If you wear deodorant, you’ve almost definitely been there: You pull your best black sweater over your head and look in the mirror to admire yourself, only to find a big white mark marring your clothing. Ugh! So annoying, right?!?
People are always asking me how to get those white streaks off their clothing, so I’ve compiled a bunch of methods for you to tuck away. There’s always the old “rub the garment against itself” method, which does work but is less than ideal on more delicate or form-fitting fabrics that can get stretched out when pulled and tugged at, or that can develop pills from the friction.
Here are some alternatives:
- A damp washcloth
Sometimes the simplest solution is the best one: A dampened washcloth or rag will make short work of removing white streaks left behind when you pull clothes over your head. Just be sure to wring it out well so that it’s truly damp and not wet, otherwise your clothes will be uncomfortably sodden. - Gal Pal Original Deodorant Remover
These pink sponges from Gal Pal come in a set of two, so you can keep one at home and stash another in your purse for streak-removal on the fly. They also work as lint removers! - Baby wipes
Here’s one for moms to remember: Those baby wipes you use to clean your kid’s tush are also perfect for taking stray deodorant marks off your clothing. - Microfiber sponges
Microfiber sponges, like the ones in this set of three from Casabella, are great tools that solve all sorts of cleaning conundrums, including and especially getting deodorant off your little black dress quickly. - Nylons
Got an old pair of pantyhose hanging around the house? They will remove deodorant stains and are especially good to use on delicate fabrics like silk. - Makeup remover
We talked before about using makeup remover to get foundation and powder stains off your clothes, and the same is also true of removing deodorant stains. Makeup removing wipes are ideal, because they’re fairly low-moisture, but if you only have the liquid version of the stuff, that’s fine too — just be sure to use it sparingly. - Skid Out
Fashion First Aid makes a deodorant, drip and drool erasing sponge called Skid Out that can be used not only on those ugly white skids, but also on, as the name suggests, drips and drool, making this the perfect product for pet owners with dribbly dogs.
