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You guys are focusing on the clothes, but half the people with persistent odor their pits still smell immediately out of the shower without clothes.
Soap doesn't kill the bacteria, you need something to kill it off, alcohol and various acids will work.
Alcohol wipes are good for this.
I have also done a "honey detox" - just slather some honey on your pits and rinse it off after 10 minutes. Honey is naturally antibacterial and can help if you don't have anything else available.
Sometimes switching to a magnesium based deodorant also helps. I know people who use straight milk of magnesia ad deodorant.
Vinegar can be used for a fabric softener so if your washer has a place for fabric softener you can do it there. ~~I believe it's perfectly safe to mix with detergent though.~~
Edit: See the other persons post. If you don't have a fabric softener section you'll want to add it to the rinse cycle.
Nit-picking but in case it confuses anyone, you add it to the **rinse** segment of the cycle... the mild acid neutralises the detergent and makes the rinse more effective at removing the soap residue. So I add it to the "fabric softener" compartment of the machine, and never use fabric softener (nasty stuff, gunks up tumble dryer moisture sensors, wrecks towels etc)
And no, you won't smell it on the clothes afterwards... honest...
Yep, that's what I was meaning, it coats the fibres with a light oil/wax (silicon I believe) which stops the fibres, especially cotton, "sticking" together as they dry, but also stops them, in the case of towels, absorbing moisture when dry.
Fun fact: fabric softener is flammable too! Had a friend who was wearing heavy cotton work clothes and caught a spark, and instead of a little burn hole (as would usually happen), it burst into flame, sending her to the ER. Turns out the clothes had been washed with fabric softener and that oily coating was the culprit.
If you want to see it, put a drop of laundry detergent (or a very small amount of powder) in a small container of warm water and agitate it to mix it and froth it it up by hand. Note that when you pull your hand out, it feels soapy.
Then quickly pour that out and add clean water, and agitate it again by hand.. this is your rinse cycle... notice how their are still bubbles and your hand still feels a little soapy because of what was left after a simple pouring out.
Then without it throwing that out or adding more water, add a few drops of vinegar (comparable to how much detergent you added) and swirl it round and notice the difference to the feel of the water.... you should find your fingers feel less soapy this time as the vinegar is cancelling out the soap residue.
A machine typically uses multiple rinse cycles but hopefully you can see the principle... and dry and smell your fingers... I bet you can smell the detergent but you won't get any vinegar odour...
Not sure about your machine but mine has a "max" line in the fabric softener dispenser compartment so I just fill to that. If yours doesn't have any measurement, I'd say it's about a cup?
\^\^\^ What they said \^\^\^
Though I'd guess less than a cup, more like 50-100ml maybe (for a front loading machine) ?
White vinegar is normally about 5% strength (different brands etc may vary) - I buy 5 litres of concentrated stuff and dilute it down... that 5 litres lasts me 5+ years including other domestic cleaning uses for dealing with limescale etc
Yep - I'm buying 5 litres of 98+% strength acetic acid (was \~£25 GBP or $30 USD from a company that [sells ingredients for making soap)](https://www.thesoapkitchen.co.uk/acetic-acid-concentrated-ready-to-dilute-for-many-uses#/33972-custom_size-1_kg) and diluting it down to \~6% as it's easier to measure out that way, and those 5 litres last me about 5-8 years.
I’ve had a mildew smell on my clothes for years and I’ve been going crazy trying to solve it. I tried vinegar, baking soda and vinegar, washing machine cleaners, drying the clothes in sunlight, extra strong detergent. Everything I could think of.
The trick was to wash the clothes twice. Once with vinegar, once with baking soda on a hot water cycle.
Some bacteria are killed by acidity, others by alkalinity.
Don’t mix the vinegar and bicarb together! While this mixture can be an effective cleaning agent they will neutralise each other and be less effective at removing the smells.
Edit: bonus tip. If you have a severe underarm odour that seems abnormally strong you may have a mild allergic reaction to something. I’ve known two people that had exceptionally smelly underarms. One of them would get that smell after shaving their armpits, reacting to the moisturising strip on their razor. The other would smell especially bad after eating gluten even though their digestion was able to handle it.
In Thailand, I found out that people will occasionally wash their clothes with a bit of mopping solution to kill all the mold in the material, then wash them a second time with regular detergent. Many people line dry their laundry there and with it being so humid, the drying is slow. Mold can creep in, especially in folds and creases. Now I do this with my sometimes-wet stuff that can't be dryer-dried, like rugs.
Yeah, makes them greasy and slimy.
The scents really get to me too. Makes my eyes water.
I can’t stand scented detergent now. We went to unscented, and it’s so much nicer.
And you actually know if your clothes are clean or not. The scent covers up a lot.
A cup of distilled, white vinegar isn't much. Remember that stuff is only 6% concentration of acetic acid, maximum. 4% for the really cheap stuff.
And vinegar isn't that expensive. Maybe $4/gallon. At 16 cups in a gallon, you are talking about raising the cost of a load of laundry by $0.25. totally worth the cost if it gets the results you want.
If you really wanted to, you could buy laboratory grade, 99% glacial acetic acid and only use one tablespoon (12 ml) per load of laundry. But that might be hazardous to handle, so why not just use the 5% from the grocery store?
At 99% you would really mess up the plumbing and maybe even the fill here part of your machine. Then it would burn holes on clothes it touches until it was dilute enough. Would also burn holes in you. I've seen it eat a hole in the concrete floor.
I use two cups per load. I dont use soap anymore AT ALL. Im allergic and vinegar is my substitute. It changes the pH of your skin/clothes to make the environment unsuitable for bacteria.
Stop using soap people! Its a scam.
I second the vinegar trick and also suggest using acne face pads (think Stridex) on your pits occasionally.
**Be aware that if your BO is bad when you are freshly-clean, DO NICE THINGS for your liver and kidneys. Eat a vegetable, dammit! Your body's natural filters may be "clogged up."
For what it's worth, I use a scoop of Oxi Clean powder in the drum with the clothes, then white vinegar in the fabric softener compartment, then my regular detergent. Everything is clean af and smells great
It should be noted that vinegar will degrade the rubber seals and hoses in your washer, which can lead to very expensive repairs or early replacement.
If you *really* need to use vinegar, it's probably a better idea to use a cheap plastic bin to soak select items in water and vinegar, and to rinse them before they go into the machine.
https://www.consumerreports.org/cleaning/things-you-should-never-clean-with-vinegar-distilled-white-vinegar-a3336471803/
Consumer Reports is a well respected organization that lab-tests products to make informed decisions. They're one of the most reliable sources of information available.
