What is the best way to get rid of BO smells in clothes?

Question

Sometimes the smell lingers after you have washed it. Is there a recommended washing powder or pre wash soaker?

(Yes, I do wash myself properly at least once a day and yes, I do use deodrant/antipersperant)

Answer 1

I'd say soak the clothes overnight and also use a stain devil for perspiration as I have in the past and it helps get rid of smells too !!

Answer 2

There are several ways to do this.
1. Soak the clothes overnight in either biolgical washing powder solution, or for a couple of hours in an oxy-based stain removing solution ( - Vanish, Oxy-clean or a poundshop version).

2. Soak the clothes in a bucket of cold water with a large slug of white vinegar (if these are dark-coloured clothes then plain brown vinegar is also ok). You may be able to get away with sponging the armpits with the vinegar.

3. Soak in a solution of bicarbonate of soda (about 2 tablespoons in a bucket).

4. Soak in a weak solution of ammonia (about 2 tablespoons in a bucket). this is not for very delicate fabrics, such as silk or pure wool.

Basically, you will need to experiment a bit. Perspiration can ne either acid or alkaline. If it is acid then a soak in something alkaline (bicarb or ammonia) will neutralise it. If it is akaline then a weak acid (such as vinegar) will do the job.

Finally, if you have a favourite garment which persistently absorbs underarm smells then it is worth sewing in some dress shields. I've done this with a silk tunic. Dress shields are half-moon shaped pieces of fabric which you tack onto the underarm. They prevent any staining from marking the garment. Just wash them in the garment. If they get badly stained then you can remove them and either replace, or wash them aggressively. They can be bought in haberdashery shops and dressmaking shops.
I hope this helps.

Answer 3

I clean and do laundry for other people. I found the best washing powder for unwanted lingering smells was Bold all in one. The only trouble with it is the all in one thing, I found I still needed to use fabric conditioner.

Hope this helps

Answer 4

If normal washing products fail, try soaking the garment in a mixture of warm water and distilled vinegar (3 parts water-1 Part vinegar) for 2hrs. You will of course have to re-wash using ordinary detergent after but should do the trick.

Answer 5

I always use a brand name liquid when washing clothes and a nice smelling fabric softner. My hubby's clothes stink when he's finished work - he's a Dairy Farmer and when finished for the day, stinks of sweat, cow pooh and wee (and covered in it!). His clothes always smell fresh after and I always wash them on the highest temperature I can that won't shrink them. It's amazing how many clothes you can actually wash on a higher temperature than the labels state. I reckon powders are rubbish, never clean well, switch to a liquid!!

Answer 6

My son piss in the bed and sometimes on himself and boy does it reeks (he's only 8). I use GAIN laundry detergent to wash his clothes and his linen. This laundry deterent is so loud that I don't smell the urine after being washed and know one ever know that he still wet himself because the smell doesn't linger. So if GAIN works on urine I am sure it will work on BO.

Answer 7

The best solution I found was to run the items through a cold rinse cycle then to do another cold wash with 3 tablespoons of bicarbonate of soda in. Spin and then put throgh your usual wash cycle using biological powder...;

Answer 8

I had an merchandise of outfits that would not be washed and had an odour on it, sweat and cigarette smoke, the way I have been given rid of it substitute into in basic terms putting it out on the line exterior on a competent blowy day, I left it out for a pair of days, in basic terms bringing it in at nighttime. It labored for me so perhaps nicely worth a try.

Answer 9

while your washing machine is filling with water, add the sented laundry soap, and a small amount of bleach.
After the wash is done, if possable, hang the cloths to dry out side in the breese,

Any thing else may just mask the odors for a while.

Answer 10

If all else fails, you may have to use a dry cleaner. I have bought lots of used clothes, and the vilest of them were fixed by dry-cleaning.

I also agree with the OxyClean suggestion. This has never failed to make my clothes smell perfectly new. Not sure what country you're in, but in the U.S. you can find it in any Wal-Mart, Target or grocery store.