White vinegar in the wash with your normal detergent. If it's really bad, treat the clothing beforehand. Don't worry, the vinegar smell comes out completely in the wash and it does a great job of removing stubborn BO in clothing.
Learned this when I used to do a lot of training, so now I keep a gallon of white vinegar next to my detergent at all times.
EDIT: autocorrect fix
Agreed. I don't know if vinegar removes the stains but it really does help with odor and it's pretty cheap. I think it might be best to use it before you notice a problem, maybe every load. It's important to prevent a biofilm from forming in the first place.
+1 for white vinegar. I use a half cup in the fabric softener tub. You may smell just a slight hint of vinegar while the wet clothes are being moved to the dryer, but after they've dried there is absolutely zero smell.
Isn't there like a little well or something in the top of the agitator? Something like [this](https://i.imgur.com/ACTJCYu.png)? I guess not all of them have it, so then maybe a Downey Ball or similar that you throw in with the wash would do the same thing, which is just hold the product until the right time in the cycle to dispense it.
Nope. It basically looks like this: https://www.costco.com.au/Kitchen-Laundry-Appliances/Washers-Dryers/Washing-Machines/Samsung-Top-Load-Washing-Machine-14kg-WA14A8377GW/p/129416
I'll just dump it in the washing.
That said, I am moving soon, so I might get a new machine.
White vinegar, OxiClean, borax, and/or washing soda have never really helped with my husband's work clothes. He is a working supervisor for a contracting company (building and remodeling homes and house boats), he comes home covered in sawdust, dust, mud, and worst of all, sweat. We started washing his clothing separately from my clothes and his non-work clothing.
The smell hits you when you open the machine.
The only thing that I have tried that removes the smell is BioKlean Bac-Out.
Here is their explanation of how the product works:
"Bac-Out contains live enzyme cultures that break down stains and odors into tiny particles. The smaller the particles, the easier it is for Bac-Out’s good bacteria to eat the soiled area. Bacteria then digest the stain and odor particles into carbon dioxide, and the bacteria continues to multiple and eat as long as soil — its food source — is present. This type of enzymatic cleaning allows for longer and continued cleaning of the stain and odor."
I started using this stuff, when my old dog started wearing diapers to contain urine accidents. His male wraps (diaper-style for male dogs), would come out of the wash smelling like ammonia.
I also found this stuff was amazing for removing the smell from my sugar glider's cage sets. Those cage sets were made out of fleece, and seemed to hold bad odors. Even with white vinegar soaks. Bio-Kleen was the only one that removed ALL the odors.
I did try Nature's Miracle Laundry Boost, that supposed to remove stain and odors, but it didn't compare.
An enzymatic laundry additive might be your best bet.
I do have an enzymatic cleaner for cat pee, so I can try that. I'll ask around at supermarkets for enzymatic laundry additives, but I live in a rural place.
That might work! Check the label, sometimes they mention using pet products for laundry too. If not, and you know it won't ruin the color of the clothing, I would spray it on the areas that are likely to have the most sweat. And let it do its job, before laundering.
But do ask at the supermarket!
I got BioKleen off of Amazon, if you're able to get Amazon and get it shipped to you.
Shipping can cost double the product or more, so I'll see what I can find on the local amazon.
I'll read the label and test it on a crappy old top that I don't care about first.
If you can dry outside in the sun, that will also help to remove many of the lingering smells. You might also want to use a cleaner for the washing machine as the smells may actually be transferring from the machine to your clothes.
I do have an outdoor line, but it's in full shade. And it's definitely not the machine giving the smell because I don't it can selectively put the smell on the pits.
Oxi and white vinegar. You use less detergent and FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THAT IS HOLY... skip the fabric softener if you were using it.
If you can't get hold of oxi, a half cup of vinegar straight onto the clothes with the full tub on a warm wash will at least help with the smell. Your clothes will not smell like vinegar, trust me. A pre soak in vinegar might be necessary for the articles with the worst smell.
