Any tips for getting vomit-like smell out of work (kitchen) clothes?

Lafleur_2

I'm a dishwasher in a restaurant so i spend a lot of time (hours) standing at a filled up sink washing stuff and tend to get soaked around my stomach/crotch area from water splashing out of the sink. I would wash boards used for raw meat preparation as well as regular food plates ect. I've recently noticed a vomit-like odor around these areas of my clothes. I think leaving my t-shirts/trousers in the washing hamper overnight has a lot to do with this.

I just can't seem to get this odor completely out. I've soaked these clothes and underpants in oxygen power(incl. Vanish "Extra Hygiene") at least 2-3 times, washing them after every "soak" with bio washing powder, soaked them in a hydrogen peroxide solution, a vinegar solution overnight, then washed them today and hints of the odor are still there.

Any advice on how to get such odors out would be greatly appreciated! Posted this in the In My Home forum and was notified that posters here have a reputation for knowing their way around household items to get smells out of things, hope to hear from some of you regarding this issue!
Cheers

hannahsmamma

add a capful of 'Zoflora' disinfectant in the fabric softner compartment of your washing machine ( do not add fabric softner).

sweetme

Vodka is very good at neutralising nasty smells.

Gingernutty

I worked as a cleaner at a supermarket once. Part of the contract was for the fat traps in the restaurant to cleaned once and month. The two guys that had to do this had no friends in the canteen, honestly. The vomit-y smell was horrendous.

Following on from hannahsmamma suggestion, the smell may be due to grease.

Wash with biological washing powder/liquid, at the recommended temperature with some soda crystals in the soap drawer as well as the Zoflora in the fabric conditioner drawer.

The crystals make a slightly alkaline solution and that's good for grease stains.

Good luck.

:rotfl: Just saw sweetme's suggstion. you could pre-treat the stains with an organic solvent, like ethanol, yeah. That might do it!

marmiterulesok

Bicarbonate of soda is also very good at removing odours.You could sprinkle the offending areas with it and leave it in overnight before washing them.

splishsplash

It might be a good idea to get a heavy duty plastic apron from a catering suppliers to prevent the problem from happening again.

Lafleur_2

Cheers for the tips guys, will try all that's been suggested

FairyPrincessk

Just a thought--how are you drying these clothes? A good long stretch on a washing line in sunlight (I know, its rare these days!) might help. It is the only thing that seems to work on my tea towels.

pollys

If the clothes have been washed and still smell try spraying with febreeze (the fabric spray not air freshener) and line dry. Then re wash.

Pollys

Valli

I think you should try washing them at the highest possible temperature along with the biological powder. Add white vinegar to the fabric conditioner drawer, too. Line dry, in the sunshine, if possible.

And get an apron!

Downsizing__for_sanity

I use Napisan on my DD's reusable nappies sometimes, as well as washing them with the usual detergent. Quite cheap, from the baby aisle in Tesco and places like Home Bargains. From time to time they get a build up and can smell quite "ammonium", so I "strip" them with a dishwasher tablet in the wash as a prewash first. That might work for you!