Cleaning Ring Around The Collar

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RE: Cleaning Ring Around The Collar

For anyone looking for the ultimate solution to this problem, here it is. I'll explain my story.

A friend of mine borrowed a $300 dress shirt (yes, i know that's an expensive shirt, it's for rare occasions) without my knowledge and wore it for several weeks with a tie. Needless to say, the guy has very poor hygeine and the shirt ended up with the worst most nasty collar grease and yellow stains you could possibly imagine. Imagine the stain you're dealing with times 1,000. Anyhow, this happened 3 years ago and I've held onto the shirt because it's expensive and I was upset about it and didn't want to throw it away.

I tried several times to take it to the cleaners to get the collar stains removed to no avail. So, as you can imagine, he wore the shirt many times without washing it, plus it's been to the cleaners several times, plus I've tried to get the stains out myself before, so we're talking about the worst collar stains plus the fact that they are completely set in at this point.

The other night, I was going out with some friends and I saw the shirt there and once again realized how mad I was that it had these nasty collar stains, so I started doing some research which is when I stumbled across this forum. I tried everything listed here, literally, everything.

I finally removed the collar stain and it was with a solution that is not listed here yet. Here is my recommended course of action:

1.) Use GoJo or Fast Orange (or even a grease removing dish liquid) several time, each time rinsing the collar thoroughly to break apart the agitated grease. This will remove most of the grease and will leave you with the yellow collar stain.

2.) This is the trick that does the heavy lifting! Buy yourself a bottle of this stuff called K2r Spotlifter (http://www.k2rbrands.com/products/original.htm). It's pretty inexpensive too, like $5 a bottle, great investment. It has chemicals in it, but did not fade or damage my shirt at all. After I completed step 1, I sprayed a good amount of K2r along the stain on the collar and it sit there for 10-15 minutes. It starts as a clear liquid on the shirt, then it turns to a dried foamy substance. Use the built-in scrubbing head on the bottle to remove the left over dried foam. You won't believe your eyes. The stain was almost removed. As it states on the bottle, tough stains may require a second treatment. I rinsed off the original treatment with water, then let the shirt dry, then repeated the treatment two more times on the collar stain. The stain is gone cpmpletely. Took a few treatments, but was well worth it to save this $300 dress shirt.

I hope that helps some one in the future. Good luck! Make sure to remove the grease before using the K2r.

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Post by jassithomson

RE: Cleaning Ring Around The Collar

I just finished my laundry -- and no more ring around the collar on most of the shirts!! Thanks to everyone here whose advice informed my strategy.

Here's what I did:

It's true that AGITATION of the dirt seems to be the main thing. I used an ordinary toothbrush i had lying around (one I saved and cleaned thoroughly before using) to apply a good natural cleaner to the stain. I used FAST ORANGE hand cleaner by Permatex, which I bought at an auto repair store. It's marketed as a natural hand cleaner for tough grease stains. This stuff takes engine oil and other car grease right off of your hands in seconds. It says on the bottle it can be used on laundry stains, too. If I didnt have this I would have tried Murphy's Oil Soap, which I've had good experience with in other uses.

So I diluted about a tablespoon of FAST ORANGE -- it's powerful stuff -- in a little bit of water and applied it to the collars with the brush. Just about 10 seconds of scrubbing all along the edge.

Then I dropped the five shirts (all patterned whites or light blues) into the washer on a cold, gentle setting (Permanent Press on my machine). I added about three tablespoons of Arm and Hammer Essentials laundry detergent (a concentrated detergent).

Once they came out, I hung the five wet shirts in the hot Florida sun UPSIDE DOWN, so that the collars got full sun exposure. About two hours later, the shirts were all dry, brilliant in color, and only one of them had a small trace of the ring stain! (previous to doing this on my own, I had been laundering them at dry cleaners for a long time).

I am thrilled I was able to achieve this without exposing my nice dress shirts to the cost and toxicity of a dry cleaners!!

Post By Luis (Guest Post)

RE: Cleaning Ring Around The Collar

This will work all the time: Wet collar. Apply a mild soap
Use a degreaser dish washing soap. Tap lightly and rinse

For whites use oxi clean or similar, rinse twice to remove all chemicals
wash shirt with a fabric softener. If all else fails I will take it to the cleaners
no worries no pressing and i have time for my kids.

