Smelly laundry (from sweat)

[Tap]

Help me manage dd14 clothes odor please. She sweats a lot! By the end of the week her bedroom reaks and her laundry is the issue. I don't want to move her laundry somewhere else, because then both places will smell. I prefer to keep it contained to her room. Once her bedding and laundry are washed, the odor goes away, so I know this is the issue. BTW, this isn't a washer issue, no one else has this problem in the house. 

We do her laundry once a week, and doing it more often helps, but then I am washing small loads and as soon as new laundry is created (same day), it stinks again. I use Lysol laundry sanitizer, use unscented All or Tide detergent, hot water with an extra rinse. Her clean clothes don't have an odor, just after she wears them. I have to use a bit of softener to reduce static for her, but try to use an unscented dryer sheet that has already been used once, to limit the amount of softener that goes on her clothes. (I have tried other methods like wool balls, but they didn't work for us). The Lysol really helps to reduce the odor in her clean clothes! Before I found it, her clean clothes stunk too.

I really need a way to keep her dirty clothes odor down in between washes.  Any suggestions? I see things with baking soda inside that go in the laundry basket, but don't know if they actually help or not. 

Any better products for laundry detergent? Maybe it seems to help, but isn't really doing that great?

I just walked into a bathroom that she left half damp clothes in overnight (swim suit and clothing) and the whole room was wretched with damp body odor like a locker room after a game! 

Edited June 5, 2021 by Tap

[Pawz4me]

When DS25 was a teen and had the boy funk going on--along with lots and lots of sweaty athletic clothing--I made him put any laundry that was the slightest bit damp in the garage. I know that's not the solution you're looking for, but I really don't think there's much you can do to successfully reduce the odor of unwashed stinky clothes. For washing his stinky athletic clothing adding some original Pine Sol to the wash was like a miracle from heaven. Nothing else I tried came anywhere close in terms of effectiveness. Vinegar, baking soda, OxyClean, borax, etc.--all utterly useless. I know there are lots of commercial odor removing/sanitizing products available now, but stinky laundry isn't an issue for us since he moved out, so IDK if any of the newer products work better than Pine Sol or not.

Edited June 5, 2021 by Pawz4me
clarity

[hjffkj]

I learned this trick because dh's martial arts clothes started being an issue. But every so often I'd have to soak them in water diluted with vinegar and then wash them. That'd solve the issue for 6 months or so.

[Bootsie]

Is this just day-to-day clothing?  Or, is this clothing that she is exercising in that is sweaty and smelly?

[prairiewindmomma]

It can be one of a few things:

1. Try an enzymatic cleaner—either Persil for laundry soap, or Biokleen’s Bac-Out. Biokleen is based out of Vancouver, wa, so I find it easy to find here in the PNW. This is especially helpful if she wears a lot of synthetic clothing.
 

2. If she has been using too much laundry soap, she can have a detergent buildup. Either doing a vinegar strip or several wash cycles, no soap, can help.

3. Prescription/high end deodorant. Probably not your best bet—but I would guess if her odor is that bad you might try also having her wash with Hibiclens for a week or two or use vodka in her armpits and creases. Odds are she’s colonizing stuff on her skin or she has a med contributing to the stink.

[Acadie]

Is she leaving workout clothes or swimsuits hanging to dry, or are they balled up? Workout stink is so much worse when clothes aren't hung to dry. We have two bars across our laundry room to hang dry workout clothes, kitchen towels, etc, while they wait to be washed, and things dry much faster there than in our bathroom, probably because it's less humid. 

All my people, dh included, have needed multiple instruction sessions on how to hang clothes to dry properly, immediately after use and minimizing folding/double layers to speed the drying process. 

I add a splash of ammonia in the wash for workout clothes--it kills bacteria, probably like the Lysol, and removes any odors that might persist after washing. I also set a timer to make sure I transfer to the dryer immediately, because wet clothes sitting allow bacteria to grow again. 

