Smelly clothes

Hi everyone.

Strange question. Does anyone else have a problem with body odour? Not in a really bad way but i lift heavy weights 4/5 times a week and have noticed that my deodorant gives up.

It’s not a bad smell, just a gym smell. I shower 2/3 times a day and have never had an issue before.

I put it down to the extra testosterone I’m producing from squats etc. I’ve also noticed my legs are more hairy too!

I’m a man but not in my teens!
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Replies

  • claireychn074
    claireychn074 Posts: 1,311 Member
    Your body odour can vary depending on lots of factors, including the bacteria you naturally have on your skin and what you eat. Alliums and strong spices can change your smell, and I suspect that increased protein might have a similar effect. Maybe you’ve got some new friendly bacteria!
  • MohsenSALAH
    MohsenSALAH Posts: 182 Member
    Your body odour can vary depending on lots of factors, including the bacteria you naturally have on your skin and what you eat. Alliums and strong spices can change your smell, and I suspect that increased protein might have a similar effect. Maybe you’ve got some new friendly bacteria!

    I agree spices make ur sweet smelly.

    U can put perfumes, and try to avoid cotton clothes because they catch water and sweat.
  • Jacq_qui
    Jacq_qui Posts: 429 Member
    I would say that hormones (at least for women) make a big difference and that I smell and sweat differently at different times of the month. Generally I don't usually think I smell after a work out, but since lockdown I've been doing a lot of walking and if I've gone for a (fast paced) 5km walk in a plain t shirt I find that is much more likely to smell than ever doing a workout in my gym clothes. And also when I take it off, the smell basically disappears! (Obviously still want a shower anyway, but it's definitely the top and not me) So..it could easily be your hormones like you say, or what you are wearing :)
    .
  • disasterman
    disasterman Posts: 746 Member
    Your clothes aren't getting clean. Particularly if you have synthetic "athletic" fabric clothes, bacteria is staying in your clothes and when you get it wet by sweating again it amplifies the smell.

    I think this. I prefer cotton or the UA Charged Cotton for my workouts - unfortunately, they're not paying me to say this :). The less natural fibers seems to hold smell more to me.
  • Talan79
    Talan79 Posts: 782 Member
    I use this stuff. Gets the smell out of gym attire.
    I use it for everything. ixul0ytvfwjd.png
  • ExistingFish
    ExistingFish Posts: 1,259 Member
    Talan79 wrote: »
    I use this stuff. Gets the smell out of gym attire.
    I use it for everything. ixul0ytvfwjd.png

    Does it remove the smell or put another smell over it? I've looked into those, they just claim to boost scent, not eliminate odors. I don't like smelly laundry, but I am interested in something that is an "every wash" kind of thing. So far the vinegar thing works (and wash after, for the vinegar smell!), but it takes doing essentially a double load every couple of weeks.
  • RockingWithLJ
    RockingWithLJ Posts: 243 Member
    I say let it fly... Or carry deodorant with you and have it at the ready ;)
    Side note: i dont wear deodorant because I don't particularly like people being near me all that much. it makes me happy that this social distancing thing is still going strong :)
  • Talan79
    Talan79 Posts: 782 Member
    Talan79 wrote: »
    I use this stuff. Gets the smell out of gym attire.
    I use it for everything. ixul0ytvfwjd.png

    Does it remove the smell or put another smell over it? I've looked into those, they just claim to boost scent, not eliminate odors. I don't like smelly laundry, but I am interested in something that is an "every wash" kind of thing. So far the vinegar thing works (and wash after, for the vinegar smell!), but it takes doing essentially a double load every couple of weeks.

    My issue wasn’t a sweat smell. I’d hang my gym clothes on hangers to dry before washing. But I noticed that when I start to sweat, there would be a mold smell, even though I was not tossing wet clothes in the hamper.
    My sister introduced me to this & I haven’t stopped using it. It took that moldy smell out.
    It’s not an overly strong scent. They just smell nice out of the dryer.
  • KayakerJoe
    KayakerJoe Posts: 80 Member
    I do have some of that but I find it’s an overpowering scent. I have the nose of a bloodhound so adding a really sharp fragrance on top of a smell, I smell both.