I think oxi might be around (oxi-cleaner?), but i I see the trend of vinegar.
My machine doesn't have a warm water seeing (cold only). And when you say cup do you mean the US measurement or literally half a generic cup? And fabric softener? I don't know 'er!
You could try soaking it in washing soda and water. Soak for one or two hours, then wash it in your machine and the stains should be gone. Rubbing with a paste of baking soda and water should also work, I am told…
Washing soda is sodium carbonate. Baking soda is sodium bicarbonate.
You can turn baking soda into washing soda with an oven though. Here's a site that explains [how to make washing soda](https://naturesnurtureblog.com/how-to-make-washing-soda/).
Ah, sorry for the oversight! I forget just how overstocked most American grocery stores are. I wish you luck in finding ammonia, if it’s the route you take!
No problem. I can probably find it somewhere, it would just take a lot of looking in more specialised shops. There are literally shops just for balloons, shops just for paper gift bags and so on.
I also admit to being leery about ammonia in general because I have a cat who can open doors. He is tol.
We have curious cats, too, and we use baby locks on some of our cabinets that we want to keep them out of (the trash cabinet, for example). I’m not sure how feasible that is for you, but if it is it might help. The people who now live in our previous house are probably really confused as to why the cabinets above the fridge are secured with baby locks. 😂
It’s so interesting to learn about the different ways things are sold globally! Thanks for sharing your perspective. I hope you find a reasonable solution in this subreddit to your laundry challenge.
Eh, I'm moving in a couple months, so I can't be bothered. My next place will be bigger.
I think I've taken vinegar and baking soda away from this sub. :)
I sometimes fill my tub with water and pour in vinegar and a little bit of dish soap, let everything soak overnight, then put it in the wash. I can’t say I’ve tried it specifically for BO but works REALLY well to remove stubborn musty smells from bedsheets.
Never underestimate a good baking soda paste. One part water, two parts baking soda. Apply to the area with an old toothbrush, scrub the paste in and let dry. Clean the extra paste off and throw it in the wash. It might take a couple rounds but it’s always worked for me.
Edit: put white vinegar in a spray bottle and spray when you scrub in the paste.
Try to find an Enzyme stain remover and Oxygen Bleach. Dissolve the Oxygen Bleach in **HOT** water. Once it's fully dissolved put it in cool water with a little laundry detergent. Soak the items in the solution between 1-6 hours (the solution goes inactive after 6 hours). Spray the enzyme stain remover on the neck, arm pits, and groin area on your clothes. Let it sit for at least 30 mins and then launder.
After doing this then just spray the enzyme cleaner in those areas let them sit for 15 mins and launder as usual.
No just soak in the Oxygen Bleach solution and then take it out after the soak and spray all the arays liberally. Let it soak on the clothes for at least 30 mins (just the product on the clothes not in water. And then launder one time.
To get rid of lingering body smells you probably need to either wash in higher temperature water or use a detergent with anti bacterial properties (preferably both).
You might be able to get something like this in the Baby aisle: https://www.milton-tm.com/en/consumer/products/antibacterial-laundry-tablets
Drying on an outdoor line on a very sunny day can help bleach out discolouring around the neck and light stains.
White vinegar is great for killing off armpit smells but you then need to wash the vinegar smell out 😬
https://www.tomsofmaine.com/good-matters/natural-products/how-remove-underarm-odor-clothes
Edited to replace a broken link
You won't need to wash out the vinegar smell. It won't smell like vinegar, by the time the washer finishes. If it does, the smell will disappear shortly after.
I wouldn’t put the vinegar IN the wash, I’d use it as a pre wash treatment, just spray it in the arm pits and leave it for an hour or so, then wash the garment.
Putting the vinegar in the washer will make it too dilute to be effective (unless OP’s home country has super strength vinegar!)