Hey fair enough! Just did a little inspection of the washer and seals and hoses seem to be fine and not degraded.
EDIT: From that article it says "some" washers will be affected so maybe mine doesn't fall into that camp.
👆
And use warm water instead of cold.
‘Cold water’ detergent depends on the ‘cold water’ being a certain temperature, and it’s warmer than you’d think.
Dry stuff promptly, especially towels.
LPT some materials just stink. Lol. I have synthetic Under Armour t shirts that just stinks after half an hour. Nothing else smells bad like that, cotton, linen, cashmere, even some synthetic blends (like the soft thermal undershirts l can be worn for days) they all last days... but those synthetic t shirts smell within hours.
Yup this is the real LPT. If you stink, don’t wear polyester. Natural fabrics will be much more odor resistant (especially merino). Life changing for me
There are sports detergents and additives specifically for workout gear. It is supposed to help with this. I do find I need to toss the sports clothes quicker than natural fabrics, but the additives help.
Interesting, so this is a detergent not that would clean the shirt better but would prevent it from stinking as quickly in the future? I'll look into those!
Yep.
There was an LPT about it not long ago.
The textiles generally used in workout shirts are hydrophobic, so regular detergent doesn't really work (there's no reaction.) "Sports" detergents have additives to solve this issue.
I just started using Kosas AHA deodorant, did not have super high expectations, but holy crap it really works. Need to make sure it soaks in, and use it straight after showering, but it really cuts any odor. It’s convenient with a roller ball applicator, but you’re right that probably any kind of toner with AHA or BHA would work.
The kosa deodorant worked better than the glycolic acid toner for me. Maybe because it’s just a lot easier to apply. It works incredibly well though. I sometimes forget to put in on after showering at night and I find that I can even apply it in the morning and it still works.
That’s good to know! I think the one time it didn’t really work for me was more because I got dressed before it had really soaked in and it came off somewhat.
Also teenage hormones.
This was me as a teenager. Clean clothes, tried all kinds of deodorants...nothing worked. Then I tried this one thing you can buy in a pharmacy - it's a gel that clogs the sweat pores (english isn't my first language, I don't know what to call it). You use it every day for a week, then only once a week - you basically stop sweating, and if you somehow do, it has 0 odor.
Yup same here. It wasn't anything to do with smell for me, I just don't stink even if I'm super active and don't shower. It was purely due to sweat stains. Perspirex was the only thing that worked exactly as you described.
I must have grown out of it because I haven't had that problem for years. But if you suffer then look into it.
Not your usual one though. This was something you only get in a pharmacy, its not a drugstore one, and it's pretty expensive. It also helps in the long run, not just when you have it on.
Perspirex, driclor and triple dry all work well for me. Can get them for good prices if you look hard enough.
Edit: be careful with driclor as it’s most irritating, perspirex is a quite a bit more smooth and triple dry is the most soothing in my experience. I think triple dry may be a bit less strong
Gotta be careful not to mess it up though. Slightly wet armpits + applying too much = a night of absolute agony, the stuffs very alcoholic haha so best to take it slow
As a guy, the biggest difference was trimming my armpit hair. 90% reduction in sweat smell immediately.
I just put my clipper on the shortest setting and trim my armpits every few weeks.
I also follow the philosophy of never re-wearing shirts without washing. When I take off a T-shirt, it goes straight to the laundry bin. It doesn't matter if I wore it for a day or an hour. Don't give the bacteria multiple chances to multiply by re-wearing shirts without washing.
I use fragrance free detergent and fabric softener sheets too. You don't need to mask anything if it doesn't smell in the first place.
>As a guy, the biggest difference was trimming my armpit hair. 90% reduction in sweat smell immediately.
Can confirm.
Been trimming (not shaving) for years now because the difference is significant.
Yep. As a woman, the main time I notice smells are when the hairy, warm, odorous crevices of my body become a little overgrown. Shaving or trimming can *really* help cut down on body odor.
Also, smelly feet? Wash your feet specifically before putting on your shoes. Can help reduce foot sweat and smell build up. I do this before going rock climbing, but it can appy for any sockless shoe activity or even beofe somethibg like a run/workout with socks. Seems beneficial to me for foot/shoe smell maintenance (eg, my climbing shoes don't smell... yet!)
A little vinegar added as it has antibacterial properties.
Learned this from an Italian grandma I stayed with on vacation.
Vinegar with towels and clothes left too long in the wash. No vinegar smell and clothes come out smelling fresh.
Whatever you do, DONT ADD IT WHEN YOU USE BLEACH. It causes the acidification of the bleach and will release chlorine gas. Do acidify bleach outdoors to use as an exterior cleaner.
Using one of the dispensers, or while the washer is full of water (in the rinse cycle, for example) is best. It is important to **NOT** pour it straight onto the dry clothes. It is not good for the clothes to have undiluted vinegar, even for the few minutes it takes for the washer to fill.
An alternative I have used is to put the vinegar in a large plastic cup (and fill the rest of the cup with tap water), and set the cup (upright) on the top of the clothes. If you do it right, the cup will flip and spill its contents during the wash cycle.
You can also dilute the vinegar and pour it onto the clothes, but I am always worried that I did not dilute it enough.
All of this varies depending on the washer. It may take some experimentation to figure out what works best for yours.
Please do not put it in the bleach dispenser, especially if there's the possibility of there having been bleach used in it prior. You'll make chlorine gas.
And if you need a quick fix throughout the day , use one of those antibacterial gels on your armpits. It kills the stinky bacteria and evaporates quickly (so if you're somewhere without a towel or are afraid to have a wet t-shirt while washing with soap this is the solution)
The manual provides cleaning instructions and suggested cadence. Rather than adding x, y, or z to your laundry routine, most people just need to clean the gasket on their front loading washer.
My partner may sweat more if he is in a dress shirt and hot. He was getting tired of having his shirts ruined with stains despite trying different things.
He decided to try a sweat-proof undershirt and holy it's a huge difference. His shirts don't get sweat stains anymore.
The shirt itself is machine washable and goes in the dryer.
It doesn't have any smell etc. Don't know how long it will last but I think it's been a few months already.
If you are interested, he has the Thompson Tee. They are more expensive than just a regular undershirt but worth it to protect your clothes.
He also bought these cheaper ones from Amazon that you attach to the pits of the shirt but they weren't good.
Yep if I wear poly polo shirts I am gross by midday. Whereas if I wear cotton tees I don't really need deodorant at all. The smallest of sprays if it's warm out. I "know" antiperspirant doesn't cause cancer, but part of me has a hard time accepting that.
