverbob »

Wear a T shirt and don't us antiperspirant. Don't confuse antiperspirant with deodorant. The former plugs your pores to block sweat, allowing you to heat up and the latter just smells better but allows you to sweat.
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200hr Wonder
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Re: Keeping white shirts white

Post by 200hr Wonder »

I have always A. wore a plain white undershirt summer and winter and B. use the following in the wash: Regular wash soap, Tide whatever your preference is, a little bit of bleach, I use about a quarter cup in a full load and a quarter cup of Borax. Thirty Mule Team Borax, what your grandmother used to get her whites white. Works great, as it reacts with water to form hydrogen peroxide. Also helps to keep your washing machine fresh smelling if you have a front load that tends to smell a little funky.
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DanWEC
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Re: Keeping white shirts white

Post by DanWEC »

I just destroy the pits on my shirts. I'm a sweaty, greasy, stinky guy. (Form a single file line please ladies... one at a time) After one use, I leave putrid yellow stains on white shirts that would make oil workers cringe. Mothers cover their babies eyes before they begin to wail in terror upon the sights when I give a high five.
No luck after trying a bunch of detergents, bleach, lemon juice, peroxide, etc
I finally found the magic bullet- first, I switched to deodorant instead of anti-perspirant. I found the difference in sweating to be negligible.
Next, for all my previously stained shirts that looked like they were rubbed in yellowcake uranium, I gave the pits a good spray of oxi-clean, then rubbed them with a baking soda and water paste. Another little spray of oxi-clean and let it sit for an hour. Wash in hot water, detergent and bleach and Voila! As white as an LL Bean convention. Shocking, actually, and very relieving.
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KAG
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Re: Keeping white shirts white

Post by KAG »

If you ever accidentally dye your shirts, throw in a box of RIT. its turns them back to sparkly white.
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FICU
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Re: Keeping white shirts white

Post by FICU »

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trey kule
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Re: Keeping white shirts white

Post by trey kule »

Listen up, you bunch of light beer drinking, metro-sexual, vegan pussies. Keepin your shirts white is womens' work.
Real pilots never sweat. Cool as cucumbers.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to return to teaching my gender sensitivity group
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Meddler
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Re: Keeping white shirts white

Post by Meddler »

Not a moment too soon trey cool. My faith in the sarcastic backbone of this site was almost gone. Real pilots wear plaid shirts and hip boots, if they have to wear white its one of three disastrous life events: a wedding, a funeral, or they had to apply to Jazz! :mrgreen:
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lazyeight
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Re: Keeping white shirts white

Post by lazyeight »

Hilarious.
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