Have you talked with her pediatrician for any thoughts on health aspects? Probably worth asking about trying Hibiclens, high powered deodorant or any other ideas. 

Laundering twice a week, even with smaller loads, doesn't seem like a bad idea in this case, and I might sun her linens and clothes sometimes if you have outdoor space. She'll need to manage this herself in a few years so it's worth helping her develop the habit now. 

[itsheresomewhere]

Biz-  excellent stuff for teen funk and exercise clothes. 

I have my teens spray the hamper with Bac out by biokleen.  Every evening or morning a quick spray. They also have a fabric refresher one that does not induce migraines like other ones.  
 

Can you hang any of her laundry outside on the line every once in awhile? The sun is great for helping get rid of odors from clothes. 

Edited June 5, 2021 by itsheresomewhere

[klmama]

1.  Address the source.  Using deodorant supposedly causes a change in armpit bacteria, with the stinkier varieties winning out.  Some people say to use rubbing alcohol to kill off the smelly bacteria, but I don't think it's as effective as washing armpits in the shower with a benzoyl peroxide wash at least twice a week. She could wash all over with it, if that helps.  Just make sure she rinses well, to avoid bleaching towels, robes, or other clothing.

2.  Double check that her anti-perspirant has enough aluminum.  Most are 17-21%; anything less is likely to be fairly useless.  The higher the percentage, the more effective it is. 

3.  If deodorant stains in her clothing hold in the smell, have her wash those out every night by rinsing under clean water and scrubbing armpits with Dawn or laundry detergent to remove excess.   

4.  Soak her smelly clothing in an enzyme cleaner, like OxyClean.  You may need to soak them overnight.  There's a variety specifically for odors, which adds a scent to the cleaner.  You can add OxyClean to the wash for better odor removal, but soaking tends to be more effective.

 

[Bambam]

I use vinegar every load in my fabric softener holder in the washer. It helps greatly with smells. 

That said, we had some problem clothes. Clothes smelled fine coming out of dryer, but once they were on, and person got hot, the smell started immediately (also if you ironed it, you noticed immediately). I got BioKleen and had them spray underarms of every shirt. I hung them outside in the sun for hours. That helped a lot, but not all of them. I also got OxiClean with scent boosters/removers (?) and soaked the shirts in those for a couple of hours, and then washed as regular. That seemed to correct all the problems except for a couple (maybe just super cheap material?). 

Oxiclean is added to every load now (but just a little). If there is a lot of sweat, BioKleen is sprayed on when they take the shirt off. 

[kbutton]

If you have a frontloader that has a sanitize cycle, running that should help reset the laundry. I know it seems clean when it's been washed, but we had the issue that as soon as it got wet, it would really, really stink more than it should. We had partly a teen boy issue and partly an adult with new ADHD meds that changed body odor. The meds eventually changed to a slightly different version, and once we got on top of the still somewhat stinky laundry with the sanitize cycles, it was manageable. We found that underwear and socks were the worst, and we washed those separately on sanitize for a while. It eventually evened out. 

Oh, the other problem is that we had a lot of that silky athletic wear at the the time. I swear that stuff holds odor better than any other fabric. New items are basically banned from my house going forward. I just don't want to deal with them--you have to constantly put them in a sanitize load, which takes forever, and one little slip up with something stinky, and they spread it to everyone's laundry.

I have no experience with it, but I've been seeing ads for Lume deodorant and how it helps people who are kind of lost causes with deodorant. I personally can do something pretty strong like Lady Mitchum (but it's an anti-perspirant, so not ideal), or I can do milk of magnesia, but I have to let it thicken, which can get on my clothes if I am not careful. I am not sure why in-between solutions don't work. 