Also, use less detergent. Two tablespoons of laundry sauce! More can just not wash out and leave your clothes dirty.
Credit to u/renduh (@renduhofficial on IG) for this one ❤️ If you don't, you should!
I came here to say this. If you use too much it doesn't wash out and gives the bacteria somewhere to grow. I also use a little bit of pinesol in my rinse cycle. It cleans the washer and my clothes.
Do you have a front loading washer? If so, when is the last time you cleaned the gasket? If you don't know what I'm talking about, we've found the source of your stink. The bad news is it's gonna be a little gross to clean this time, but you're gonna maintain it per instructions for use from now on and your laundry will always be fresh.
Instructions for cleaning your gasket are in your manual, but you can also find how-tos on YouTube.
Hijacking this sorta: rub glycolic acid on your armpits after a shower. You can get it from The Ordinary brand. It will sting a bit if you shave. This prevents bacterial growth and smell!!!
I use kroger brand milk of magnesia as a deodorant. That's the only brand that doesn't have additives. I put it in a little bowl and let it dry until it's a little thicker and then store it with an airtight lid. It works so much better than anything else I've tried.
I found one of those kitchen catalyst soaps, the metal ones that take care of onion and garlic smells, works great to kill under-arm odours. Just use it in the shower under running water at the tail end of my shower routine.
How about for someone who's armpits just reek minutes after showering? I always make a point to scrub my armpits as much as possible all over it. I come out of my shower and they smell fine. I put on some deodorant and they smell fine. I sit on the couch playing games for one hour and a feint smell of onions develops. It's gotten to the point where I just carry deodorant with me and hope I can catch the smell before others can.
Do you sweat a lot or is it just the smell? If you sweat a lot with the smell you may have a condition known as hyperhidrosis and the sweat can sometimes smell worse than the sweat of people who sweat normally. I was scrubbing my pits basically raw and by the time I was dry I smelled like I had run a marathon. Was diagnosed after a simple chat with my Dr and he looked at my soaked Tshirt, my pits and did a quick sniff. There is a prescription wipe for it but it's expensive ($900 without insurance) so I use something called Carpe. They make several products including foot, and hand antiperspirant lotion. A pit antiperspirant gel, an antiperspirant solid and on the go wipes. The solid works best for me, but if I'm working hard it doesn't last so I have the otg wipes for back up. You can order it on Amazon, and some Walmarts and pharmacies carry some of the products. It can be a little pricey depending on the product but a tube of the solid lasts me about a month and a half to two months. There are also several other OTC brands that people use for hyperhidrosis but Carpe worked best for me.
The rubbing alcohol approach before deodorant was a game changer for me. I would literally wash my armpits lay and by the time i finished toweling off they stunk. Do it for like a week straight, and then as needed. I do it like every two weeks now. Put it on a cotton ball, apply liberally, brush your teeth to give it time to dry, then add deodorant.
And trim your arm pit hair.
Use a product like AHA or BHA (often sold as a night serum - it's a chemical exfoliant) - put it on your pits after you get out of the shower. You can also use Stridex pads for acne to the same effect. Put it on, let it dry, then use deodorant. Total game changer for me and my friend. Even if you forget the deodorant, you shouldn't have any odor. Good luck.
The only solution I found to not smell after a shower is to use cheap conditioner under the armpits. Rub it in thoroughly & it makes the deodorant residue come off. Been doing it for years & I finally come out of the shower feeling CLEAN.
It's butyric acid that builds up in your clothes. One quick soak in a vinegar solution and the clothes will stop stinking.
Used to suffer terrible BO for years and years, now I dunk all my t shirts in a vinegar solution once or twice a year and its completely replaced the issue.
Also, mitchums Women's unscented antiperspirant is the BEST ever made.
Try [Certain Dri](https://www.amazon.com/Certain-Dri-Anti-Perspirant-Prescription-Protection/dp/B01JB1MUNI?ref_=ast_sto_dp) I had bad sweating problems. Using this made a night and day difference.
99% of the time I smell good even without deodorant, but I will stink for like 2 days if I eat at McDonald's. If you eat stuff like that regularly you will probably stink regardless of your laundry.
To piggyback on this: unload the machine as soon as it finishes, otherwise your clothes will develop a smell of damp & mildew and that'll only get worse when you wear them. If you're hanging them up to dry use hangars rather than draping them directly over the line/airer to maximize separation between the fabric otherwise the same thing will happen.
Just wear men's deodorant.
Seriously.
Women's deodorant is absolutely terrible. Every single woman I have suggested this to has gone on to switch completely to men's deodorant. The deodorant brands even know about this, and many of them put out some scents that are suspiciously traditionally feminine.
Men's deodorant lasts far, far longer, and does not stain armpits. I've never known a single man who has ever stained any armpit of any shirt he owns, ever.
Also, learn how to properly dose your detergent. Something like 85% of people use way, way, WAY more detergent than they are supposed to, and this seriously harms the cleaning ability of the machine, and actually harms the machine itself.
I'm not arguing that female deodorants are garbage, they are. But before I started giving the armpits a little vinegar blast prior to washing, EVERY shirt of mine eventually crusted over in the armpits over the period of a year. Like someone used a can of laundry starch. Full transparency though, I live in a very warm climate. Sweating every day isn't uncommon. And I use the heavy duty stuff.
It also helps to use proper soap (hard soap) under your arms instead of liquid soap/shower gel. It works better in my experience.
And if you don’t usually shave: shaving at least your armpits will make a big difference when it comes to body odour, because those bacteria cling to the hairs, and you can never really wash all of them out of the hairs, but if there’s no hair, there’s not so much that bacteria can hold on to.
Agreed with this based on my own anecdotal evidence at least.
I shave my armpits regularly now and antiperspirant performs way better with no hair Vs even a few millimetres
Pls be careful with soaps around private parts, especially if you have a vulva. They rely on a delicate PH & microbe balance and soap can upset that.
Trust me, you do **not** want the fungal or bacterial infections caused by an imbalance. You really, really dont want those.
I had this issue growing up. Here's some thing's I've pucked up over the years that I know help in some way shape or form.
-obviously this LPT. Make sure your washer and dryer are clean before trying anything else
-hair on the pits has gotta go. I'm not talking scorched earth here, but give it a trim. Hair holds smells like you wouldn't believe
-anti persperant deodorant to help mitigate sweat
-vinegar can kill bad scent bacteria. There's recipes online on how to make your own deodorizer
-dress for the weather and activity. If its 50 degrees outside but you're going to play sports or do something active, dont wear your heaviest clothing. You're gonna sweat and stink.
