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Breaking a sweat is nothing to be ashamed of, but most of us would rather not wear the evidence. If you’re wondering how to remove sweat stains, laundry experts have given us the products and tricks they use to keep things fresh. The good news is that most sweat stains can be removed with a little elbow grease and a few laundry stain-removal products that you can probably find in the store. We tapped Carolyn Forte, Director of the Home Appliances & Cleaning Products Lab at the Good Housekeeping Institute to tell us the methods she uses on these tough laundry stains, plus some things to avoid (the dryer is a no-no until you’re sure the stain is gone). Here’s how to remove sweat stains from your favorite clothes. How to Remove Sweat Stains: ColorsStart by checking the tag on your piece of clothing. Dry-clean only stuff should go straight to the pros. If it’s safe to tackle at home, first sponge the area with white vinegar, especially if you see white salt lines or the fabric feels stiff. Then pretreat with an enzyme prewash stain remover like Carbona Stain Devils or rub liquid enzyme detergent like GH Seal Star Tide into the stain. Wash it right away using the hottest water that’s safe for the fabric.After the cycle, air dry the shirts to ensure the marks have disappeared. Putting them in the dryer before removing the stain completely can set it for good.For extra stubborn marks, you may also want to add Clorox 2 Stain Remover and Color Booster to the wash cycle. It’s especially made for colored clothes and other items not safe to chlorine bleach. For additional stain-fighting power, you can also soak the clothes in a detergent and water solution, as shown below: Fill a small tub with about 1 gallon of warm water.Add 2-3 Tbsp of liquid detergent and mix. Let soak for 30 minutes to an hour before washing. How to Remove Sweat Stains: Whites You’ll want to follow a similar method for making your white shirts look white again. Sponge the sweat stains with white vinegar before pretreating with an enzyme prewash stain remover like Carbona or liquid enzyme detergent like Tide. Then wash on the hottest cycle that’s safe for the fabric, adding regular Clorox Bleach for especially stubborn marks. Soaking the tees in a detergent and water solution before washing can also help remove yellowing areas. Air dry until you’re sure they’re gone, as the heat of the dryer can make those pit stains permanent.How to Remove Sweat Stains: Hats If your favorite baseball cap is starting to look a little worse for wear, don’t throw it in the washing machine just yet. It’s best to hand wash (if it’s safe, according to the label) and then scrub the stained area with a soft brush (like an old toothbrush or dish brush) before rinsing. Once the stain is gone, blot the hat with a towel, re-shape, and air dry. The Best Products to Remove Sweat StainsCarbona Stain Devils #9 Rust & PerspirationClorox 2 for Colors – Stain Remover and Color BrightenerTide Original HECredit: Walmart Clorox Disinfecting BleachCaroline is a writer and editor with almost a decade of experience. From 2015 to 2019, she held various editorial positions at Good Housekeeping, including as health editor, covering nutrition, fitness, wellness, and other lifestyle news. She’s a graduate of the Medill School of Journalism and dreams of the day Northwestern will go back to the Rose Bowl. Jamie Ballard (she/her) is a freelance writer and editor who covers news, lifestyle, and entertainment topics, including sex and relationships, TV, movies, books, health, pets, food and drinks, pop culture, shopping, and personal finance. She regularly contributes to Cosmopolitan, Woman’s Day, Good Housekeeping, and YouGov, among other publications. When she’s not working, you can find her running, traveling, or scrolling TikTok. Follow her on Twitter. More
There’s no denying that the kitchen sponge — a true workhorse in the kitchen — can get a bit yucky. We tapped germ experts for info on how to clean a sponge effectively and banish bacteria. There are plenty of sponge-cleaning tricks you may have seen on social media or picked up from your grandma. The Good Housekeeping Institute teamed up with with EMSL Analytical Testing Lab in New Jersey to put several popular methods to the test. And the ultimate winner? Soaking your sponge in a bleach solution. But if you don’t have bleach on hand, there are a few other methods that are almost as effective. Here’s everything to know about the most effective ways to clean your sponges.The Best Way to Clean a SpongeBelow, you’ll find the best step-by-step method for cleaning a sponge. But no matter how diligent you are about cleaning, your kitchen sponges won’t last forever. You need to clean them weekly, and toss shabby ones every two to three weeks, depending on use.Mix 3/4 cup of bleach in one gallon of water.Soak the sponge in the mixture for five minutes, then rinse – and that’s it!In testing, the bleach solution killed 99.9% of the three bacteria strains from the test sponges (scrub and regular cellulose), which is the benchmark based on the EPA’s requirement for sanitization of non-food-contact surfaces.3 Alternative Ways to Clean a SpongeEven though bleach is the most effective bacteria killer, in a bind, these methods are your next best option. They’re listed in order from most to least effective, so choose wisely.Microwave: The microwave was one of the next most effective ways to clean a sponge, zapping 99.9% of germs. Do this by saturating the sponge in water (we used 1/4 cup for scrub sponges and 1/2 cup for cellulose), putting the sponge in the microwave, then heating it on high for one minute (scrub) or two minutes (cellulose).Dishwasher: The dishwasher also killed 99.9% of germs. To use, add your sponge to a regular dishwasher load, using the “heated dry” setting.Vinegar: This method eliminated 99.6% of bacteria. All you have to do is soak your sponge in full-strength vinegar for five minutes, then rinse.Lauren is a senior editor at Hearst. She was previously the senior editor at WomansDay.com and the home editor at GoodHousekeeping.com and HouseBeautiful.com. Her book club, ramen, and jean jackets are a few of her favorite things.Jamie Ballard (she/her) is a freelance writer and editor who covers news, lifestyle, and entertainment topics, including sex and relationships, TV, movies, books, health, pets, food and drinks, pop culture, shopping, and personal finance. She regularly contributes to Cosmopolitan, Woman’s Day, Good Housekeeping, and YouGov, among other publications. When she’s not working, you can find her running, traveling, or scrolling TikTok. Follow her on Twitter. More
