Sweat Stains Don't Stand A Chance Against This All-Natural Solution

Sweat stains are inevitable. We sweat, it's natural. However, that doesn't make the yellow marks any less unsightly. Fortunately, you don't need harsh chemicals to get rid of them as there's an all-natural ingredient you can use to banish sweat stains for good – lemon juice. In an exclusive House Digest interview, Jean Calleja, co-owner of The Eco Laundry Company, shared the reason why lemon juice is an environmentally-friendly and cost-effective solution to eliminate notorious sweat stains.

"Lemons can help remove various organic stains such as sweat, rust, and grease due to their acidity and natural bleaching properties," Calleja explained. The solution can combat sweat marks on your clothing, mattress, bedsheets, towels, and other linen. You can use lemon juice directly on your fabrics as a pretreatment stain remover and in the washing machine as a bleach alternative. Adding the fruit to your wash routine is no sweat at all.

"The combination of aluminum in antiperspirants and proteins in underarm sweat can create stubborn sweat stains," Jean Calleja exclusively told House Digest. Even if you skip the aluminum antiperspirants, the essential oils in natural deodorants can also cause stains. Further, washing these soils incorrectly can make matters worse. "The most challenging sweat stains are those that have been laundered and then heat-dried," Calleja added. However, lemon juice can solve these laundry woes.

"Lemons contain citric acid and can work as a powerhouse to break down stains," the expert explained. It is a mild acid so it won't damage your clothing, but it is potent enough to eliminate the sweat stains. Lemons also brighten. "They are a great, natural alternative to bleach," Calleja said. Chlorine bleach is a common product people reach for when fighting dingy clothing, but it can make sweat stains worse by darkening the discoloration. The enzymes in the lemon juice is what helps the fruit lighten your fabrics. It is a natural ingredient you can add to your load of laundry to fight various stains and doing so is simple.

It is fairly easy to eliminate sweat stains with lemons by using the juice as the base for a pretreatment solution. "Create a paste using equal parts lemon juice, baking soda, and water," Jean Calleja exclusively told House Digest. "Apply the paste to the stained fabric, gently working it in with a clean sponge, and let it sit for about an hour before washing with warm water." Pre-treating the soils will loosen the protein-based stain from the fabric so your garment can come out of the washing machine spotless. The only precaution is you don't want to overdo it: "Just make sure to avoid excess treatment or prolonged exposure to prevent fabric damage," Calleja added.

Another way you can use lemon is as a handy bleach alternative. "Add ½ cup of lemon juice in place of bleach to your wash cycle to whiten your white cotton and polyester laundry items," the expert said. While great for your white garments, you don't want to use this trick on colored clothing as the acid can cause the fabric to fade. So if you have a couple lemons, don't be afraid to break a sweat.