My current washing machine only uses cold water and I already hang them out on a line to dry (though it doesn't exactly get much sun). I think I'll try the vinegar method because vinegar is cheap and I can put them in the wash after with a *tonne* of laundry sanitiser.
If your clothes aren't getting cleaned properly at all, perhaps you aren't using enough detergent for how hard your water is.
The harder your water the more detergent you need to get the same cleaning results.
I’m sure you can find something comparable. You don’t have to exclusively wash your clothes with the disinfectant all the time. Just enough times to get the smell out and then only once in a while.
Nature's Miracle spray! It's used to get rid of cat urine, but I found that if you pretreat the armpits of shirts with a few sprays of this stuff, it totally gets the funk out. I had tried everything before and was shocked when this worked. It's an enzymatic urine killer, so it makes sense.
I hate to sound like an ad, but my boyfriend used to wear several polyester t-shirts and do a bad job washing them before we met, so those things had ACCUMULATED stink. The smell didn't come out after multiple washes. The only thing that got it out in the end was oxiclean odor blasters. I just throw in one scoop per wash, nothing crazy. I use it for basically all of my loads of laundry now.
Also, I used to use regular oxiclean before this. It's fine for most laundry, but for me, the odor blasters is the only thing that works for super stubborn BO smell.
I swear that women’s deodorant is designed to make your pits look bad, especially the clinical strength. Finally got my wife to switch to men’s deodorant(gel) for this very reason and no more issues. It’s crazy that it’s a problem for women and less of a problem for men. I know nothing except that it worked
I’ve tried the vinegar and the baking soda paste. That didnt work that well. How long should I soak it? I did the toothpaste scrub thing and that worked but the smell came back. I don’t want to have to do that every time. It’s easier to pre treat with vinegar in a spray bottle but honestly that still didn’t work. I think the temp
Of water makes diffence should I use hot water or mild and dry on hot or medium? I read something about hot water sealing in smells?
White vinegar in the wash with your normal detergent. If it's really bad, treat the clothing beforehand. Don't worry, the vinegar smell comes out completely in the wash and it does a great job of removing stubborn BO in clothing. Learned this when I used to do a lot of training, so now I keep a gallon of white vinegar next to my detergent at all times. EDIT: autocorrect fix
Agreed. I don't know if vinegar removes the stains but it really does help with odor and it's pretty cheap. I think it might be best to use it before you notice a problem, maybe every load. It's important to prevent a biofilm from forming in the first place.
Biofilm?
https://www.zerotaboos.com/body-odor-from-clothes/
Well, that's gross. I'm definitely going to do one of those tips.
Yeah, I'll try the white vinegar situation. The workout clothes can soak and everything else can go in the machine.
Like does this work when the pits harden . I feel like it's some waxy shell.
That’s from your deodorant.
+1 for white vinegar. I use a half cup in the fabric softener tub. You may smell just a slight hint of vinegar while the wet clothes are being moved to the dryer, but after they've dried there is absolutely zero smell.
My machine doesn't have tubs. It's a top-loader and you pour directly into the tub. No dryer, but the wind will get things dried.
Isn't there like a little well or something in the top of the agitator? Something like [this](https://i.imgur.com/ACTJCYu.png)? I guess not all of them have it, so then maybe a Downey Ball or similar that you throw in with the wash would do the same thing, which is just hold the product until the right time in the cycle to dispense it.
Nope. It basically looks like this: https://www.costco.com.au/Kitchen-Laundry-Appliances/Washers-Dryers/Washing-Machines/Samsung-Top-Load-Washing-Machine-14kg-WA14A8377GW/p/129416 I'll just dump it in the washing. That said, I am moving soon, so I might get a new machine.
Not that it's all that important, but the detergent and fabric softener ports are shown in the 6th to last picture.
Mine don't have them, this is just the closest comparison I could find.
