Cleaning Sweaty Gym Kit ... The Green Way?

Fire_Fox

Sorry in advance this isn't a nice subject matter.

I try to use as many biodegradable/ ethical cleaning products as possible, mainly Bio-D at present. I am a naturally sweaty person and my job is very physical so my work clothes and gym kit are not always as fresh as I'd like!! I do shower regularly and use anti-perspirant/ deodorant (Mitchum), but sometimes find my clothes smell even if I don't due to bacteria not coming out in the laundry.

If I (chlorine) bleach the whites that gets rid of the problem, but it's not very 'green' plus I can't bleach colours and my work uniform is blue. Often I throw t-shirts away before they are worn out which is just wasteful. Is there anything on the market that regulars can recommend that actually works to kill bacteria? I have seen but never tried this
http://www.spiritofnature.co.uk/acatalog/5987.html#a5987

Any other ideas?

Dreaming_debtfree_dreams

Hi Fire Fox

My OH's tend to get a bit hot in his sleep, leaving me with stinky PJ's to clean. I use eco balls with borax to deal with the smelly wash and also spray really stinky stuff with white vinegar and leave for 10 mins before bunging in the wash. I tried the vinegar out of frustration one day and it seemed to work.

I also find the way I dry the clothes has a huge effect on whether the stinky stuff smells fresh, I need to get things on the line pronto or occasionally use the tumble dryer (not very green, I know). If I have to air dry lots of things, the smelly stuff tends to stay smelly.

Fire_Fox

Thanks, I will try vinegar! I do the laundry overnight (E7) and air dry everything in the flat (windows open) the following day. I have a washer-dryer and the tumble dryer is useless anyway. I don't find there is any smell after washing the clothes, but as soon as I sweat again .... I assume it is bacteria on the clothes since bleach gets rid.

Volcano

Fire_Fox wrote: »

If I (chlorine) bleach the whites that gets rid of the problem, but it's not very 'green'

I'm not sure why you think this is? Bleach (as sodium hypochlorite solution) degrades in waste water to common salt and is certainly 'greener' than borax. Use it on your whites guilt free!

Vinegar sprayed on the smelly areas is a good idea, as the increased acidity will likely be enough to kill off the bacteria. DO NOT mix vinegar and bleach however!!

http://www.spiritofnature.co.uk/acatalog/5987.html#a5987

The only unusual stuff this contains is alcohol. Everything else is more or less the same as you'd find in a biological washing powder for colours. Diluted (with water) methylated spirits is an alcohol that is both a stain remover and anti-bacterial, so you could try a spray of this if you wanted.

Personally I'd: bleach the whites, try spraying vinegar or meths on the smelly area of the colours before washing in biological washing powder (you don't need as much as they say, try half or 1/3).

greenbee

I work my gym kit hard too , and as most of it is synthetic, have to wash it at low temperatures. Since I've started using soap nuts I haven't had any problems, which surprised me, but then I have been line-drying and tend to leave stuff out there for hours!

... thanks for reminding me that I've got another load of stinky gym kit to put on tonight...

belfastgirl23

I have vinegar in a spray bottle that I spray on any particularly smelly bits and I also use vinegar in the rinse water instead of fabric conditioner. I also use a spoonful of bicarb of soda in the wash. All very eco friendly. Sometimes it takes a second wash to be sure that things are smell free though

Fire_Fox

Thanks for all the responses. I feel better knowing that I am not the only person with this embarassing issue! :A

Volcano

belfastgirl23 wrote: »

I have vinegar in a spray bottle that I spray on any particularly smelly bits and I also use vinegar in the rinse water instead of fabric conditioner. I also use a spoonful of bicarb of soda in the wash. All very eco friendly. Sometimes it takes a second wash to be sure that things are smell free though

You'll have a better result if you keep the vinegar and bicarb separate from one another; ones acidic, the other's alkali so they'll tend to cancel one another out.

belfastgirl23

Volcano wrote: »

You'll have a better result if you keep the vinegar and bicarb separate from one another; ones acidic, the other's alkali so they'll tend to cancel one another out.

good point. I usually use bicarb in the wash and vinegar in the rinse but sometimes there is also vinegar in the wash if I've sprayed something never thought of it like this.

greenbee

If you're using vinegar to rinse, you can add a few drops of an anti-bacterial essential oil such as tea-tree, which might help.