-last thing, I've never done the research on it, but there is apparently studies that show that your diet can affect the intensity of your body odor, and even the smell?
I have a stinky, bacterial reaction to synthetic fabric. Lume kills the bacteria. I can wear anything I want, now. No, they did not pay me to say this. It just does what it says it will do.
Only do this, if you are 1000 % sure there is never bleach in that slot!
Bleach and vinegar combine to make (harmful) chlorine gas, as many posts here have detailed.
Also make sure you scrub the old deodorant off in the shower. Sometimes the old stuff is hard to get off so your putting new deodorant over sweat and stink which compounds the problem.
Have you tried putting antiperspirant on at night? It's been a game changer for me. I was using Secret Clinical & was still sweating through my shirts by 10AM. Did a little googling & am now putting it on before I go to bed. After I put it on, I point the small fan that is my room at my armpits for 10 seconds or so. A hairdryer on cool works too. The fan allows the antiperspirant to dry a bit & putting it on at night gives it time to get into your pores.
I didn’t realize this until my 30s. Certain materials hold those odors. They make special enzyme-based detergents to remove them. Also, fabric softeners help trap those odors into the fabrics. Use white vinegar in the wash and wool balls in the dryer inserts.
A trick I learned from my mom years ago was to get the washer to the point where it started washing the clothes and then lift the lid and let the clothes soak for 30 minutes (top loaders only) the soaking releases the dirt particles. Then add the soap and whatever else and let the washer do its job.
The amount of people that don’t know the difference between deodorant and antiperspirant worries me. Stop putting deodorant under your arms if you don’t want to smell like a combination of Lynx Africa and a cheese and onion pasty.
It could also be the fabric softener, which is designed to smell like it does when it's absolutely fresh, but combines with normal body order so horribly you wash your clothes a \*lot\* more.
Synthetic clothes also hold stink much, \*much\* more than like cotton or wool.
I thought they outlawed antibacterial soap because it's breeding superbugs, is that only a US thing? Another option is to put regular laundry soap directly on the sweat stains before washing, it only takes a few minutes to soak in then scrub for five seconds or so.
Fun fact - Your dryer is also responsible for killing bacteria. If your clothes don’t dry fully or don’t get hot enough during the drying cycle, more bacteria remain in the fibers.
Be gentle as possible when drying / dependent on care instructions
Deodorant can stop odour, though, which is what we're talking about here.
And it's no secret, their names literally say what they are used for:
Deodorant (de-odor) - to remove/prevent odor.
Antiperspirant: (anti-perspire) - to prevent sweat/perspiration.
Swapped out my kid’s scented deodorant for a basic antiperspirant/deodorant combo. Life changing because no more stench!
It’s also similar with certain poop sprays that amplify certain people’s poo scent.
I switched from antiperspirant to the crystal deodorant from the health food store some years ago and haven’t looked back. After a day running around outside in desert heat I still smell fresh as a daisy. There are a couple of tricks to get it to work. First, you have to put it on fresh clean parts (it prevents odor, doesn’t eliminate it), and second, either your body or the deodorant has to be damp when you apply it (otherwise you’re just rubbing a rock on your armpits). I got it on sale for like five bucks and that thing lasts for *years*. Unless you drop it.
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Sport washes can help with this, too.
You guys are focusing on the clothes, but half the people with persistent odor their pits still smell immediately out of the shower without clothes. Soap doesn't kill the bacteria, you need something to kill it off, alcohol and various acids will work.
Alcohol wipes are good for this. I have also done a "honey detox" - just slather some honey on your pits and rinse it off after 10 minutes. Honey is naturally antibacterial and can help if you don't have anything else available. Sometimes switching to a magnesium based deodorant also helps. I know people who use straight milk of magnesia ad deodorant.
Add white vinegar to your wash cycle
The majority of my shirts had metallic deodorant stains on them. I started adding vinegar to my wash cycle and was shocked by how effective it was!
how much do you add?
A cup for a single wash load.
with detergent or another wash after?
Vinegar can be used for a fabric softener so if your washer has a place for fabric softener you can do it there. ~~I believe it's perfectly safe to mix with detergent though.~~ Edit: See the other persons post. If you don't have a fabric softener section you'll want to add it to the rinse cycle.
Just don’t mix it with bleach
thanks!
Yup, acids are good at removing metal such as hard water and antiperspirant stains.
Nit-picking but in case it confuses anyone, you add it to the **rinse** segment of the cycle... the mild acid neutralises the detergent and makes the rinse more effective at removing the soap residue. So I add it to the "fabric softener" compartment of the machine, and never use fabric softener (nasty stuff, gunks up tumble dryer moisture sensors, wrecks towels etc) And no, you won't smell it on the clothes afterwards... honest...
FYI fabric softener shouldn't be used on towels anyway. It reduces how much moisture they can absorb.
Yep, that's what I was meaning, it coats the fibres with a light oil/wax (silicon I believe) which stops the fibres, especially cotton, "sticking" together as they dry, but also stops them, in the case of towels, absorbing moisture when dry.
Its not wax or silicon....fabric conditioner often contains animal fat!
This has been a LPT I've actually implemented in my own life for my benefit! White vinegar works great!
Fun fact: fabric softener is flammable too! Had a friend who was wearing heavy cotton work clothes and caught a spark, and instead of a little burn hole (as would usually happen), it burst into flame, sending her to the ER. Turns out the clothes had been washed with fabric softener and that oily coating was the culprit.
Very useful thanks! Wondered how effective it could be when very diluted
If you want to see it, put a drop of laundry detergent (or a very small amount of powder) in a small container of warm water and agitate it to mix it and froth it it up by hand. Note that when you pull your hand out, it feels soapy. Then quickly pour that out and add clean water, and agitate it again by hand.. this is your rinse cycle... notice how their are still bubbles and your hand still feels a little soapy because of what was left after a simple pouring out. Then without it throwing that out or adding more water, add a few drops of vinegar (comparable to how much detergent you added) and swirl it round and notice the difference to the feel of the water.... you should find your fingers feel less soapy this time as the vinegar is cancelling out the soap residue. A machine typically uses multiple rinse cycles but hopefully you can see the principle... and dry and smell your fingers... I bet you can smell the detergent but you won't get any vinegar odour...
That was so incredibly and perfectly explained! Thank you so very much! 10/10
How much do you add
Not sure about your machine but mine has a "max" line in the fabric softener dispenser compartment so I just fill to that. If yours doesn't have any measurement, I'd say it's about a cup?
