When we wash our clothes and bedding, we expect them to come out of the dryer clean, airy and fresh. We don’t want to sit somewhere five hours later, smell our clean clothes and think, “Do I smell this?” †
To get rid of stubborn odors in our laundry and avoid unhealthy side effects when in contact with our skin, we need to understand where they come from and what’s against them.
Here are some common laundry odors and ways to get rid of them.
to sweat
The smell of your armpit shirt can be caused by anxiety or exertion, in both cases the cause of the smell can be sweat. Although sweat does not emit an odor on its own, the odor is the result of an interaction between bacteria and secretions from the apocrine gland. The type of fabric you wear can make things smell more fragrant. Microbial growth is much greater with more odors in synthetic shirts.
Decipher first
Leaving tangled clothes in a gym bag or filled basket can allow bacteria to grow. Take them out, shake them out and let air get to them until you are ready to wash them.
then pre-treatment
If regular washing isn’t enough to remove the odor, soak your clothes in a 1:4 solution of vinegar and water for half an hour.
Another effective natural method is to pre-wash with ½ cup baking soda in a tub full of water.
Wash and dry as directed on the label.
foot scent
Bromoditis, the medical name for foot odor, is not caused by sweaty feet. It is caused by bacteria, often from the Brevibacterium family.
The smell is produced when bacteria break down the sweat and dead skin cells on your feet. Foot odor can also be caused by a fungal infection. If you improve your foot hygiene without eliminating the odor, you may need to talk to your doctor.
There are two ways to get rid of bad foot odor:
treat your feet
Follow good foot health habits by:
Wash and dry your feet well every day
Wear moisture-wicking socks (even in winter)
Alternate your shoes so you don’t wear the same shoes every day.
Antifungal sprays and antiperspirants can help. There is also some evidence that juniper essential oil can help with foot odor. Buy juniper oil here.
soak your socks
The second way to get rid of bad foot odor is to treat the laundry. If your socks still have a foot odor after washing and drying, try soaking the socks in a vinegar bath:
Use two cups of white vinegar per liter of water and soak the socks for 30 minutes.
Rinse out the vinegar and wash as usual.
The smell of ammonia in cloth diapers
If you belong to a growing number of families using cloth diapers, you may notice an ammonia smell over time, even after washing the diapers. Ammonia can cause a mild chemical burn, and this reaction is more common when children wear cloth diapers.
To get rid of ammonia buildup, some diaper manufacturers recommend stripping the diaper. This simply means removing any residue that can trap odors or reduce the absorbency of nappies.
To strip layers:
Put it in the washing machine and add half a box of detergent
Rinse several times until the “foam” is gone.
You can also use a bathtub for this process.
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