Cleaning expert shares simple hack to solve common problem with household laundry: 'It works so well'

There's no worse feeling than choosing a perfect outfit for the day and noticing a stain or discoloration that ruins the look. Though a bad stain might make you tempted to just buy a new shirt, it's actually possible to remove the blemish with three simple ingredients.

The scoop

TikToker Laura de Barra (@lauradebarra) shared a great hack for removing sweat stains from white shirts, and you'll probably have all three natural ingredients in your kitchen!

@lauradebarra So many white tshirts get thrown out becasue of pit staining. Lets solve it! #stain #stainremover #stainremoval #pitstains #yellowpitstainremoval #sweatstains #whitetee #whitetshirt #laundry #washingmachine #laundryhack #washinghack #ecoclean #slowfashion #slowfashiontiktok #stained #whiteclothes #laundrytips ♬ original sound - LauradeBarra

The secret involves dish soap — aka washing-up liquid in the U.K. and Ireland, as Laura calls it — as well as distilled white wine vinegar and baking soda.

The video suggested turning the stained shirt inside-out and handwashing the marks with washing-up liquid and cool water. After the washing-up liquid was washed away, Laura instructed the viewer to mix two parts of water with one part of vinegar and let the shirt soak in the mixture for an hour.

Keeping the vinegar in the bowl, the T-shirt was then rinsed off. Laura showed herself making a paste out of bicarbonate of soda and water. She put an empty bowl beneath the stain and spooned on some of the baking soda mixture, before leaving it for an hour-and-a-half.

Then, Laura shared her "favorite bit" when she soaked the material in vinegar again, setting off a fizzing chemical reaction between the bicarbonate of soda and vinegar. Another rinse revealed the shirt to be as good as new, without a stain in sight.

How it's helping

Baking soda is the answer to many household stains and spills, from deodorizing trash cans to getting rid of stubborn grime in your oven. 

Using your own cleaning solution rather than a store-bought option can be a great way to save money. Additionally, the choice is more sustainable, as the homemade stain remover does not contain toxic chemicals that could damage the environment. On top of that, it can reduce plastic waste around the home, while also making your cleaning cupboard less cluttered.

Using Laura's handy tip could breathe new life into clothes you thought would have to be thrown out. Not only will it save you money, but not purchasing new clothes after staining will also prevent textile waste from ending up in landfills.

What everyone's saying

People flooded Laura's comment section with questions, wondering whether the hack would work on colored clothes or with sunscreen or fake tan stains. Laura responded to many, offering useful stain-removal advice.

What motivates you to wash your clothes in cold water? Saves money Saves energy Gentler on clothes I wash my clothes in hot water Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

One user said: "It may take a little time if you're doing multiple items, but it works and it works so well!"

In response to some commenters' complaints, another user remarked: "Some people would rather buy a new T-shirt than get their hands dirty."

Another commenter added: "For my three favorite shirts (great fit and good memories) that I was just about to throw out… thank you!"

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