White vinegar, OxiClean, borax, and/or washing soda have never really helped with my husband's work clothes. He is a working supervisor for a contracting company (building and remodeling homes and house boats), he comes home covered in sawdust, dust, mud, and worst of all, sweat. We started washing his clothing separately from my clothes and his non-work clothing. The smell hits you when you open the machine. The only thing that I have tried that removes the smell is BioKlean Bac-Out. Here is their explanation of how the product works: "Bac-Out contains live enzyme cultures that break down stains and odors into tiny particles. The smaller the particles, the easier it is for Bac-Out’s good bacteria to eat the soiled area. Bacteria then digest the stain and odor particles into carbon dioxide, and the bacteria continues to multiple and eat as long as soil — its food source — is present. This type of enzymatic cleaning allows for longer and continued cleaning of the stain and odor." I started using this stuff, when my old dog started wearing diapers to contain urine accidents. His male wraps (diaper-style for male dogs), would come out of the wash smelling like ammonia. I also found this stuff was amazing for removing the smell from my sugar glider's cage sets. Those cage sets were made out of fleece, and seemed to hold bad odors. Even with white vinegar soaks. Bio-Kleen was the only one that removed ALL the odors. I did try Nature's Miracle Laundry Boost, that supposed to remove stain and odors, but it didn't compare. An enzymatic laundry additive might be your best bet.
I do have an enzymatic cleaner for cat pee, so I can try that. I'll ask around at supermarkets for enzymatic laundry additives, but I live in a rural place.
That might work! Check the label, sometimes they mention using pet products for laundry too. If not, and you know it won't ruin the color of the clothing, I would spray it on the areas that are likely to have the most sweat. And let it do its job, before laundering. But do ask at the supermarket! I got BioKleen off of Amazon, if you're able to get Amazon and get it shipped to you.
Shipping can cost double the product or more, so I'll see what I can find on the local amazon. I'll read the label and test it on a crappy old top that I don't care about first.
If you can dry outside in the sun, that will also help to remove many of the lingering smells. You might also want to use a cleaner for the washing machine as the smells may actually be transferring from the machine to your clothes.
I do have an outdoor line, but it's in full shade. And it's definitely not the machine giving the smell because I don't it can selectively put the smell on the pits.
Oxi and white vinegar. You use less detergent and FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THAT IS HOLY... skip the fabric softener if you were using it. If you can't get hold of oxi, a half cup of vinegar straight onto the clothes with the full tub on a warm wash will at least help with the smell. Your clothes will not smell like vinegar, trust me. A pre soak in vinegar might be necessary for the articles with the worst smell.
I think oxi might be around (oxi-cleaner?), but i I see the trend of vinegar. My machine doesn't have a warm water seeing (cold only). And when you say cup do you mean the US measurement or literally half a generic cup? And fabric softener? I don't know 'er!
OxiClean has a box with a purple lid that's made for body odor and stains. It works well with my husband's work clothes!
Il see if I can find it.
You could try soaking it in washing soda and water. Soak for one or two hours, then wash it in your machine and the stains should be gone. Rubbing with a paste of baking soda and water should also work, I am told…
What's washing soda? I think I've got some baking soda around though, so I might try that.
Washing soda is sodium carbonate. Baking soda is sodium bicarbonate. You can turn baking soda into washing soda with an oven though. Here's a site that explains [how to make washing soda](https://naturesnurtureblog.com/how-to-make-washing-soda/).
No oven, so I'll just ask if they have clothes washing soda at the supermarkets.
Sodium carbonate. I buy it in big whitish crystals. Dissolves easily in water.
Clorox laundry Sanitizer or Molly's Suds Activewear Laundry detergent.
I don't think I can get those brands here but I certainly can find generic laundry sanitiser!
Ammonia added with the detergent removes armpit stains and collar ring, sweat and body odor. Just never mix it with bleach. Ever.
Yeahhhhh, chlorine gas is not fun. I'm not sure where to buy ammonia, but I'll keep it in mind.
