How to get rid of sweat smell and body odor in fabric

Step by step

1. 1

   Don't let sweaty clothes sit damp

   Hang workout clothes and sweaty shirts to dry, or wash them soon. Don't seal them in a gym bag or pile them wet in a hamper.

   Why: Bacteria keep growing on damp, soiled fabric and keep making odor compounds.

2. 2

   Pretreat the underarms and collar

   Work liquid laundry detergent into the underarms, collar and other sweaty areas. For heavy deodorant buildup, use a prewash stain remover and let it stand 5 to 10 minutes.

   Why: These areas hold body oil, sweat residue and antiperspirant film, which trap odor and feed bacteria.

3. 3

   Soak in an enzyme product

   For stubborn smells, soak 20 to 30 minutes in warm water with an enzyme detergent or presoak.

   Why: Enzymes break down the protein and fatty soil that bacteria turn into odor.

4. 4

   Wash in the hottest water the label allows

   Launder with the recommended amount of detergent in the hottest water safe for the fabric. Add oxygen bleach for persistent cases.

   Why: Hot water lifts oily soil better than cold, and too little detergent leaves residue behind.

5. 5

   Check before you dry

   Smell the underarms once the item is out of the washer. If odor remains, soak it in baking soda and water and wash again instead of drying.

   Why: Dryer heat can set stains and residue. A second round removes what the first one missed.

What causes body odor in clothes

Fresh sweat is nearly odorless. Body odor forms when skin bacteria break sweat down. In the underarm, glands release an odorless precursor that the bacterium Staphylococcus hominis converts into 3-methyl-3-sulfanylhexan-1-ol, a sulfur compound that's a key part of underarm odor.

On clothing, other bacteria keep working on fatty acids, hormones and amino acids from sweat and skin oil, turning them into smaller, smellier molecules. Antiperspirant salts and body oils also build up in the underarm area and hold odor, and heavy buildup may be impossible to remove fully. See deodorant stains for the marks it leaves.

Why gym clothes smell worse than cotton

In a study of 26 people after an hour-long spinning class, polyester shirts smelled significantly less pleasant and more intense than cotton ones after incubation. Odor-causing micrococci were found almost only on the synthetic shirts.

The study measured odor, not washing methods, but the practical point is clear: synthetic workout wear needs washing soon after wearing, an enzyme or odor-removing detergent, and the occasional baking soda soak.

By situation

Shirts and everyday clothes

Pretreat the underarms with liquid detergent every wash and use the hottest water the label allows. See sweat smell in clothes for the full method, including deodorant buildup.

Gym clothes and synthetics

Wash soon after workouts, use an enzyme detergent, and for persistent smell soak in baking soda and water before rewashing.

Yellow underarms

Apply household ammonia to fresh perspiration stains or white vinegar to old ones, rinse, then wash hot as the fabric allows. Use one or the other, rinse between, and never with chlorine bleach.

Sweat smell in a mattress

A mattress can't be washed, so spot-clean with a little detergent solution using as little moisture as possible, then dry it thoroughly. Sprinkle baking soda, leave it overnight and vacuum it up. Airing it in the sun helps too. See sweat stains on a mattress.

Wool, silk and spandex

Skip chlorine bleach, which damages these fibers and can leave yellowing that won't come out. Use an oxygen bleach only if the label allows, or take wool and silk to a cleaner.

What not to do

• Don't mask the smell with fabric spray or perfume. The bacteria and residue stay, and body heat brings the odor back.
• Don't mix ammonia, vinegar or chlorine bleach. Ammonia with bleach makes chloramine gas and acid with bleach makes chlorine gas.
• Don't machine-dry a shirt that still smells. Heat can set the residue; rewash instead.
• Don't use chlorine bleach on spandex, wool or silk. It damages the fibers and can cause permanent yellowing.

Other methods that work

Baking soda soak

For persistent smell, soak the garment in baking soda dissolved in water, then wash again.

Caution: It helps with odor, not with antiperspirant buildup.

Oxygen bleach

Add oxygen bleach to the wash for stubborn odor or heavy deodorant buildup.

Caution: Check the care label; it isn't safe for every fiber.

Stain still there?

The smell comes back as soon as I wear it

Residue is still in the fibers and warms up with your body. Repeat the enzyme soak and hot wash, and check you're using enough detergent.

Underarms are stiff or yellow

That's antiperspirant and oil buildup. Use a prewash stain remover for 5 to 10 minutes and wash with oxygen bleach. Heavy aluminum or zinc buildup may not come out completely.

Safety

• Never combine chlorine bleach with ammonia or with acids such as vinegar.

Never mix cleaning products; see chemicals you must never combine.

Questions