Stinky gym clothes
Snickervc
Posts: 5 Member
What have you found to get the stinky bacteria smell out of your gym/yoga clothes? I’ve tried Tide, Persel and Norwex to no avail. I can still smell underarm bacteria. I am rewashing now with vinegar and baking soda added. Thanks!
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Replies
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Stop wearing plastics and change to 100 % linen and cotton. Smell gone!16
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I find the dry fit workout gear does hold onto smells more so than cottons, probably because of the moisture wicking properties 🤷🏼♀️.
Anyway, I use dreft and wash soda and sometimes end up throwing the dry fit work out clothes in with the next load a time or two before putting them in the dryer. Don’t dry stuff if you think it still stinks though because it’ll make it harder to get the smell out next time.2 -
I read an article which gave the suggestion of using baking soda in the wash, as well as keeping the clothes turned inside out. This has helped my clothes quite a lot.2
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neugebauer52 wrote: »Stop wearing plastics and change to 100 % linen and cotton. Smell gone!
Yeah, no....I'll stick with wicking clothes. Cotton just feels gross when you perspire a lot.
OP I add a scoop of Borax to my running / workout clothes along with my usual detergent and no longer feel the need to burn them after a few months!5 -
I think you're on the right track with vinegar and baking soda. A cup of vinegar in the was is usually my go to if we forgot a load and it got stinky. I would imagine it would work for sweat.2
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I use Dettol laundry cleaner. It has helped a fair bit with older stinky stuff, but I have bought some new tops and using it on them from the get go to see if it stops the smell developing. I have also read somewhere that drying the clothing out in direct sunlight helps.0
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For really stinky stuff I soak the armpits in neat white vinegar before washing - it works but it can fade dark fabrics. I also wear merino T-shirt’s where possible; they never ever seem to smell and they do wick away sweat a lot more than cotton. Probably not as dry next to my skin as artificial fabrics.3
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Merino and some of the more expensive synthetics are stink proof.2
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neugebauer52 wrote: »Stop wearing plastics and change to 100 % linen and cotton. Smell gone!
Ways in which to get clammy and far more uncomfortable than necessary at best. Also cotton production isn't exactly environmentally friendly, especially if it's organic cotton. Wool would be a far better option.3 -
If you perspire prolifically then wicking fabrics feel even worse than cotton.5
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Oxyclean in the wash, vinegar in the rinse. No fabric softener ever. Don't heat dry unless all smell is gone. Lysol also makes a laundry rinse that might work well.1
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Oxyclean1
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I soak mine in this for an hour. Then into the wash with laundry balls (bio-ceramic technology).
FRESH!2 -
Cheap way is add a bit of Borax to it (but it might stain if you're not careful) or Tea Tree Oil, which does kill all mildew and bacteria.0
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So an update! Cheap ol’ white vinegar and baking soda with detergent made all the different. All smells eliminated! Thank you for the input!11
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Use a detergent made for tech clothing (Nathan, Hex, Win, etc). Do not use any fabric softener and never dry them in a dryer.
For those who suggest cotton you must enjoy raw chafed skin. I'll stick to wicking clothes, thank you.
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I add a squirt of dawn dish soap to the load. And usually wash with tide powder. Never had stink stick around. Probably not the best idea for a front load machine though.5
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Washing at a high temperature kills the bacteria and gets rid of the smell. 60 degrees C (140F) is high enough. I know that’s higher than recommended for some fabrics, but it hasn’t damaged any of my clothes.2
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I agree with the switch to cotton. I use tide with bleach (must have the bleach) and haven’t had any issues.0
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Sounds like we have a good old fashioned sweat off.
The best comment I got was "There's no way that's sweat, you must have jumped in a river" after I ran into work.0 -
Use a detergent made for tech clothing (Nathan, Hex, Win, etc). Do not use any fabric softener and never dry them in a dryer.
For those who suggest cotton you must enjoy raw chafed skin. I'll stick to wicking clothes, thank you.
Here’s the weird thing. I have heard those directions before. However, I wear tech shirts every day for work. So I wash a load every week. Put them in the dryer with fabric softener sheets. Works fine. Some shirts I have literally washed over 300 times like this-they look basically new and have no odor. Mostly Under Armour and Adidas. So go figure.