    It’s probably time to try the vinegar trick!
  • littlegreenparrot1
    littlegreenparrot1 Posts: 694 Member
    I have some Nikwax stuff called Basewash, it's designed to deodorise sportswear and help avoid this.
    It seems to help.
  • ExistingFish
    ExistingFish Posts: 1,259 Member
    I have some Nikwax stuff called Basewash, it's designed to deodorise sportswear and help avoid this.
    It seems to help.

    I haven't used that, but I've been quite impressed with other Nikwax products.
  • gininthegym
    gininthegym Posts: 47 Member
    I have some sports wear that seems to hold the 'stink'. I have tried many things - a hotter wash, bleach, white vinegar. The best thing I have found is a laundry cleanser - antibacterial.

    What I do believe to be true though is NOT to use fabric softener when washing clothes which are designed to be sweat wicking.

    Once the smell is in there it can be difficult to get it out - I have had to throw out a couple of my running vests recently.
  • jiujitsudad15118
    jiujitsudad15118 Posts: 462 Member
    I have some sports wear that seems to hold the 'stink'. I have tried many things - a hotter wash, bleach, white vinegar. The best thing I have found is a laundry cleanser - antibacterial.

    What I do believe to be true though is NOT to use fabric softener when washing clothes which are designed to be sweat wicking.

    Once the smell is in there it can be difficult to get it out - I have had to throw out a couple of my running vests recently.

    I agree with this. What I’ve done is I wear the same workout clothes now so only those clothes have the funk. I don’t wash them with anything else and keep them away from the other non-funk contaminated clothes.
  • tinkerbellang83
    tinkerbellang83 Posts: 9,122 Member
    edited August 2020
    I throw a cap of Zoflora Linen (scented disinfectant) in with our gym gear, it works a treat. Also wash it at higher temp.

    No more foisty smelling gym gear!
  • Curvybaja55
    Curvybaja55 Posts: 114 Member
    KayakerJoe wrote: »
    I do have some of that but I find it’s an overpowering scent. I have the nose of a bloodhound so adding a really sharp fragrance on top of a smell, I smell both.

    It’s probably time to try the vinegar trick!

    The vinegar really work soak for 1 hour with a bit of baking soda in the rinse cycle no fabric softeners. It also works for smelly towels.
  • fstrickl
    fstrickl Posts: 883 Member
    This looks like the perfect time for me to recommend my Lockdown Instagram obsession: laundry stripping. It’s gross but amazing. Sounds similar to the vinegar soak. Basically it’s stripping your laundry (anything you want, I’ve done gym clothes and bedding) of the embedded oils, grease, bacteria etc that gets set in. I learned about it from an account called GoCleanCo. Their directions are:
    1. Fill your tub or upright washer with HOT Water, 2. add 1 scoop powdered Tide (it has to be powdered) 1/4c Borax, 1/4c washing soda (its a type of baking soda used for cleaning, found in the cleaning aisle).
    3. Add whatever you want to strip let it soak for 4-6 hours and stir every hour
    4. When you’re done soaking, drain and throw it in the wash, no need to add detergent since your items will be saturated with the other detergents. This wash is to get that stuff out.

    I can show you pics of the water if you want. It’s gross but also so satisfying.
  • ExistingFish
    ExistingFish Posts: 1,259 Member
    I have some sports wear that seems to hold the 'stink'. I have tried many things - a hotter wash, bleach, white vinegar. The best thing I have found is a laundry cleanser - antibacterial.

    What I do believe to be true though is NOT to use fabric softener when washing clothes which are designed to be sweat wicking.

    Once the smell is in there it can be difficult to get it out - I have had to throw out a couple of my running vests recently.

    OR dryer sheets, they do the same thing.
  • durhammfp
    durhammfp Posts: 493 Member
    edited September 2020
    I do a pre-soak with a cup or two of white vinegar before I wash. Fixes it right up.

    [Original Response Redacted]

    Read the first post about vinegar and chimed in but then read the rest of the posts... y'all got it covered. Anyway, I'm another vote for using white vinegar as a soak/rinse/extra wash for odor removal/stripping laundry. It works really well.

  • durhammfp
    durhammfp Posts: 493 Member
    fstrickl wrote: »
    .. washing soda (its a type of baking soda used for cleaning, found in the cleaning aisle).

    Washing soda is sodium carbonate and baking soda is sodium bicarbonate. Close but very different. Washing soda is much more alkaline than baking soda.

    If you run out of washing soda, you can make your own by taking baking soda and actually baking it in the oven. I believe the temp and time are related to the amount but you can find that information pretty easily online.