How to Remove Yellow Stains from White Clothes

Co-authored by Susan Stocker

Last Updated: June 12, 2022 References Approved

Image titled Pexels skitterphoto 1122167

White clothes are notorious for being easily stained. Whether it’s from armpit sweat, rust, or a yellow sports drink, yellow stains can ruin your best-looking white shirts, pants, or bedding. Luckily, there are a number of ways you can easily remove these unsightly yellow stains from your clothes. You can either use store-bought cleaning items or everyday products you have lying around your house to make your clothes bright white again!

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Removing Stains with Common Household Items

1
Add vinegar to your laundry to both remove stains and soften fabric. White distilled vinegar works as both a stain remover and a fabric softener when added to a laundry load. Simply pour 0.25 cups (59 mL) of vinegar into your washing machine during the rinse cycle to clean and soften your stained white clothes.^{[1]
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- Avoid using vinegar in your laundry along with chlorine bleach, since this combination will produce fumes that can be harmful to breathe.
- Note that using vinegar in the laundry may harm clothes made of silk, acetate, or rayon.
2
Use hydrogen peroxide, dish soap, and baking soda on pesky stains. Combine 1 tablespoon (15 mL) each of hydrogen peroxide, dish soap, and baking soda into a single mixture, then use the back of a spoon to apply the mix to the stain so that it’s completely covered. Let it sit for 1 hour, then wash the clothes as normal.^{[2]
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- Note that there is a small chance that the coloring of the dish soap may discolor your clothes, so use clear, colorless dish soap for best results.
- If the stain doesn’t come off after trying this method once, a second application of the cleaning mixture will often do the trick.
EXPERT TIP

Susan Stocker
Green Cleaning Expert
Susan Stocker runs and owns Susan’s Green Cleaning, the #1 Green Cleaning Company in Seattle. She is well known in the region for outstanding customer service protocols — winning the 2017 Better Business Torch Award for Ethics & Integrity —and her energetic support of green cleaning practices.

Susan Stocker
Green Cleaning Expert

You can also try baking soda on its own. To remove yellow stains from clothing, mix 4 tbsp. of baking soda with 1 quart of warm water, and use that to scrub the clothes. Let the garment sit for 1-2 hours, then rinse and check to see if the stain is completely removed. If it is, wash the clothing as normal. If not, repeat all of the steps until the stain is gone.

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3
Try adding lemon juice to your laundry with your detergent. This will not only get rid of stains, but will also give your clothes a nice lemony smell. Add 1 cup (240 mL) of the lemon juice to your laundry along with your detergent, then wash as normal.^{[3]
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- Don’t use lemon juice with colored clothing, since it may accidentally bleach them.
4
Scrub cotton clothes with white toothpaste before washing them. Toothpaste has a number of surprising uses besides brushing your teeth, one of which is removing stains from clothing. Wet your clothing, then use an old toothbrush to apply a thin layer of white toothpaste to the stained area. Scrub the stain vigorously for about 30 seconds, then rinse the clothing in water.^{[4]
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- For the best results on white clothing, use a toothpaste with whitening properties. Avoid using colored toothpaste, since this may actually stain your white clothes even worse!
- The toothpaste method typically works well on cotton clothes, although it may not work on other fabrics.
5
Treat stains with crushed aspirin and water if that’s all you have around. Crush 3-4 aspirin tablets into a powder, then mix the powder with 0.5 cups (120 mL) of hot water to form a paste. Rub this paste onto the stain and allow it to sit for 2 hours. Finally, wash your stained clothing as normal in a hot water cycle.^{[5]
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- The crushed aspirin method works because the main ingredient in aspirin is salicylic acid, which is just as effective at removing stains as vinegar or lemon juice.
- Note that the crushed aspirin should only be used on white clothing, as it may discolor your colored fabrics.

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Using Store-Bought Cleaning Items

1
Use a stain-removing laundry detergent to remove stains in the wash. Simply tossing your white clothes into the wash with a laundry detergent specially designed to get rid of stains is probably the easiest way to get rid of yellow stains. Wash your clothes in the laundry as you normally would with the stain-removing detergent to remove the stains in 1 step.^{[6]
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- There are a lot of detergents on the market that will not only remove your stains, but also leave your clothes smelling terrific!
- You can find laundry detergent designed to remove stains at most grocery stores and mass retailers where detergent is sold.
2
Wash your clothes with 1 capful of bleach if they aren’t delicates. Add the capful of bleach to a load of white clothes along with detergent to remove stains while also improving your clothes' overall shine. However, make sure your clothes can be safely bleached before you wash them this way. Avoid bleaching colored clothes or delicates, as the bleach might damage them.^{[7]
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- You can check to see if your clothes can be safely bleached by looking at their tags. If a hollow white triangle is on the tags, this means they can be safely bleached. If the triangle has diagonal stripes in the middle of it, those clothes can only be treated with non-chlorine bleach.
- If the tag on your clothes contains a solid triangle with an X on top of it, that means they cannot be bleached at all.
3
Add bluing agent to the laundry to remove stains and whiten clothes. Bluing agent adds the slightest hint of blue to your clothes, which actually combines with the yellow hue of your stains to make them white. Mix the agent with cold water, per the instructions on the bottle, then toss it into your laundry machine with the detergent and the stained clothes and wash them as normal.^{[8]
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- You can buy bluing agent at any department store or grocery store that sells laundry detergent.
- Note that bluing agent isn’t actually a cleaning agent, so although it will offset the yellow hue of your stains, it won’t do anything to make them cleaner.
4
Clean your clothes with borax if the stains also smell. Borax is a naturally occurring mineral that helps to remove stains from clothes and even deodorizes and brightens them. Add 0.5 cups (120 mL) of borax to your laundry along with detergent at the beginning of the wash cycle to wash clothes with odorous stains.^{[9]
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- Borax is also a great multipurpose cleaner you can use to clean the inside of your car, your pet’s bedding, and even the washing machine itself!
5
Use rust remover to remove yellow stains caused by rust. If the stains on your clothes were caused by rust, there are a number of commercial products specifically designed to remove rust that you can use. Simply add the rust remover to your washing machine as it's filling with water and let the clothes soak in it for 5 minutes. Then, add your detergent and wash the clothes as normal.^{[10]
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- Be sure to follow the usage instructions on the bottle very closely, as rust remover fumes can be dangerous when inhaled.
- To best protect yourself, wear rubber safety gloves when handling rust remover.