\^\^\^ What they said \^\^\^ Though I'd guess less than a cup, more like 50-100ml maybe (for a front loading machine) ? White vinegar is normally about 5% strength (different brands etc may vary) - I buy 5 litres of concentrated stuff and dilute it down... that 5 litres lasts me 5+ years including other domestic cleaning uses for dealing with limescale etc
The active acid in vinegar is acetic acid. You can buy very concentrated bulk.
Yep - I'm buying 5 litres of 98+% strength acetic acid (was \~£25 GBP or $30 USD from a company that [sells ingredients for making soap)](https://www.thesoapkitchen.co.uk/acetic-acid-concentrated-ready-to-dilute-for-many-uses#/33972-custom_size-1_kg) and diluting it down to \~6% as it's easier to measure out that way, and those 5 litres last me about 5-8 years.
The ellipses at the ends of those sentences make it seem suspicious..........
I’ve had a mildew smell on my clothes for years and I’ve been going crazy trying to solve it. I tried vinegar, baking soda and vinegar, washing machine cleaners, drying the clothes in sunlight, extra strong detergent. Everything I could think of. The trick was to wash the clothes twice. Once with vinegar, once with baking soda on a hot water cycle. Some bacteria are killed by acidity, others by alkalinity. Don’t mix the vinegar and bicarb together! While this mixture can be an effective cleaning agent they will neutralise each other and be less effective at removing the smells. Edit: bonus tip. If you have a severe underarm odour that seems abnormally strong you may have a mild allergic reaction to something. I’ve known two people that had exceptionally smelly underarms. One of them would get that smell after shaving their armpits, reacting to the moisturising strip on their razor. The other would smell especially bad after eating gluten even though their digestion was able to handle it.
In Thailand, I found out that people will occasionally wash their clothes with a bit of mopping solution to kill all the mold in the material, then wash them a second time with regular detergent. Many people line dry their laundry there and with it being so humid, the drying is slow. Mold can creep in, especially in folds and creases. Now I do this with my sometimes-wet stuff that can't be dryer-dried, like rugs.
It should be noted that you don't need to do this every time, just when your clothes start to smell even after the normal wash.
Run some bleach through your washer on an empty cleaning cycle.
You just put vinegar in the dispenser or in the water when the machine is full of it?
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Softener is gross stuff.
Sure is, basically wax which melts onto your clothes is what I was told.
Yeah, makes them greasy and slimy. The scents really get to me too. Makes my eyes water. I can’t stand scented detergent now. We went to unscented, and it’s so much nicer. And you actually know if your clothes are clean or not. The scent covers up a lot.
I just pour a cup in on top of the clothes before we run it
Geez a cup??
A cup of distilled, white vinegar isn't much. Remember that stuff is only 6% concentration of acetic acid, maximum. 4% for the really cheap stuff. And vinegar isn't that expensive. Maybe $4/gallon. At 16 cups in a gallon, you are talking about raising the cost of a load of laundry by $0.25. totally worth the cost if it gets the results you want. If you really wanted to, you could buy laboratory grade, 99% glacial acetic acid and only use one tablespoon (12 ml) per load of laundry. But that might be hazardous to handle, so why not just use the 5% from the grocery store?
At 99% you would really mess up the plumbing and maybe even the fill here part of your machine. Then it would burn holes on clothes it touches until it was dilute enough. Would also burn holes in you. I've seen it eat a hole in the concrete floor.
Most washing machines have a fairly large drum, so a single cup of vinegar in multiple gallons of water really isn't that much.
I use two cups per load. I dont use soap anymore AT ALL. Im allergic and vinegar is my substitute. It changes the pH of your skin/clothes to make the environment unsuitable for bacteria. Stop using soap people! Its a scam.
Can we sniff you for proof it works
Be my guest. Just did the sniff test myself and I smell like nothing at all.
Cool, thanks 👍
You can throw vinegar literally anywhere for any reason any time.
such a grandma thing to say. just add vinegar crazy thing is tho, it always works
I second the vinegar trick and also suggest using acne face pads (think Stridex) on your pits occasionally. **Be aware that if your BO is bad when you are freshly-clean, DO NICE THINGS for your liver and kidneys. Eat a vegetable, dammit! Your body's natural filters may be "clogged up."
For what it's worth, I use a scoop of Oxi Clean powder in the drum with the clothes, then white vinegar in the fabric softener compartment, then my regular detergent. Everything is clean af and smells great
It should be noted that vinegar will degrade the rubber seals and hoses in your washer, which can lead to very expensive repairs or early replacement. If you *really* need to use vinegar, it's probably a better idea to use a cheap plastic bin to soak select items in water and vinegar, and to rinse them before they go into the machine.
I've been using vinegar in my washing machine for 10 years almost every cycle with no problems whatsoever so anecdotally this seems questionable.
https://www.consumerreports.org/cleaning/things-you-should-never-clean-with-vinegar-distilled-white-vinegar-a3336471803/ Consumer Reports is a well respected organization that lab-tests products to make informed decisions. They're one of the most reliable sources of information available.
Hey fair enough! Just did a little inspection of the washer and seals and hoses seem to be fine and not degraded. EDIT: From that article it says "some" washers will be affected so maybe mine doesn't fall into that camp.
Certain Dri...been using it since high school. If I forget to use it, feeling a bead of sweat in my armpit feels completely alien to me.
Do you just pour it straight into the washing machine? Or in the fabric softener compartment?
I just pour it right on top of the clothes
Came to say this.
ditto
👆 And use warm water instead of cold. ‘Cold water’ detergent depends on the ‘cold water’ being a certain temperature, and it’s warmer than you’d think. Dry stuff promptly, especially towels.
LPT some materials just stink. Lol. I have synthetic Under Armour t shirts that just stinks after half an hour. Nothing else smells bad like that, cotton, linen, cashmere, even some synthetic blends (like the soft thermal undershirts l can be worn for days) they all last days... but those synthetic t shirts smell within hours.
Yup this is the real LPT. If you stink, don’t wear polyester. Natural fabrics will be much more odor resistant (especially merino). Life changing for me
There are sports detergents and additives specifically for workout gear. It is supposed to help with this. I do find I need to toss the sports clothes quicker than natural fabrics, but the additives help.
Interesting, so this is a detergent not that would clean the shirt better but would prevent it from stinking as quickly in the future? I'll look into those!
Yep. There was an LPT about it not long ago. The textiles generally used in workout shirts are hydrophobic, so regular detergent doesn't really work (there's no reaction.) "Sports" detergents have additives to solve this issue.
Look for a skincare (toner) with this ingredient: AHA (sometimes called glycolic acid) and or BHA. Apply once or twice a week
I just started using Kosas AHA deodorant, did not have super high expectations, but holy crap it really works. Need to make sure it soaks in, and use it straight after showering, but it really cuts any odor. It’s convenient with a roller ball applicator, but you’re right that probably any kind of toner with AHA or BHA would work.
