The One Where I Talk About Perspiration

These are seriously some great tips I am about to share with you.

And this first one?  About the greatest thing I have ever come across.  However, let me start at the beginning, because as always, there is a story behind this.

My husband works as a manager in a restaurant.  He's busy.  It's fast paced.  He even sweats from time to time.  I do prefer the term perspiration, however if for some strange reason the Man Police read this and see that I said Hubs perspires, they may come and take his Man Card away.

He always wears a white undershirt under his button down work shirts.  His undershirts HAVE to come from JC Penney because it's the only store he's ever found under shirts that come in talls, 'cause he's a tall guy and if he doesn't get the talls, the undershirt comes untucked and it's just all irritating.  At least from what I understand....but I totally get that.  I do. 

And for the record, I have Hubs full permission to post this.  I asked him if I could and he asked why I was even asking.  I said, well you know, it's a little personal and I thought maybe you might care if I shared your sweaty shirt story with the world.  His response?  "I am guy.  I sweat. Who cares?"

Alrighty then.

So combine the sweat with the deodorant and the day after day wear of his undershirts and over time, they start to get this nasty, yucky, yellow buildup in the armpit area of the shirt.  I've tried bleach, soaking the shirts, scrubbing the stained armpits of the shirts with crushed aspirin, the list goes on and on.....but nothing ever seemed to get rid of that build up. 

So our solution before was just to buy new undershirts when the old ones got gross enough.  Yuck, right?  But I didn't see any other solution.  Fast forward several years later and living on one income.  Dropping $60-$75 on a new undershirt rotation just wasn't in the cards like it used to be.

However, just a few months ago I came across a trick and thought, heck why not?  It's certainly worth a try and it's cheaper than getting new shirts.

The trick?  Baking soda.  Good ol' standard, been around since practically the beginning of time, baking soda. 

It totally works like no other.

And it's cheap.  

I seriously wish I would have found this YEARS ago, because whenever we got new shirts for Hubs, the old shirts were never really worn out, they just had nasty, stained armpits.  The condition of the shirt was always just fine. 

Now, this definitely takes more time in my washing routine, but Hubs has nice clean shirts to wear and I feel like I am taking care of him that much better.  (That probably sounds really dumb and archaic, but it's the truth.  I like being a "homemaker" and knowing I do the best I can running our home.  Hubs does his part in working 60+ hours a week and I do my part in taking care of our Peanut and all things home related.)

So how do I do it?   First, let me say that I started this process well after his shirts were all stained, so I am kind of playing catch up.  For us, the yellow color has not gone away completely, but the nasty gunkiness of the (deodorant?) build up has gone away completely.

Oh, and for the record, I usually work at the kitchen sink during the process.

I turn the shirts inside out first.  Second, I mix a solution of baking soda and warm water to a thickness of about pancake batter.  Then with each shirt, I run the armpit portion of the shirt under hot water to get the area wet and then I spoon about a soup spoon portion of the baking soda mixture onto the shirt.  I scrub it into the shirt and repeat the process on the other armpit.  Make sure to sort of wrap the shirt in on its self because the baking soda will sort of cake and fall off otherwise and you want the mixture to sit on the fiber as best you can.  Repeat the process with all shirts.  Then, I let the shirts sit for a couple of hours before putting them in the wash.  After a couple of hours have passed, I run the cycle with HOT water and set it to soak prior to letting the load actually start the wash cycle.  I also throw another cup of baking soda in with the detergent during the soak cycle.  Then, once the clothes have sat in the hot water for an hour or two, I start the load as normal.

The shirts look cleaner, feel cleaner, and smell cleaner.  I am just so happy I found this little trick, I wanted to share it with the world.  And it's so stinking cheap!  (FYI--Costco has a 13+ pound bag of baking soda for like $5!!!) 

Second sweat tip.  I know.  Two tips, right?

I love all those cute ballet flats that are so fashionable right now.  They are cute, comfy, and they look more dressy than the "non-athletic sneaker" I had become so fond of.  And they don't have heals.....'cause let's be realistic here people, heals and toddlers don't mix.  At least in my world they don't.

But what I don't love about the ballet flat?  Is that most ballet flats are meant to be worn with no socks.  And my feet sweat perspire from time to time.  I cannot stand it when my feet feel like they were wrapped in wet plastic wrap.  SO gross, right?

And for the record, I know I am not the only one that feels this way.  Before I quit work at the bank, one of the gals that worked for us at our branch always wore super cut high heels--almost always without stockings.  She always looked so put together--you know the type--you want to look like that when you grow up....even if that person is ten years younger than you?  Anyhow, I finally asked her one day, "Don't your feet get hot and sweaty without stockings?"  Why yes, as a matter of fact, they did--she's the one that described it feeling like wet plastic {saran} wrap.

So glad I am not the only one. 

Anyhow, just a few weeks ago, it hit me.  Those little insole inserts should work perfect.  And they do!  I picked up several sets (they were like $1 each) and put them in all of my (three pairs) ballet flats.  NO more wet feet!  Don't you just love it?!?!?! 


These little lovely tips definitely work for me!  For other Works For Me Wednesday tips, visit We Are THAT Family. 








cleaning sweat stains, t-shirt stains, getting sweat stains out of shirts, underarm stains in shirts,