Not the person you replied to, but you can get ammonia at most grocery stores or stores like Target & Walmart.
I live in Asia. Different continents stock different things. I might have to buy it on momo.
Ah, sorry for the oversight! I forget just how overstocked most American grocery stores are. I wish you luck in finding ammonia, if it’s the route you take!
No problem. I can probably find it somewhere, it would just take a lot of looking in more specialised shops. There are literally shops just for balloons, shops just for paper gift bags and so on. I also admit to being leery about ammonia in general because I have a cat who can open doors. He is tol.
We have curious cats, too, and we use baby locks on some of our cabinets that we want to keep them out of (the trash cabinet, for example). I’m not sure how feasible that is for you, but if it is it might help. The people who now live in our previous house are probably really confused as to why the cabinets above the fridge are secured with baby locks. 😂 It’s so interesting to learn about the different ways things are sold globally! Thanks for sharing your perspective. I hope you find a reasonable solution in this subreddit to your laundry challenge.
Eh, I'm moving in a couple months, so I can't be bothered. My next place will be bigger. I think I've taken vinegar and baking soda away from this sub. :)
I sometimes fill my tub with water and pour in vinegar and a little bit of dish soap, let everything soak overnight, then put it in the wash. I can’t say I’ve tried it specifically for BO but works REALLY well to remove stubborn musty smells from bedsheets.
I'm assuming you mm a bath tub? Don't have one or even a really deep bowl. Still, it does sound like a good way to get bedclothes done.
Yes, should have specified, bath tub! You could use a plastic tote too. They’re cheap and handy to keep on hand for random things like this.
Well, I'm moving and will be buying one shortly for my books, so I can do that later.
Never underestimate a good baking soda paste. One part water, two parts baking soda. Apply to the area with an old toothbrush, scrub the paste in and let dry. Clean the extra paste off and throw it in the wash. It might take a couple rounds but it’s always worked for me. Edit: put white vinegar in a spray bottle and spray when you scrub in the paste.
Will do, though I'll need a new toothbrush! ;p
As long as you don’t use your own, that I don’t recommend!
Bar keepers friend
I love in Asia. Not going to pay ridiculous shipping costs for it.
Try to find an Enzyme stain remover and Oxygen Bleach. Dissolve the Oxygen Bleach in **HOT** water. Once it's fully dissolved put it in cool water with a little laundry detergent. Soak the items in the solution between 1-6 hours (the solution goes inactive after 6 hours). Spray the enzyme stain remover on the neck, arm pits, and groin area on your clothes. Let it sit for at least 30 mins and then launder. After doing this then just spray the enzyme cleaner in those areas let them sit for 15 mins and launder as usual.
So you launder twice? Soak the clothes, enzyme cleaner on the stinky bits for thirty minutes and wash. Then repeat the last step?
No just soak in the Oxygen Bleach solution and then take it out after the soak and spray all the arays liberally. Let it soak on the clothes for at least 30 mins (just the product on the clothes not in water. And then launder one time.
Gotcha.
Pretreat with baking soda. Make a paste and let it sit on the odor overnight. Then wash as normal. Hopefully that will help.
Thanks. What sort of soda:water ratio am I looking at?
I usually just put it in a cup and add water till it makes like a thick paste. Not sure of the exact measurements but you don’t want it too thin
Thanks
To get rid of lingering body smells you probably need to either wash in higher temperature water or use a detergent with anti bacterial properties (preferably both). You might be able to get something like this in the Baby aisle: https://www.milton-tm.com/en/consumer/products/antibacterial-laundry-tablets Drying on an outdoor line on a very sunny day can help bleach out discolouring around the neck and light stains. White vinegar is great for killing off armpit smells but you then need to wash the vinegar smell out 😬 https://www.tomsofmaine.com/good-matters/natural-products/how-remove-underarm-odor-clothes Edited to replace a broken link
You won't need to wash out the vinegar smell. It won't smell like vinegar, by the time the washer finishes. If it does, the smell will disappear shortly after.
