If you've ever noticed that the inside of your shirt collar is dingy and discolored, you've encountered what's known as a "ring around the collar." Over time, stains from body oils and personal care products can build up on shirt collars and cuffs, leaving unsightly brown or yellow discoloration.
Fortunately, it's fairly easy to treat. Even a deeply set-in stain can be eliminated without too much time or effort. Read on to learn more about what causes ring around the collar stains, how to remove them, and the best stain removal agents to use for the job.
What Is 'Ring Around the Collar'?
"Ring around the collar" is a common issue caused by the buildup of dead skin, natural oils called sebum, sweat, and grooming products on clothing fabric. This kind of stain often shows up as dark, yellow, or dingy marks on the insides of shirt collars and cuffs. If you have oily skin or frequently use hair products, you might see these stains appear immediately due to the excess oil and product transfer. Understanding what causes these stains can help in finding the right cleaning method to remove them.
The chemical makeup of ring around the collar is different from stains on the underarms of shirts, which are caused by a combination of sweat and the aluminum found in many deodorant and antiperspirant formulas.
Here's how to treat ring around the cuff as well as ring around the collar.
What You'll Need
Equipment / Tools
- Laundry brush
Materials
- Enzyme stain remover
- Laundry detergent
- Oxygen bleach
Instructions
How to Treat Ring Around the Collar Stains
This method involves pretreating the stained areas, giving the stain remover time to work, and then laundering the shirt as usual. It's best to treat stains as soon as you notice them, so inspect your collars and cuffs each time you take your shirt off. If you notice stains, start the pretreatment process right away.
Apply Enzyme Stain Remover
- Begin by applying an enzyme stain remover to the affected areas, like the shirt collar and cuffs. Find these products in liquid form in spray bottles, making it easy to cover the stained sections. The enzymes work by breaking down the oils and proteins that cause the stain, thus priming them to be more manageable during removal.
Use Laundry Brush to Agitate Stain
- Use a laundry brush to work the stain remover into the collar and agitate the soils, which will help the enzymes break down the buildup of dirt and oils that causes ring around the collar.
Wait 15 to 20 Minutes
- Enzyme stain removers are slower-acting than other stain treatment products, so it is important to allow time for them to work. Wait at least 15 to 20 minutes after applying the stain remover before laundering the garment as usual.
Launder Inside Out
- After pretreating the stain, if you haven't already done so, turn the shirt inside out before putting it in the washer. Washing shirts with stained collars or cuffs inside out allows water and detergent to make more contact with the dirtiest part of the garment.
Check Stain Before Drying
- After washing the shirt, check that the stains came out of the collar before putting it in the dryer. The heat from the dryer can set stains, making them more difficult to remove. If the stains are still present, proceed to step 6. If the stains are gone, dry the shirt as usual following the instructions on the care tag.
Soak in Oxygen Bleach If Needed
- If, after washing, ring around the collar stains are still present, make a solution of oxygen bleach and water and soak the shirt in it for an hour up to overnight.
The Best Stain Removers for Ring Around the Collar
There are several stain removal products that work well at treating ring around the collar, including those formulated to break down oil and grease stains. However, because ring around the collar is a bio-based stain, the most effective stain removers are enzyme cleaners. In particular, look for enzyme cleaners that contain lipase, an enzyme that breaks down fats and oils including sebum.
Best Overall Ring Around the Collar Stain Remover: Puracy Laundry Stain Remover is a general-purpose stain remover that contains six enzymes, including lipase, to break down bio-based stains including those from sweat, sebum, and dead skin.
Best Enzyme Ring Around the Collar Stain Remover: Zout Laundry Stain Remover Triple Enzyme Formula is an enzyme stain remover formulated with amylase, protease, and lipase, which work to penetrate, break down, and eliminate bio-based stains.
Best for Ring Around the Collar and Makeup Stains: OxiClean MaxForce contains the enzymes amylase, protease, and mannanase but is not formulated with lipase. If you frequently encounter two different types of collar stains—ring around the collar as well as makeup stains—OxiClean MaxForce is a good choice for treating both.
Best for Oily Ring Around the Collar Stains: Pine-Sol, Pinalen, and Lestoil are pine-based cleaning and stain removal agents that can help to break down oily buildup from sebum as well as from oil-based personal care products such as hair oil or hair gel.
Best for Set-in Ring Around the Collar Stains: OxiClean Versatile Stain Removing Powder is an oxygen bleach that can be used as a soaking agent to treat and eliminate deeply set-in ring around the collar stains.
