Sweat stains can make a perfectly good shirt look like it lost an argument with summer. This simple homemade perspiration remover gives you a quick laundry fix with two basic ingredients and almost no fuss. Soak, rinse, wash, move on with your day. (Your laundry pile has caused enough drama already.)
A comparable store-bought stain remover usually costs several dollars a bottle, while this salt-and-water version uses about 4 tablespoons of salt from an inexpensive canister that can cost under $2 at Walmart.
That keeps the treatment cost to just pennies per batch, and you control exactly what goes into it instead of relying on added fragrance, dyes, or extra cleaning agents you may not want on a specific garment.
You only need 2 materials for this batch: salt and water. The method makes 1 quart of perspiration remover, and the only equipment you need is a clean bowl or small bucket for soaking the garment.
- 🧰 Materials You'll Need
- 🔧 Tools/Equipment
- 🛠️ How to Make Perspiration Remover
- 🛠️ How to Use It
- 🎨 Customization Ideas
- 🛡️ Safety & Fabric Care
- 📦 Storage
- 💸 Cost Breakdown
- 🛍️ Need Help Finding Everything?
- ❓ Frequently Asked Questions about Perspiration Remover
- 📌 Love this Perspiration Remover? Pin it!
- 🖨️ Print-Friendly How-To: Perspiration Remover
Materials You’ll Need
- 4 tablespoons salt
- 1 quart water
Tools/Equipment
- Clean bowl or small bucket
How to Make Perspiration Remover
- Combine 4 tablespoons salt and 1 quart water in a clean bowl or small bucket.
- Soak the garment in the solution.
- Rinse the garment.
- Wash as usual.
How to Use It
Use this simple soak when you need a quick treatment for sweat stains on washable clothing. After soaking, rinse the garment well and run it through your regular wash cycle.
If you tackle laundry stains often, you might also like Make Your Own Laundry Detergents, Stain Removers, Pre-Wash Sprays and More! or this handy Laundry Softener & Stain Remover.
Customization Ideas
This formula stays intentionally simple, which makes it easy to work into your regular laundry routine.
- Use a bowl for a single shirt or a small bucket for bulkier washable items that need soaking room.
- Keep this as a quick pre-wash treatment, then follow with your usual homemade or store-bought detergent.
- Pair it with another targeted stain treatment for other problem spots on the same garment if the perspiration stain is not the only issue.
Safety & Fabric Care
Use this on washable garments, and always check the care label before soaking. For good stain-treatment habits, test any treatment on an inconspicuous area first and follow the garment’s care instructions, which is in line with general laundry guidance from the American Cleaning Institute.
Storage
This mixture is simple enough to make right when you need it. If you do mix it ahead, keep it in a clean container and stir before use if the salt settles.
Cost Breakdown
Using Walmart’s listed price of $1.86 for a 26-ounce canister of Morton plain salt, 4 tablespoons of salt works out to roughly $0.07 per batch, not counting water because the amount varies by household utility cost. Prices change by location, of course, because stores enjoy keeping us humble.
🛍️ Need Help Finding Everything?
- Morton Plain Salt, 26 oz at Walmart
- Table salt, 26 oz search on Amazon
- Make Your Own Laundry Detergents, Stain Removers, Pre-Wash Sprays and More!
Frequently Asked Questions about Perspiration Remover
Use it on washable garments and check the care label first. If the item says dry clean only or has special wash instructions, follow those instead of soaking it.
Yes. The method for this remover is soak, rinse, then wash as usual. That keeps the process simple and follows the original treatment steps exactly.
Yes, as long as you keep the same ratio of 4 tablespoons of salt to 1 quart of water. Scale it up only as much as you need for the garment you’re soaking.
The method gives the soaking step but does not specify a timed soak. Since no exact time is provided, soak the garment just long enough to treat the stained area before you rinse and wash it.
You can, but this is so easy to mix that making it fresh usually makes more sense. If you save extra, use a clean container and stir it before using if the salt settles to the bottom.
No. This works as a pre-wash soak for perspiration stains. After rinsing, wash the garment as usual with your normal laundry detergent.
Follow the garment’s care label, since the method lists water but does not assign a temperature. That’s the safest way to avoid turning a stain problem into a fabric problem.
Usually, yes. This batch uses a small amount of inexpensive salt and water, so the per-use cost lands in the pennies rather than several dollars for a separate bottle of stain treatment.
Yes, that’s a smart move. Test any stain treatment on an inconspicuous area first, especially if the garment is dark, bright, delicate, or simply too expensive for experiments.
📌 Love this Perspiration Remover? Pin it!
Did you try this project? Tell us what kind of garment you used it on or what changed your results.
🖨️ Print-Friendly How-To: Perspiration Remover
Perspiration Remover
Equipment
Materials
- 4 tablespoons salt
- 1 quart water
Instructions
- Combine 4 tablespoons salt and 1 quart water in a clean bowl or small bucket.
- Soak the garment in the solution.
- Rinse the garment.
- Wash as usual.
- Use on washable garments only.
- Check the garment care label before soaking.
- Test on an inconspicuous area first.
- Estimated cost reflects consumable materials only and is based on a 26-ounce canister of salt priced at $1.86. Water cost is not included.
does the sweat stain remover work on clothes that have had the stains for awhile. washed and dried in several times.
This question is something I also would like to know. I am going to test it out this weekend.