Yellowish stains on white shirt collars

[Brookville]

You know the type I mean...Are these shirts beyond repair? I've done the colour run remover, bleach etc but can't seem to refresh the collars and they look a bit decrepid now.

Bleach will not help.

It is oil from the skin, which does not show at first, but slowly oxidises.

I used to get it on "best" shirts which were washed and put away, not on shirts that were washed every week and thrown away when worn out.

If the wearer has a clean job, office shirts don't usually need an intensive wash so the traces of oil are not removed.

Old oxidised oil hardens and is difficult to remove. I have had the best results with a "collar and cuffs" spray and the hottest wash with Persil powder. Pure cotton will stand up to a hot wash but less expensive polycotton may wrinkle at the linings of collar and cuffs.

You could also try rubbing with a paste of persil and water. Liquids are not so good for whites.

That's excellent Piglet. I didn't know any of that!

Soak in Napisan (if really bad, make a paste of napisan and water and rub on and leave overnight), then wash with Daz and napisan.
To keep them nice, then just wash with daz (or another biological powder for whites) and a slug of napisan

I have bad some good results with mixing vinegar with baking powder and leaving it to soak. Amonia (if you can find the stuff) has also worked.