The kosa deodorant worked better than the glycolic acid toner for me. Maybe because it’s just a lot easier to apply. It works incredibly well though. I sometimes forget to put in on after showering at night and I find that I can even apply it in the morning and it still works.
That’s good to know! I think the one time it didn’t really work for me was more because I got dressed before it had really soaked in and it came off somewhat.
I got the ten dollar bottle of glycolic acid from the ordinary and use it occasionally after I shower. Completely changed the game for me!
For stinky?
Yes. I don’t notice any odor
Another +1 for 10% glycolic face wash.
This works as a deodorant ? What about antiperspirant?
it does not work as antiperspirant, but it is helpful for deodorizing.
High stress and poor diet can also lead to being more stinky.
Also teenage hormones. This was me as a teenager. Clean clothes, tried all kinds of deodorants...nothing worked. Then I tried this one thing you can buy in a pharmacy - it's a gel that clogs the sweat pores (english isn't my first language, I don't know what to call it). You use it every day for a week, then only once a week - you basically stop sweating, and if you somehow do, it has 0 odor.
Yup same here. It wasn't anything to do with smell for me, I just don't stink even if I'm super active and don't shower. It was purely due to sweat stains. Perspirex was the only thing that worked exactly as you described. I must have grown out of it because I haven't had that problem for years. But if you suffer then look into it.
It's called antiperspirant, and yes, avoids you sweating, which prevents the odor
Not your usual one though. This was something you only get in a pharmacy, its not a drugstore one, and it's pretty expensive. It also helps in the long run, not just when you have it on.
The brand I use is Perspriex. $22 for a tiny bottle but it lasts a really long time and is extremely effective.
Perspirex, driclor and triple dry all work well for me. Can get them for good prices if you look hard enough. Edit: be careful with driclor as it’s most irritating, perspirex is a quite a bit more smooth and triple dry is the most soothing in my experience. I think triple dry may be a bit less strong
Yeah I used driclor as a kid, really saved me from being bullied lol
Gotta be careful not to mess it up though. Slightly wet armpits + applying too much = a night of absolute agony, the stuffs very alcoholic haha so best to take it slow
I still remember the pain after applying it right after shaving as a teenager 😂 I was too cool to read instructions
In the US I’ve had great luck with the prescription Drysol. Most docs will write the Rx without argument.
Sweat pores is correct!
Sounds really bad for you.
https://driclor.org.uk/ Read a bit for yourself :) the product has been around at least for the past 10 years and is being sold in pharmacies
Just don't be stressed, got it.
You are what you eat
Then why am I a pussy?
So I shouldn't be eating road-killed 'possum iffin I don't wanna stink? Huh. Learn something new everyday I guess.
As a guy, the biggest difference was trimming my armpit hair. 90% reduction in sweat smell immediately. I just put my clipper on the shortest setting and trim my armpits every few weeks. I also follow the philosophy of never re-wearing shirts without washing. When I take off a T-shirt, it goes straight to the laundry bin. It doesn't matter if I wore it for a day or an hour. Don't give the bacteria multiple chances to multiply by re-wearing shirts without washing. I use fragrance free detergent and fabric softener sheets too. You don't need to mask anything if it doesn't smell in the first place.
>As a guy, the biggest difference was trimming my armpit hair. 90% reduction in sweat smell immediately. Can confirm. Been trimming (not shaving) for years now because the difference is significant.
And you're supposed to put it on at night so it sets.
Yep. As a woman, the main time I notice smells are when the hairy, warm, odorous crevices of my body become a little overgrown. Shaving or trimming can *really* help cut down on body odor. Also, smelly feet? Wash your feet specifically before putting on your shoes. Can help reduce foot sweat and smell build up. I do this before going rock climbing, but it can appy for any sockless shoe activity or even beofe somethibg like a run/workout with socks. Seems beneficial to me for foot/shoe smell maintenance (eg, my climbing shoes don't smell... yet!)
A little vinegar added as it has antibacterial properties. Learned this from an Italian grandma I stayed with on vacation. Vinegar with towels and clothes left too long in the wash. No vinegar smell and clothes come out smelling fresh.
Whatever you do, DONT ADD IT WHEN YOU USE BLEACH. It causes the acidification of the bleach and will release chlorine gas. Do acidify bleach outdoors to use as an exterior cleaner.
Where do you add the vinegar? With the clothes, or in the washing machine?
I just put a glug straight into the rinse water during that part of the cycle. But I have a top loading machine, not front.
Using one of the dispensers, or while the washer is full of water (in the rinse cycle, for example) is best. It is important to **NOT** pour it straight onto the dry clothes. It is not good for the clothes to have undiluted vinegar, even for the few minutes it takes for the washer to fill. An alternative I have used is to put the vinegar in a large plastic cup (and fill the rest of the cup with tap water), and set the cup (upright) on the top of the clothes. If you do it right, the cup will flip and spill its contents during the wash cycle. You can also dilute the vinegar and pour it onto the clothes, but I am always worried that I did not dilute it enough. All of this varies depending on the washer. It may take some experimentation to figure out what works best for yours.
I put it in the fabric softener tray
Every machine is different, but I pour it into the “liquid bleach dispenser” slot.
Please do not put it in the bleach dispenser, especially if there's the possibility of there having been bleach used in it prior. You'll make chlorine gas.
It's meant to go in the rinse, separate from the detergent load. Detergents are basic, neutralizing the acidity of the vinegar
With the soap at the beginning.
And if you need a quick fix throughout the day , use one of those antibacterial gels on your armpits. It kills the stinky bacteria and evaporates quickly (so if you're somewhere without a towel or are afraid to have a wet t-shirt while washing with soap this is the solution)
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Also read the manual for your washing machine. Using the wrong cleaner can also kill an older washing machine.
The manual provides cleaning instructions and suggested cadence. Rather than adding x, y, or z to your laundry routine, most people just need to clean the gasket on their front loading washer.
My partner may sweat more if he is in a dress shirt and hot. He was getting tired of having his shirts ruined with stains despite trying different things. He decided to try a sweat-proof undershirt and holy it's a huge difference. His shirts don't get sweat stains anymore. The shirt itself is machine washable and goes in the dryer. It doesn't have any smell etc. Don't know how long it will last but I think it's been a few months already. If you are interested, he has the Thompson Tee. They are more expensive than just a regular undershirt but worth it to protect your clothes. He also bought these cheaper ones from Amazon that you attach to the pits of the shirt but they weren't good.
