Three women laughing in front of a river, wave goodbye to white marks

Wave Goodbye to White Marks

Annoying, aren’t they? You go to slip on your favourite outfit and there they are – those white marks, usually around the armpit area.

Well, we’re here to help you get them out of your life.

man standing, only you can move you slogan, wave goodbye to white marks

WHAT CAUSES WHITE MARKS ON YOUR CLOTHES?

They come from the ingredients used in your anti-perspirant deodorant. The aluminium salts used in anti-perspirants can leave chalky marks on your skin, which then transfer to your clothes and leave white marks.

WHAT'S THE BEST WAY TO GET RID OF THEM?

Here’s the best method we know:

  1. Scrub the stain on both sides of the fabric, using a regular bar of soap and a clean toothbrush.
  2. Brush the soap in, as vigorously as the fabric will allow, to get to the heart of the stain.
  3. Rinse off the soap with water and leave the fabric to air dry.
  4. If the staining is particularly bad, repeat the steps until the mark is gone.

OTHER THINGS YOU CAN TRY

Bicarbonate of soda

Mix baking soda with a small amount of water to make a 'slurry'. Apply this to the stained garment with a toothbrush and follow the same method as above. Try the mixture on a small area of your garment first, to test its colour-fastness.

Vinegar soak

Soak the stained part of the garment in a container of white vinegar. After an hour, brush it with a toothbrush. Again, try on a small patch of fabric first to test for colour fastness. Afterwards, wash the garment in a washing machine, to get rid of any vinegar smell.

The aluminium salts used in antiperspirants can leave chalky marks on your skin, which then transfer to your clothes and leave white marks.
woman in pink helmet, crop top and shorts, skateboarding

HOW TO AVOID GETTING WHITE MARKS ON YOUR CLOTHES

The best way is to try and avoid getting them in the first place. And here are our top tips for doing that:

Let your anti-perspirant deodorant dry before you dress

That way, it’s not going to transfer as easily to your clothes.

Don’t overdo it

Applying too much anti-perspirant deodorant can lead to excess residue getting on your clothes.

Try an anti-perspirant deodorant that’s made for the job

Rexona's Invisible Black & White range has been specially developed to reduce marks on your clothes. Not just white marks on dark clothing, but also the yellow sweat stains you can get on white clothes. And on top of all that, it gives you up to 72 hours' sweat protection.