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So an update! Cheap ol’ white vinegar and baking soda with detergent made all the different. All smells eliminated! Thank you for the input!
Glad it has worked - but I would advise you not to count your chickens until you have actually worn the clothing in the gym again. My problem with stinky stuff has never been directly after washing - it has always been fine, but as soon as I start working out in the gym the new sweat seems to activate the old sweat and it reeks. Since using the Dettol laundry aid this problem has got much less noticeable but it is still there a bit with some older garments. I may have to throw them out, though I am loath to as they look new and are very comfy.
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Use a detergent made for tech clothing (Nathan, Hex, Win, etc). Do not use any fabric softener and never dry them in a dryer.
For those who suggest cotton you must enjoy raw chafed skin. I'll stick to wicking clothes, thank you.
Here’s the weird thing. I have heard those directions before. However, I wear tech shirts every day for work. So I wash a load every week. Put them in the dryer with fabric softener sheets. Works fine. Some shirts I have literally washed over 300 times like this-they look basically new and have no odor. Mostly Under Armour and Adidas. So go figure.
Yeah, I used to do that too. The problem I had was after a few weeks my shirts would start to smell awful. They smelled great when I put them on but after a few miles in the humidity and heat you cold smell me coming from a mile away. 0 -
Use a detergent made for tech clothing (Nathan, Hex, Win, etc). Do not use any fabric softener and never dry them in a dryer.
For those who suggest cotton you must enjoy raw chafed skin. I'll stick to wicking clothes, thank you.
Hmm, it is the opposite fro me, anything that is not mostly cotton will cause irritated skin when I sweat and even rashes, no matter how expensive the brand is. I just wear a cotton tank top and bring a couple of towels with me.1 -
Use a detergent made for tech clothing (Nathan, Hex, Win, etc). Do not use any fabric softener and never dry them in a dryer.
For those who suggest cotton you must enjoy raw chafed skin. I'll stick to wicking clothes, thank you.
Here’s the weird thing. I have heard those directions before. However, I wear tech shirts every day for work. So I wash a load every week. Put them in the dryer with fabric softener sheets. Works fine. Some shirts I have literally washed over 300 times like this-they look basically new and have no odor. Mostly Under Armour and Adidas. So go figure.
Yeah, I used to do that too. The problem I had was after a few weeks my shirts would start to smell awful. They smelled great when I put them on but after a few miles in the humidity and heat you cold smell me coming from a mile away.
I have some of those as well—usually the cheaper or older ones. I used to reserve them for working out in the basement, but then even the dog started leaving the room. That’s when I knew they had to go.1 -
I let mine dry completely out esp if they are soaking wet before they ever hit the hamper. When they are damp sitting until you wash them next thats where that smell really can take a entire life of it's own. Then borax, baking soda and oxiclean with a shot of Sals Suds and my stuff smells fresh.0
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SnifterPug wrote: »So an update! Cheap ol’ white vinegar and baking soda with detergent made all the different. All smells eliminated! Thank you for the input!
Glad it has worked - but I would advise you not to count your chickens until you have actually worn the clothing in the gym again. My problem with stinky stuff has never been directly after washing - it has always been fine, but as soon as I start working out in the gym the new sweat seems to activate the old sweat and it reeks. Since using the Dettol laundry aid this problem has got much less noticeable but it is still there a bit with some older garments. I may have to throw them out, though I am loath to as they look new and are very comfy.
Yeah, i noticed that too. It comes out from washing fine. I usually air dry my workout stuff, no dryer. But when i wear it, it starts wafting stench as soon as i start sweating. Not all things, but some for sure. So what i do, to get rid of that, is i add a little bit of bleach in the wash. It's enough to kill the stink-causing bacteria, and none of my athletic/ workout jerseys, garments got damaged. I don't do it every time, usually one treatment lasts for a few weeks before it has to be repeated. I use my nose to judge.
ETA, washed my cycling shoes this way too, my oldest pair smelled so bad. They came out great, fresh, no smell. Bleach is the king, lol!0 -
Crap. I just ran upstairs to the bedroom to sniff my workout clothes. Just in case..smelled fine.
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