How to prevent yellow stains and lingering smells on clothing

冯丽丽

Sweat marks are left by“a combination of salts in the sweat and deodorant people are using”.

Sweat itself is a sterile thing but when it mixes with the bacteria on the skin， the odors we associate with sweat occur.

When not handled correctly， sweat marks and odors can be stubborn.

Stains and odors are caused when bacteria forms on fabric， so the best thing to do is launder clothing soon after each wear. As McCorkill puts it：“The longer you leave sweat on clothing， the greater the bacterial growth.”

McCorkill flags that sometimes stains on special-occasion wear， such as silk， aren’t immediately apparent so the garment is put away without dry-cleaning or laundering.

If the fabric is particularly delicate， the sweat might cause a reaction over time， resulting in an odor or stain that appears months later. A quick hand wash or drop-off at the dry cleaner’s can prevent this.

When possible， wearing a cotton undershirt that can absorb underarm sweat and stand up to more frequent laundering may also help extend the life of collared shirts and silk blouses.

McCorkill suggests using“a laundry product designed for spot treating”but to be“careful not to rub too hard on fabrics that might snag or woollen fabrics that might felt”.

汗渍是“汗液中的盐分和人們使用的除臭剂的混合物”形成的。

汗液本身是一种无菌物质，但当它与皮肤上的细菌混合时，就会产生气味。

如果处理不当，汗渍和气味会很顽固。

污渍和气味是织物上滋生细菌时产生的，所以最好的办法是在每次穿完衣服后马上清洗衣服。正如麦科基尔所说：“你把汗水留在衣服上的时间越长，细菌越多。”

麦科基尔称，有时丝绸等特殊织物上的污渍不会立即显现出来，因此未经干洗或洗涤就被收起来了。

如果织物特别脆弱，汗液可能会随着时间的推移发生反应，导致衣物几个月后出现气味或污渍。快速手洗或在干洗店清洗可以防止这种情况。

如果可能的话，穿一件能吸收腋下汗水并经得起更频繁清洗的棉质汗衫也有助于延长有领衬衫和丝绸衬衫的寿命。

麦科基尔建议使用“专门清理污渍斑点的洗衣产品”，但要“小心不要太用力搓洗可能会被钩破的织物或羊毛织物”。