[itsheresomewhere]

16 hours ago, kbutton said:

If you have a frontloader that has a sanitize cycle, running that should help reset the laundry. I know it seems clean when it's been washed, but we had the issue that as soon as it got wet, it would really, really stink more than it should. We had partly a teen boy issue and partly an adult with new ADHD meds that changed body odor. The meds eventually changed to a slightly different version, and once we got on top of the still somewhat stinky laundry with the sanitize cycles, it was manageable. We found that underwear and socks were the worst, and we washed those separately on sanitize for a while. It eventually evened out. 

Oh, the other problem is that we had a lot of that silky athletic wear at the the time. I swear that stuff holds odor better than any other fabric. New items are basically banned from my house going forward. I just don't want to deal with them--you have to constantly put them in a sanitize load, which takes forever, and one little slip up with something stinky, and they spread it to everyone's laundry.

I have no experience with it, but I've been seeing ads for Lume deodorant and how it helps people who are kind of lost causes with deodorant. I personally can do something pretty strong like Lady Mitchum (but it's an anti-perspirant, so not ideal), or I can do milk of magnesia, but I have to let it thicken, which can get on my clothes if I am not careful. I am not sure why in-between solutions don't work. 

They have a special laundry detergent for the athletic clothes.  Works fantastic.

I admit I sweat more than most but Lume did not work for me at all.  I think I smelled worse with it.  

Edited June 6, 2021 by itsheresomewhere

[ktgrok]

Stinky dirty clothes is normal - the answer as you found is to wash more often. What works for us is to wash everyone's clothes together, daily. Or at least every other day. Have her bring all laundry out daily, to the laundry room if you have one. Put evrything that is not white in one load, wash with good detergent and Biz, and/or instead of or with Biz I like a mix of washing soda and borax. (I mix them in a container and keep it with a scoop in the laundry room). If you have hard water the washing soda/borax is amazing. 

But yeah, washing them more often is the trick. DH has clothes like that too, as does DS 21. If they sit a week, they reek. If they get washed daily or so, no issue. 

[ktgrok]

FYI - Bix is better than oxyclean. It has oxyclean IN it but also enzymes. 

[Tap]

1 hour ago, ktgrok said:

Stinky dirty clothes is normal - the answer as you found is to wash more often. What works for us is to wash everyone's clothes together, daily. Or at least every other day. Have her bring all laundry out daily, to the laundry room if you have one. Put evrything that is not white in one load, wash with good detergent and Biz, and/or instead of or with Biz I like a mix of washing soda and borax. (I mix them in a container and keep it with a scoop in the laundry room). If you have hard water the washing soda/borax is amazing. 

But yeah, washing them more often is the trick. DH has clothes like that too, as does DS 21. If they sit a week, they reek. If they get washed daily or so, no issue. 

I agree washing more often definitely helps, but I can't was other peoples' clothes with hers. The additive I use for her is scented, and I can't use scented detergents. 

What ratio do you use for your combo product? I do have hard water and sometimes wonder if that is part of the problem. I usually only use liquids due to this, but can try a powder combo if it will work better. 

She sweats all over her body. She will have sweat literally running down her neck if the house is 72* and she gets frustrated. Now that I type that, I remember reading about the different types of sweat people have. Stress sweat is chemically different, so maybe I do need an enzyme based cleaner to get them totally clean. 

 

[prairiewindmomma]

Fwiw, biokleen’s bac-out has a citrus scent (mild, but detectable) when applied, but washes out entirely during the wash cycle. We can use it even with our asthmatic, eczema-prone family and we can’t use about half of all laundry products.

I usually apply the product to pits and other moisture trapping areas of the clothing and let it sit for a bit and then do a wash cycle. 
 

The bacteria that live on synthetic clothing is different than that on cotton based clothing when they have cultured it. It takes different methods to eliminate the two.  A few years ago I linked the studies here but I don’t have the links anymore.

 

[Tap]

I will by the Biokleen and Biz and try them both to see what works best. Then go from there!  I will pay whatever I need, to find the best! I am soooo tired of her stanky room!  HAHA

[katilac]

If the problem is dirty laundry stinking, I don't see what you do other than have her put her dirty clothes elsewhere. 

