Stuck Stink!

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bethfartman
bethfartman Posts: 363 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I'm not a very smelly person and typically do not sweat much, but when I work out I sweat tons especially during these warmer months. Lately I've noticed my gym shirts still kind of smell after I wash them. Does anyone add anything to their gym clothes wash load that helps get the stink out?

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  • SanteMulberry
    SanteMulberry Posts: 3,202 Member
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    I'm not a very smelly person and typically do not sweat much, but when I work out I sweat tons especially during these warmer months. Lately I've noticed my gym shirts still kind of smell after I wash them. Does anyone add anything to their gym clothes wash load that helps get the stink out?

    You can add essential oils like, Tea Tree oil, essential oils of lavender, cloves, cinnamon, pine to your wash load---whatever appeals to you. Essential plant oils have the added benefit of sanitizing as they create non-allergenic fragrance in your clothes. If you are allergic to pine, you might want to skip that one. You can get essential plant oils at your local health food store and you put a couple of drops per washing machine load. My favorite is to put one drop of cinnamon and one drop of cloves. My husband is kind of smelly even though he bathes regularly---he sweats a lot and I found that even our closet smelled kind of musty from his clothes being in there. Bleach works to get the smell out of towels and bedsheets but I didn't know what to do about clothes so I asked around and someone told me about essential plant oils (I'm allergic to perfumes but the essential plant oils don't bother me). Now, even my closet smells good! :smile:

    p.s. Essential plant oils have been shown to lift mood as well! Many hospitals in Europe add essential oil of citrus to their ventilating systems. Not only does it sanitize the air of microbes, it adds a pleasant smell AND it is a mood lifter!
  • jonchew
    jonchew Posts: 239 Member
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    I've heard people have success with using hydrogen peroxide (3% pharmacy-grade - in a spray bottle), sprayed in the high-sweat areas (pits/crotches) help with the polyester garment stinkies.

    I'm not sure if you end-up bleaching-out colors or not in time, but I've read good things about this solution - I'm going to try it myself, on my self-wicking clothes.
  • timboom1
    timboom1 Posts: 762 Member
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    Try putting 1/4 cup of vinegar in the wash with them, although eventually perma-stink will catch up with most workout clothes and nothing will really cure it. It is easier to prevent than fix so I always wash my running gear with a little vinegar even if they don't have that lovely odor. I also wash them seperate from other clothes and do not machine dry them, the heat can set the stink in.
  • mrsmark2010
    mrsmark2010 Posts: 220
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    Tide Sport with Febreeze. Amazing! Love it. Makes putting on sports bra and breaking a sweat actually smell nice!
  • bethfartman
    bethfartman Posts: 363 Member
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    Ooooh, I love the idea of cinnamon and clove. I normally buy unscented detergent since I don't really like the scents of any detergent I've tried. Great suggestions, thanks!
  • SanteMulberry
    SanteMulberry Posts: 3,202 Member
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    Ooooh, I love the idea of cinnamon and clove. I normally buy unscented detergent since I don't really like the scents of any detergent I've tried. Great suggestions, thanks!

    Wise choice to skip the perfumed detergents----they are loaded with hazardous chemicals. Advocacy groups are urging the government to to warn consumers that perfume contains, on average, fourteen different chemicals---some of them are toxic. Most of them have not been tested for safety and no one knows what the combination of them will do to someone. We have an ever-increasing asthma rate in children---one wonders if perfumes are part of the picture. When I have an asthma attack, it is usually because I have been exposed to perfume. Scented detergents contain LOTS of chemicals. They hypo-allergenic ones contain a lot fewer chemicals.

    p.s. Here's an article that speaks to the problem of hazardous chemicals in perfumes for anyone who is interested: http://www.aolnews.com/2010/05/11/top-perfumes-contain-hazardous-secret-chemicals/
  • shanpwn
    shanpwn Posts: 66 Member
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    Honestly, vinegar or even a small (I MEAN SMALL) amount of original blue formula Dawn dish detergent. When I worked in restaurants and just stank like grease, a combo of those worked great.

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