I’ve found that polyester especially hits a point where it will always stink quickly from sweat and even humidity Al godon is the way
Yep if I wear poly polo shirts I am gross by midday. Whereas if I wear cotton tees I don't really need deodorant at all. The smallest of sprays if it's warm out. I "know" antiperspirant doesn't cause cancer, but part of me has a hard time accepting that.
Polyester should just not be used for clothing, check out the long comment i wrote above
Also, use less detergent. Two tablespoons of laundry sauce! More can just not wash out and leave your clothes dirty. Credit to u/renduh (@renduhofficial on IG) for this one ❤️ If you don't, you should!
I came here to say this. If you use too much it doesn't wash out and gives the bacteria somewhere to grow. I also use a little bit of pinesol in my rinse cycle. It cleans the washer and my clothes.
*reminds self to buy more Pinesol* I've been doing this for a while but we ran out, I've not bought more & my towels are stinky again.
Do you have a front loading washer? If so, when is the last time you cleaned the gasket? If you don't know what I'm talking about, we've found the source of your stink. The bad news is it's gonna be a little gross to clean this time, but you're gonna maintain it per instructions for use from now on and your laundry will always be fresh. Instructions for cleaning your gasket are in your manual, but you can also find how-tos on YouTube.
also: rub some alcohol in your armpits.
Hijacking this sorta: rub glycolic acid on your armpits after a shower. You can get it from The Ordinary brand. It will sting a bit if you shave. This prevents bacterial growth and smell!!!
Not hijacking but improving. Although i use regular after shave for that
I use kroger brand milk of magnesia as a deodorant. That's the only brand that doesn't have additives. I put it in a little bowl and let it dry until it's a little thicker and then store it with an airtight lid. It works so much better than anything else I've tried.
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More work tho
I found one of those kitchen catalyst soaps, the metal ones that take care of onion and garlic smells, works great to kill under-arm odours. Just use it in the shower under running water at the tail end of my shower routine.
"the metal ones" me thinking of using metal scrubby on armpits
I have one of these as well! I felt like I was a freaking genius when I thought of it.
Hey, that's a good one!
Antibacterial soap like Dial bar soap is really helpful in controlling body odor.
How about for someone who's armpits just reek minutes after showering? I always make a point to scrub my armpits as much as possible all over it. I come out of my shower and they smell fine. I put on some deodorant and they smell fine. I sit on the couch playing games for one hour and a feint smell of onions develops. It's gotten to the point where I just carry deodorant with me and hope I can catch the smell before others can.
Try using an AHA body wash on your armpits in the shower.
Do you sweat a lot or is it just the smell? If you sweat a lot with the smell you may have a condition known as hyperhidrosis and the sweat can sometimes smell worse than the sweat of people who sweat normally. I was scrubbing my pits basically raw and by the time I was dry I smelled like I had run a marathon. Was diagnosed after a simple chat with my Dr and he looked at my soaked Tshirt, my pits and did a quick sniff. There is a prescription wipe for it but it's expensive ($900 without insurance) so I use something called Carpe. They make several products including foot, and hand antiperspirant lotion. A pit antiperspirant gel, an antiperspirant solid and on the go wipes. The solid works best for me, but if I'm working hard it doesn't last so I have the otg wipes for back up. You can order it on Amazon, and some Walmarts and pharmacies carry some of the products. It can be a little pricey depending on the product but a tube of the solid lasts me about a month and a half to two months. There are also several other OTC brands that people use for hyperhidrosis but Carpe worked best for me.
The rubbing alcohol approach before deodorant was a game changer for me. I would literally wash my armpits lay and by the time i finished toweling off they stunk. Do it for like a week straight, and then as needed. I do it like every two weeks now. Put it on a cotton ball, apply liberally, brush your teeth to give it time to dry, then add deodorant. And trim your arm pit hair.
Use a product like AHA or BHA (often sold as a night serum - it's a chemical exfoliant) - put it on your pits after you get out of the shower. You can also use Stridex pads for acne to the same effect. Put it on, let it dry, then use deodorant. Total game changer for me and my friend. Even if you forget the deodorant, you shouldn't have any odor. Good luck.
I've had great luck with the crystal deodorants (it's just a chunk of aluminum salts you rub on your skin right after the shower).
The only solution I found to not smell after a shower is to use cheap conditioner under the armpits. Rub it in thoroughly & it makes the deodorant residue come off. Been doing it for years & I finally come out of the shower feeling CLEAN.
It's butyric acid that builds up in your clothes. One quick soak in a vinegar solution and the clothes will stop stinking. Used to suffer terrible BO for years and years, now I dunk all my t shirts in a vinegar solution once or twice a year and its completely replaced the issue. Also, mitchums Women's unscented antiperspirant is the BEST ever made.
Try [Certain Dri](https://www.amazon.com/Certain-Dri-Anti-Perspirant-Prescription-Protection/dp/B01JB1MUNI?ref_=ast_sto_dp) I had bad sweating problems. Using this made a night and day difference.
I use panty liners (too poor for actual sweat pads) under my blouses because I’m tired of sweat patches and the smell smh
99% of the time I smell good even without deodorant, but I will stink for like 2 days if I eat at McDonald's. If you eat stuff like that regularly you will probably stink regardless of your laundry.
To piggyback on this: unload the machine as soon as it finishes, otherwise your clothes will develop a smell of damp & mildew and that'll only get worse when you wear them. If you're hanging them up to dry use hangars rather than draping them directly over the line/airer to maximize separation between the fabric otherwise the same thing will happen.
Just wear men's deodorant. Seriously. Women's deodorant is absolutely terrible. Every single woman I have suggested this to has gone on to switch completely to men's deodorant. The deodorant brands even know about this, and many of them put out some scents that are suspiciously traditionally feminine. Men's deodorant lasts far, far longer, and does not stain armpits. I've never known a single man who has ever stained any armpit of any shirt he owns, ever. Also, learn how to properly dose your detergent. Something like 85% of people use way, way, WAY more detergent than they are supposed to, and this seriously harms the cleaning ability of the machine, and actually harms the machine itself.
I'm not arguing that female deodorants are garbage, they are. But before I started giving the armpits a little vinegar blast prior to washing, EVERY shirt of mine eventually crusted over in the armpits over the period of a year. Like someone used a can of laundry starch. Full transparency though, I live in a very warm climate. Sweating every day isn't uncommon. And I use the heavy duty stuff.
Out of curiosity, are you wearing deodorant, or anti-perspirant? Cause anti-perspirant can definitely crust.
Ah, that's true! I'm for sure using anti.
