Sometimes, perspiration leaves stains on our clothes, jackets, pullovers, or T-shirts. Sometimes the odour is intense, and needs to be treated before washing; otherwise the smell remains after the garment has been washed in the usual way. In shirts, for instance, the smell may arise when we iron it... which means that they'd need to be put back in the wash all over again. At the end of this article we explain what you can do to treat perspiration stains beforehand, in order to avoid this scenario.
Why do we perspire?
Every person perspires to a different degree. The human body has numerous glands located on the surface of the skin. There are 3 different kinds of sweat glands: glands that regulate body temperature, glands that activate in extreme situations, sebaceous glands, which secrete an oily substance that lubricates the skin.Heat is the main reason that perspiration occurs; other causes include illness, the effects of medication, physical activity or changes in our emotions. Perspiration can vary from person to person.
There are small differences in the composition of human sweat, which is usually made up of 98% of water and 2% of dissolved solids. This 2% is composed of organic matter (such as ammonia, urea, amino acids, acids and lactic acid); and also of inorganic matter, generally chloride salts. It also contains skin cells, dirt and several different chemical compounds. The variation in sweat composition between one person and another is a result of differences in diet, medicine and the general state of health of the person.
Perspiration damages fabrics in two ways
1) Loss of strength and resistance of the fabric. Fresh perspiration does not cause loss of resistance of the fabric. However, other conditions can reduce this resistance. For instance, when perspiration decomposes, the process produces alkalinity and this damages fabrics like cotton, rayon, wool or silk. The loss of resistance varies with the pH of the perspiration: the more alkaline the sweat, the worse the damage to the fabric's resistance. The length of time which the garment is exposed to the sweat also determines the degree of damage: the longer the exposure, the worse the damage. How wet the garment gets from the perspiration is also an influence in fabrics that are more susceptible to moisture. The wetter the garment becomes from perspiration and the longer it is exposed to it, the greater the damage.
2) Fading or loss of colour. Perspiration causes damage to dyed fabrics, especially dyes which are alkaline-sensitive, since some dyes change colour when the pH changes. In clothing, this appears as fade stains or changes in colour tone. One of the components present in perspiration is chloride salts, which is responsible for discolorations in dyed wool which changes colour upon exposure to these salts. Silk is also weakened by exposure to chloride salts.
Ways of removing perspiration stains
To remove sweat stains from shirts, the stains should be submerged in warm water with ammonia and gently scrubbed. Rinse well afterward.
Leave to soak in cold water with vinegar.
Rub the stain using alcohol or vinegar, then wash with soap and water.
Stains produced by perspiration can be removed with lukewarm water and ammonia. If the garment is non-washable, treat the stain with alcohol. In wool, stains can be removed with salt dissolved in water; while stains in undergarments can be removed with water and vinegar.
Wash normally. Brush with vinegar or diluted alcohol. Once dry, sweat stains are difficult to remove. Soak the garment for half an hour in a solution of: 1 litre of water, ammonia (1 tablespoonful) and dishwashing liquid (1/2 tablespoonful). Rinse with water. If the stain does not come off, soak it again for an hour in 1 litre of water mixed with 1 tablespoonful of vinegar. Rinse and dry. Rubbing the stained area with ammonia also helps. Wool garments should be soaked overnight in cold water with a some drops of white vinegar.
Sometimes letting the stained area soak for a while in cold water and bicarbonate helps too.
(Source: Maneras de quitar las manchas de Tips Para Tu Hogar, Ceicid and Tintorerías.com)
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