Post By Rose (Guest Post)

RE: Cleaning Ring Around The Collar

I found a product that prevents ring around the collar all together. They are simple peel and stick strips called sweat strips I used them in 90 degree + heat and no ring around the collar. I don't have to throw anymore shirts away. Thank goodness. Check it out. ww.sweatstrips.org

Post By Mel B. (Guest Post)

RE: Cleaning Ring Around The Collar

I always do my dress shirts in their own load. I use Woolite and one of those "knuckle scrubber" brushes to do the collars.

Pour a thin line of Woolite directly onto the collar and scrub with a wet brush. I usually do this while waiting for the washing machine to fill. Do this every time you do laundry, and after about three washings your shirt collars will look brand new.

--And, you don't need to add any detergent because there'll be enough Woolite in the machine to take care of the shirts.

Post By Just a single dude (Guest Post)

RE: Cleaning Ring Around The Collar

I wanted to know if I can use the Shout Concentrated gel to remove stains and not be worried that it will fade my clothes. Can anyone please comment on this? Thanks

Post By Raul (Guest Post)

RE: Cleaning Ring Around The Collar

GO Murphy's oil soap. You saved my shirts! Thank you for the suggestion. It really worked.

Post By Gary (Guest Post)

RE: Cleaning Ring Around The Collar

I suffer from hyperhydrosis (excess sweating). My ring around the collar is BAD. SHOUT GEL is a miracle worker. I had to use it a couple of times to get the stain completely. Now I treat all my collars before I wash them. Not only does it get the stain out, but it prevents them from forming in the first place.

Post By Nathan (Guest Post)

RE: Cleaning Ring Around The Collar

My boyfriend gets ring around the collar on his work button down shirts. I used Murphy's oil soap and scrubbed the collar against itself to get it cleaned. I'm so happy it works. Less $ buying new shirts all the time.

Post By Just used it tonight! (Guest Post)

RE: Cleaning Ring Around The Collar

My boyfriend is a Physician Assistant at an ER. He has has to wear the white lab coats over the scrubs. I recently moved in and he showed me the ring around the collar on these 2 coats. I made a paste of Baking soda and vinegar, brushed it on, let it sit for a couple minutes and then scrubbed with a little nail brush. I couldn't believe my eyes, it was already working! FYI: He's been at this job for approx. 8 months and hasn't really treated the ring around the collar until now. Baking Soda and Vinegar got it all off! Mom kept telling me Baking soda but this website confirmed it for me.

Post By Kristen D. (Guest Post)

RE: Cleaning Ring Around The Collar

The dry cleaner told me that ring is from your hair products mixing with your natural oils (i.e. shampoo, conditioner, hair gel, hair spray, etc) I once heard to put baking soda in a pot of hot water on the stove and boil socks to get the stains and smell out.. wonder if it works on white dress shirts?

Post By Missy (Guest Post)

RE: Cleaning Ring Around The Collar

I have tried, Wisk, Tide, OxyClean and about every "spray stain remover" on the store shelves with only minimal results. My mom suggested Fels-Naptha bar soap and a small scrub brush. So far, that has worked the best. But, I will still try a few others posted here.

Post By Jeannie (Guest Post)

RE: Cleaning Ring Around The Collar

try putting a cheap (like AquaNet) hairspray on the shirt right before you toss it into the washer.... works for me. I had been in the USN and my wife would put it on the neck of my dress white uniform shirts... These days I am doing the laundry and still use it. I cant tell you how it works...just that it does. Good luck

Post By Cruiser (Guest Post)

RE: Cleaning Ring Around The Collar

IS there ANY way to prevent ring around the collar??
I scrub my neck with a wash clothe and soae almost every day!

Post By .Curtis (Guest Post)

RE: Cleaning Ring Around The Collar

is it true that it is impossible to remove the stain after drying as stated by one of the posters

Editor's Note: Some stains are "set" after drying so are much harder to remove. This isn't always the case but it's best not to dry (in an automatic dryer) before the stain is removed if possible. If it's already been dried, might as well keep trying to remove the stain. With ring around the collar, I don't think drying would make much difference.

Post By MKCool20 (Guest Post)

RE: Cleaning Ring Around The Collar

To remove a stain it is important to understand what it is made up of. Collar stains are caused mostly by natural oils from the skin and hair. Shampoo works most of the time, because it removes grease from hair.

Why dont you try an ordinary shampoo, or a shampoo specific to greasy or oily hair. The Shampoo you are using may be a little too hightech and the ingredients in the shampoo may be different. :) hope this helps.

Post By Guest (Guest Post)

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