You should know that sebum is the cause of yellow stains on your clothing. Sebum is an oily substance that protects your skin and hair and is produced by the sebaceous glands. Your body produces about 40 grams of sebum every day which means it’s the most common and prevalent stain on your clothes!!!
Overtime, sebum oxidizes (turns yellow) when exposed to air. This is the same reaction that occurs to an apple or avocado when cut into.
Soooooo here are some tips from a 4th generation dry cleaner on how to prevent and remove* sebum / old yellow stains. *This guide will also work for any old stain that you haven’t had luck removing!
Sebum is an oily stain, so do what you normally would do for a greasy stain. I’d pretreat it with your favorite stain remover, laundry detergent or a high quality dish soap. Plus, the sooner you get to it the better (less time for it to oxidize).
Once you’ve addressed the root of the issue you’ll need to fix the color. To do this use an oxygen bleach like hydrogen peroxide or powdered oxygen bleach (OxiClean). To remove with hydrogen peroxide, spray it on the stained areas and let it air dry inside (HP and UV rays do not vibe). To remove it with powdered oxygen bleach, soak your entire garment in hot water and powdered oxygen bleach (ideally 140 F / 60 C and above) overnight. The second method is a great way to keep sheets and towels bright and white as well (you only need to do this once or twice a year).
Oxygen bleach is also known as color safe bleach or nonchlorine bleach. It’s sooooo much gentler on your clothing too! The one drawback is it takes a while to work, so patience is key. You may need to repeat this process for severe staining. I also recommend washing after using either of these methods.
For more tips on stain removal check out thecleanclub.com
Anyways I hope this guide helps 🙂