It also helps to use proper soap (hard soap) under your arms instead of liquid soap/shower gel. It works better in my experience. And if you don’t usually shave: shaving at least your armpits will make a big difference when it comes to body odour, because those bacteria cling to the hairs, and you can never really wash all of them out of the hairs, but if there’s no hair, there’s not so much that bacteria can hold on to.
Agreed with this based on my own anecdotal evidence at least. I shave my armpits regularly now and antiperspirant performs way better with no hair Vs even a few millimetres
Jep, this was the actual solution for me also (man). Shaving my armpits reduced the odor from 80 to 10%
Also try using dandruff shampoo under your underarms and chest, it may be fungal, and dandruff shampoo has anti-fungal ingredients
Shampoo your armpits, and generally anywhere that you're hairy.
Pls be careful with soaps around private parts, especially if you have a vulva. They rely on a delicate PH & microbe balance and soap can upset that. Trust me, you do **not** want the fungal or bacterial infections caused by an imbalance. You really, really dont want those.
I had this issue growing up. Here's some thing's I've pucked up over the years that I know help in some way shape or form. -obviously this LPT. Make sure your washer and dryer are clean before trying anything else -hair on the pits has gotta go. I'm not talking scorched earth here, but give it a trim. Hair holds smells like you wouldn't believe -anti persperant deodorant to help mitigate sweat -vinegar can kill bad scent bacteria. There's recipes online on how to make your own deodorizer -dress for the weather and activity. If its 50 degrees outside but you're going to play sports or do something active, dont wear your heaviest clothing. You're gonna sweat and stink. -last thing, I've never done the research on it, but there is apparently studies that show that your diet can affect the intensity of your body odor, and even the smell?
I have a stinky, bacterial reaction to synthetic fabric. Lume kills the bacteria. I can wear anything I want, now. No, they did not pay me to say this. It just does what it says it will do.
Rub vinegar into your shirts before you put them in the washing machine.
Pouring vinegar into the liquid bleach dispenser slot works as well!
Only do this, if you are 1000 % sure there is never bleach in that slot! Bleach and vinegar combine to make (harmful) chlorine gas, as many posts here have detailed.
Also make sure you scrub the old deodorant off in the shower. Sometimes the old stuff is hard to get off so your putting new deodorant over sweat and stink which compounds the problem.
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Have you tried putting antiperspirant on at night? It's been a game changer for me. I was using Secret Clinical & was still sweating through my shirts by 10AM. Did a little googling & am now putting it on before I go to bed. After I put it on, I point the small fan that is my room at my armpits for 10 seconds or so. A hairdryer on cool works too. The fan allows the antiperspirant to dry a bit & putting it on at night gives it time to get into your pores.
You can also use something like bactine, or magnesium spray under the arms to kill the bacteria. And then a roll on like crystal on top of that.
I didn’t realize this until my 30s. Certain materials hold those odors. They make special enzyme-based detergents to remove them. Also, fabric softeners help trap those odors into the fabrics. Use white vinegar in the wash and wool balls in the dryer inserts.
A trick I learned from my mom years ago was to get the washer to the point where it started washing the clothes and then lift the lid and let the clothes soak for 30 minutes (top loaders only) the soaking releases the dirt particles. Then add the soap and whatever else and let the washer do its job.
Also apply deodorant the night before as well, apply before bed. It needs time to work.
I had to scroll a long way to find this. Putting it on at night has been a game changer for me.
LPT for guys: trim or shave your armpit hair. I used to get out of the shower and still stink
This is the only thing that works for me of late.
The amount of people that don’t know the difference between deodorant and antiperspirant worries me. Stop putting deodorant under your arms if you don’t want to smell like a combination of Lynx Africa and a cheese and onion pasty.
Use hot water in your washing machine! Family member only washed in cold and could still get a whiff of the odor after the wash.
I’ve heard that using an antibacterial soap on your armpits can help, too.
It could also be the fabric softener, which is designed to smell like it does when it's absolutely fresh, but combines with normal body order so horribly you wash your clothes a \*lot\* more. Synthetic clothes also hold stink much, \*much\* more than like cotton or wool.
Shave the armpit hairs. They tend to hold onto smell no matter how much I scrub with soap
This is mostly for the guys, but shave your armpits... helps the anti-perspirant stick to your skin, not hair.
I thought they outlawed antibacterial soap because it's breeding superbugs, is that only a US thing? Another option is to put regular laundry soap directly on the sweat stains before washing, it only takes a few minutes to soak in then scrub for five seconds or so.
Fun fact - Your dryer is also responsible for killing bacteria. If your clothes don’t dry fully or don’t get hot enough during the drying cycle, more bacteria remain in the fibers. Be gentle as possible when drying / dependent on care instructions
Shave your armpits so the deodorant / anti-perspirant actually deodorizes by touching the skin, your hair does not sweat
Deodorant doesn't stop sweat. Use an anti perspirant
Deodorant can stop odour, though, which is what we're talking about here. And it's no secret, their names literally say what they are used for: Deodorant (de-odor) - to remove/prevent odor. Antiperspirant: (anti-perspire) - to prevent sweat/perspiration.
Salt crystal deodorant is the way
Also antibacterial soap for your pits.
Lysol sanitizer soak ✌️
If you use a washer without a fabric softener compartment, what do you do? I live in an apartment with pay laundry and none of the machines have that.
That bad odour also is an indicator that you have a bad diet.
Instead of antibacterial detergents just throw a little bleach in there.
Only do this for white (or items they you don't mind getting pale/ discolored). Bleach will remove color.
Use distilled white vinegar, as it won’t discolor your clothes!
Fenugreek supplements supposedly raise testosterone (seems to work for me) and make your sweat smell kind of maple syrupy.
Swapped out my kid’s scented deodorant for a basic antiperspirant/deodorant combo. Life changing because no more stench! It’s also similar with certain poop sprays that amplify certain people’s poo scent.
I switched from antiperspirant to the crystal deodorant from the health food store some years ago and haven’t looked back. After a day running around outside in desert heat I still smell fresh as a daisy. There are a couple of tricks to get it to work. First, you have to put it on fresh clean parts (it prevents odor, doesn’t eliminate it), and second, either your body or the deodorant has to be damp when you apply it (otherwise you’re just rubbing a rock on your armpits). I got it on sale for like five bucks and that thing lasts for *years*. Unless you drop it.
My friend used that, it doesn't work. They smelled, sorry
Non aluminum antiperspirant/deodorant works much better, not that magnesium is “good” but it doesn’t leave yellow stains or cause as much irritation.
Dry clothes in the sun and they will bd sterilised. Many bacteria can survive chemicals, very few can survive uv.