My Secret Shame

Lysol Laundry Sanitizer.... works wonders.

Norwex Odor Eliminator. Best stuff there is!!

I typically use a sportswear detergent but perhaps more importantly, I set the washing machine to do an extra rinse cycle.

Hex, Nathan, or similar detergent made for workout clothes (I've tried several they all seem to do the job for me). Do not dry them and never use fabric softener or dryer sheets.

Try soaking in oxiclean? I've also used Lysol laundry sanitizer or vinegar in the rinse cycle.

You might sweat more than me, but I don't do anything special with my gym clothes. I just make sure I take them out of the wash quickly before they mildew and if they're really sweaty (like I've soaked through) I hang them up after wearing so they're not bunched up in my closet. If there's a little stink left (most of my gym clothes have a little odor) I figure most people can't smell it unless they're right up there in my shirt with me. I'll smell like roses AFTER I shower and put on normal clothes. 😋

Gas and fire work well..... I just wash them.... never had an issue.

I avoid plastic rubbish clothing and stick to natural fibres.

Thanks for the information on which fabrics are the worst. I've been increasing my collection now that I'm a little smaller. I have had really good luck at the second hand store, and I ABSOLUTELY give a sniff before buying (or trying on). Some stink is really hard to get rid of. I'll be mindful of that brand -- I did pick up one or two items of theirs, and I'll have to note if they are more offensive than others.

Years ago, we used polypropylene as thermal wear under drytops or even wetsuits for paddling in winter or for cold water in summer. They would really start to stink BAD. There was something about that fabric beyond just harboring organisms that made the stink. In fact, I heard that if you got a brand new garment that was made from a roll of fabric that was old, it would pretty much stink within a couple weeks of ownership. It was some of these fabrics that convinced me how much GoreTex actually does breathe. Odor comes out with the water vapor. Whew. Then, at the end of the day, when you pulled off your drytop or drysuit and had to get your head in there with that garment. Whew! Washing in vinegar would help for a while. It would come back. When off on multi-day trips -- just wow.

Anecdote: One year when we were doing day trips on the North Umpqua River, we got back to camp one afternoon mid-week. I took off my paddling clothes and hung them on a clothes line. Just getting them dry also helps. Anyway, at some point I looked up and noticed a kettle of turkey vultures circling high above camp. I knew what they were thinking: "I don't know what that is, but it HAS to be dead." Oh yeah. I think I still have some of those old fabrics. I should wear one just for the memory....

... and when you finally realize that yes, your clothes are quite ripe and rank, give them a good wash, make a small spray bottle of Sink the Stink, wet 'em down and let 'em dry.

Leaving them in the sun for a day can help. The UV kills things, too. It also will shorten the life of your fabrics.

The concern about cyanobacteria and cyanotoxins is real. If you can, look for phosphate-free soaps and detergents. @dewd2 mentioned specialty detergents. They are formulated to clean high-tech synthetics and rinse clean without affecting the properties of the fabrics. Try them if you can find them, and for sure, avoid liquid laundry soap; it almost always has fabric softeners which are really hard on synthetic fabrics. As long as we're on the topic of environmental impacts of washing clothes, even where there are ample supplies of water and no threat of shortage, it takes energy to pump all that water around, and heated water uses even more energy.

But you already know that. Don't let it keep you from trying to get the stink out of modern high-tech fabrics.

Tread lightly with the baking soda. It's fine to throw your clothes into a tub with baking soda and vinegar and toss the water out but not down the drain. These brand new front loader washing machines can become easily clogged with dried baking soda....the drain pump filters. Ditto with old washers and bathtub drains. Then it's another process to rid the drain of clumped baking soda. Apple cider vinegar with washing detergent is fine and rinse twice if the vinegar residue is still there.

https://observer.com/2017/08/how-to-wash-sweaty-workout-clothes/


"Let the brew soak for an hour before dumping all gym gear into the washing machine with one cup of white vinegar and two tablespoons of baking soda.

Whatever you do, think dry. Odor-causing bacteria thrive in the damp, so don’t let your sweaty clothes ferment in the hamper."

mtaratoot wrote: »

This makes no sense to me. Baking soda is sodium bicarbonate (NaCO3). Vinegar is acetic acid (CH3-COOH). When you combine them, they disassociate into sodium acetate, carbon dioxide, and water. I don't think sodium acetate will kill microbes, but acetic acid will.

But if it works -- go for it!

Generally, when I use baking soda and vinegar in my laundry, the baking soda goes in with the detergent and the vinegar goes into the *second rinse cycle* and it's primarily added to counter hard water residue, rather than bacteria.