Why would two places stink if the dirty laundry is the issue, and her dirty laundry never goes into her room? 

[prairiewindmomma]

https://www.persilproclean.com/us/en/home/products/by-variant/sensitive/sensitive-skin-laundry-detergent.html
 

This is the sensitive skin persil. It has the complete ingredient list if you know you’ve got specific issues.

[prairiewindmomma]

1 minute ago, katilac said:

If the problem is dirty laundry stinking, I don't see what you do other than have her put her dirty clothes elsewhere. 

Why would two places stink if the dirty laundry is the issue, and her dirty laundry never goes into her room? 

Because she is sweating at night also....

 

[Tap]

Just now, katilac said:

If the problem is dirty laundry stinking, I don't see what you do other than have her put her dirty clothes elsewhere. 

Why would two places stink if the dirty laundry is the issue, and her dirty laundry never goes into her room? 

Her bedding and any thing that is typically used more than once like a bathrobe can get stinky before I notice. So, since her bedding makes her room stink, I prefer she keep her clothes there too. 

[Tap]

I have taken her to the endocrinologist when she was little and they say she is fine. I am considering taking the doctor again. To me....it seems odd that she can have so much sweat that pours out of her skin. Even her teacher at school called me about it once.  She will get upset and you can see the sweat running down her face and neck.  She goes to a therapeutic day school, and these teachers have seen much more that other teachers in regards to stress responses. So, if it was bad enough to justify a call home, it seem like it is definitely not normal. 

There are complications in regards to testing for her (severeeeeeely needle phobic) so unless something can be diagnosed by exam, it is pointless to take her in. 

[prairiewindmomma]

Regular sweat is eccrine glands. Apocrine glands open into hair follicles and are concentrated in the traditional stinky places (armpit, crotch, etc.) It’s typically apocrine that is the stress response. 
 

Hyperhidrosis is the term for when you hit diagnosis level sweating issue.

miraDry is a medical treatment where they essentially microwave and destroy sweat glands. Otherwise you are just stuck with the antiperspirants and the anticholerigenics. (Sorry, I know that is spelled wrong, just say it phonetically and you know what I mean.)

We have been a few rounds with this with family members.

 

[ktgrok]

1 hour ago, Tap said:

I agree washing more often definitely helps, but I can't was other peoples' clothes with hers. The additive I use for her is scented, and I can't use scented detergents. 

What ratio do you use for your combo product? I do have hard water and sometimes wonder if that is part of the problem. I usually only use liquids due to this, but can try a powder combo if it will work better. 

She sweats all over her body. She will have sweat literally running down her neck if the house is 72* and she gets frustrated. Now that I type that, I remember reading about the different types of sweat people have. Stress sweat is chemically different, so maybe I do need an enzyme based cleaner to get them totally clean. 

 

If you wash hers daily, I bet you won't need the additive. Not if you use the washing soda and borax too. At least, that is what I found with DH's stinky man clothes. I was having to do period long soaks with borax/washing soda/biz, having to use Tide plus an additive for sports clothes, etc etc etc. 

Now I just wash his clothes no more less than every other day, with about 1/3 cup of my mix of borax/washing soda (or even just 1/4 cup if small load) and I've been able to use basic Mrs. Meyers detergent, which i could not before. 

I buy one box each of borax and washing soda and dump them into a big container (a little of each at a time, alternating, to make mixing it up easier). You could keep them separate in their boxes and just pour a little of each into the wash. 

I prefer tide powder, but if I'm using liquid I just put the washing soda/borax right in the tub, not with the detergent. 

I'd also bleach her bedding, and change it frequently. Sorry I know that's  pain. 

And yes, it sounds like a hormonal issue or something to sweat that much - cushings disease comes to mind. 

Edited June 6, 2021 by ktgrok