removing BO stains (smell)

Lyndsay_21

a couple of my tops have that bo smell under the armpit after i've washed them....... twice, how can i get rid of it as one of ther tops i've only worn a few times.

elona

Slosh vinegar (preferably white) where the fabric is smelly and leave it for an hour or so before washing as normal.

Yategirl

you could also try making a paste with sodium bicarbonate and water.. smear it on to the underarm area and then leave top overnight ideally (i do mine when I take them off and leave in linen basket till I am ready to wash) then put a glug of white vinegar in the rinse section of your washing machine detergent drawer.

nappy501

This is a recent problem for me. I have always used Mum deodorant, it really worked for me, even with nervous sweat. This year I changed to Tom's deodorant stick, it is aluminium-free. It works fine under normal conditions, but I have recently started running. I have noticed all the t-shirts I run in still smell in the armpits.

I tried washing the armpits of the t-shirts with a bar of Fairy soap, before putting them in the washing machine. I put one on tonight and I could immediately smell the armpit.

Tomorrow I am going to buy some white vinegar to try on the armpits. Does anyone know of a better deodorant that is aluminium-free?

Liz_M

Hi, I've had this problem but only with a couple of tops, so must be certain types of fabric that are worst I guess! Can you use the white vingar on any coloured tops? Is there a chance of making the colour go funny?

elle79

I've had the same problem for years and just bought some Anhydrol Forte (Amazon) and it's amazing, seriously a miracle product! You put it on at night - not every night - and it means you don't sweat at all, even after you've washed it off and on the days when you haven't used it the night before... best thing ever:)

Flat_Eric

I had this problem where it would be mid morning in the office and I would well, smell.... except it was what I was wearing that was smelly, not me ???

I eventually worked out that washing my OH running tops with my work tops wasn't a good idea :rotfl: once I did the washing separately, problem disapeared although sometimes when I peg my washing out, it doesn't smell as clean as I would like it. Think its time for a maintenance wash. need to stock up on bicarb and white vinegar :j

booter

Weird - just spotted this thread, and a friend asked me this same question earlier this evening! My OH has the same problem and whilst the method I use to remove the smells seems long winded, it works for me
1. Put on rubber gloves (I've found that without these, the smell can permeate my hands - eeeuuwww!)
2. spray garment (in smelly zones) liberally with antibacterial cleanser (got Dettol one at the mo as it was on special offer, but any anti bac seems to do the same job).
3. Rub the now saturated zones liberally with normal bar soap (again, I use any soap that's good and cheap, but if on white garments, I use white soap just in case!) (and most cheap soaps are white anyway!!) Really get a good lather up. (At this stage I also give any stains a quick rub over with the soap to pre treat them too)
4. Leave to soak for half an hour or so
5. Rinse in hot water (as hot as the garment's fabric will stand). I can usually tell at this stage if the smell has gone as the steam coming up whilst rinsing will smell of soap and not BO! If it's still whiffy, repeat the process but leave the soapy mix in longer.
6. Wash as normal in the machine.

I'm now so well practiced at this (:(), that it takes me next to no time to pre-treat the shirts. Oh dear, I sound like a real old washer woman!!

nappy501

Hi,

I forgo to say that the vinegar worked. The first time I just used malt vinegar that I use on my chips.

I just put the armpits in the vinegar and left for 30 minutes. I have them a little rub and put them into wash with everything else.

They came out fine. The t-shirts were all dark colours. I have gone back to using Mum deodorant when I am exercising. I have also bought a 5 litre container of non-brewed condiment for £2.99 from our local cheap shop. It is acetic acid so I call it white vinegar.