How do I get the smell of sweat out of clothes!

98jdougl

i used to have this (esp with smell getting stuck in bras) and use bicarb of soda (as wonderfully recommended here) and found it worked a treat.
I always sprinkle a bit in the bottom of my laundry hamper so that the smells dont get stuck there (kim and aggie lol)

its a horrible problem to have i know because it makes you feel so self conscious although other people probably don't notice it as much as you do.
I use a natural crystal deodorant now which cost about £2 and it is working well so far

justruth

Thanks all,

It's an ongoing problem and while I try not to wash laundry every day I do tend to stick clothes straight in the wash if I have been sweating. I have tried alternative anti perspirants and will give Driclor a try. As for hand washing I have tried with washing up liquid, hand wash detergents, soaking clothes before washing and I always seem to get this same nasty build up.

Would be nice to live a sweat free life!

Nicki

I don't know if this would work for you, but when DH's shirts get a little over-ripe, I've soaked them overnight in vinegar and cold water, then rewashed them and that has always solved the smell problem. I don't know whether it would also work in the hardened patches.

Plum_Pie

Buy some peroxide from the chemist - it's a quid a bottle at my local pharmacy. Put on the stained area. Leave for an hour or so. Wash as usual.

If the deodorant is leaving 'greasy' white stains, make a paste of crushed aspirin and peroxide, smear on affected area. Leave for an hour or so. Wash as usual.

Only use peroxide in a well-ventilated area and wearing gloves!

skintbuthappy81

When using Driclor for the first few times it can sting a bit, just grin and bear it (you put it on at night before bed) after that it should be fine and you will notice rapid improvements trust me! It should result in you only using it once a month.

Queen_of_NO_MATTER_WHAT

Obviously they are washed in the machine, but there are a few of my OH's tops where the smell seems to have become ingrained in the material. So if he gets a little bit sweaty the old smell resurfaces.

Any ideas?

Pretty disgusting I know but instead of throwing them out I’d like to try and fix them, so any suggestions gratefully received

oystercatcher

Are you sure it's the clothes and not HIM ?

I only mention because my DH gets very pongy if he doesn't use antiperspirant and even when he's washed there's still lingering pongy stuff which doesn't take long to become 'reactivated' in a warm enviroment! If he uses a good spray the problem seems to vanish I think it kills off the lingering bugs.

If it is the clothes then biological wahing powder ought to deal with it, maybe a slightly warmer wash than normal to kill stuff off.

Oystercatcher

Greenbynature

Have seen this question somewhere else but I remember someone recommending using bi carb I tired it myself on one of my DS's tops, I just put some into a bowl and added water and then put the underarm area of the top into bowl and left it for awhile then washed as normal, it worked
HTH

cte1111

Not very helpful in the current weather, but if you leave the clothes out on the line after being washed (preferably overnight) then it will help to get smells out (and some stains if they are left out in the sun).

Butterfly_Brain

Vinegar is a good way just soak for a while and then wash as normal