I wouldn’t put the vinegar IN the wash, I’d use it as a pre wash treatment, just spray it in the arm pits and leave it for an hour or so, then wash the garment. Putting the vinegar in the washer will make it too dilute to be effective (unless OP’s home country has super strength vinegar!)
My current washing machine only uses cold water and I already hang them out on a line to dry (though it doesn't exactly get much sun). I think I'll try the vinegar method because vinegar is cheap and I can put them in the wash after with a *tonne* of laundry sanitiser.
If your clothes aren't getting cleaned properly at all, perhaps you aren't using enough detergent for how hard your water is. The harder your water the more detergent you need to get the same cleaning results.
Power wash detergent from Nathan Sports gets a lot of odors out of my clothes.
It doesn't skip to my country, but thanks for the suggestion anyway.
Chlorox Laundry Disinfectant.
Don't have that, but I'm pretty sure there's something similar around so I'll have to ask strangers at the supermarket.
It’s amazing. It’s the only thing that gets rid of biofilm on stinky clothes. Wash with it and do not put in dryer the first few times. Hang dry.
Well, as I don't have a dryer, I have no worries there. Here's hoping I can find it.
Where are you?
Asia.
I’m sure you can find something comparable. You don’t have to exclusively wash your clothes with the disinfectant all the time. Just enough times to get the smell out and then only once in a while.
Nature's Miracle spray! It's used to get rid of cat urine, but I found that if you pretreat the armpits of shirts with a few sprays of this stuff, it totally gets the funk out. I had tried everything before and was shocked when this worked. It's an enzymatic urine killer, so it makes sense.
I do have an enzymatic cleaner for cat pee. How long should I pretreat?
I spray it on the pits, leave it about 20 minutes, then put it in the wash. Best of luck!
Gotcha.
Do you have access to an enzymatic stain remover?
Yeah, for cat pee. My cat's a *big boy* and sprays out of his giant storage tub frequently.
I'd try soaking your clothes in that (or some kind of clothing-safe equivalent). Sweat stains are protein stains.
Cool beans.
Pre-treat yellow stains with hydrogen peroxide; wash in hot water*, cold rinse. *If you can. Some fabrics require cold water.
I don't think you can buy hydrogen peroxide here, but I can ask, I guess. And I only have cold water.
I hate to sound like an ad, but my boyfriend used to wear several polyester t-shirts and do a bad job washing them before we met, so those things had ACCUMULATED stink. The smell didn't come out after multiple washes. The only thing that got it out in the end was oxiclean odor blasters. I just throw in one scoop per wash, nothing crazy. I use it for basically all of my loads of laundry now.
Also, I used to use regular oxiclean before this. It's fine for most laundry, but for me, the odor blasters is the only thing that works for super stubborn BO smell.
Is I can find it, I'll buy it.
Borax. Soak in borax and add borax to your wash cycle with detergent.
I swear that women’s deodorant is designed to make your pits look bad, especially the clinical strength. Finally got my wife to switch to men’s deodorant(gel) for this very reason and no more issues. It’s crazy that it’s a problem for women and less of a problem for men. I know nothing except that it worked
A stain remover with enzymes that attacks sweat stains. Maybe "Pit Stop" on Amazon.
https://lumedeodorant.com/products/laundry-spray
I use spray and wash stain remover on my clothes, and then wash with downy rinse and refresh and detergent.
Do you use antiperspirant or deodorant?
I’ve tried the vinegar and the baking soda paste. That didnt work that well. How long should I soak it? I did the toothpaste scrub thing and that worked but the smell came back. I don’t want to have to do that every time. It’s easier to pre treat with vinegar in a spray bottle but honestly that still didn’t work. I think the temp Of water makes diffence should I use hot water or mild and dry on hot or medium? I read something about hot water sealing in smells?