Following the discussion the other day from the laundryphobes, a scientific breakthrough that will delight you:
Good news for the Stinkers!: Following the... - Couch to 5K
Good news for the Stinkers!
I actually work for (OK, I'm employed by!) a major detergent manufacturer ...
My favourite line in that piece is "fresh sweat doesn't smell". That's going on a t-shirt.
I watched the vid and everything!! I really like the idea of this for two reasons:
1. Less washing and I can dry my stuff naturally before using again
2. I'm really allergic to anything perfumed and can only use 2 types of washing stuff and all non bio. I used to have Eco balls but they weren't very effective!!
Trouble is Amazon sells them but they don't ship outside the USA 😢
Have you tried soap nuts? Together with soda crystals they wash well and you don't need to use fabric conditioner either.
Soaking it in a bucket of dilute white vinegar gets rid of the smell too. Or you can just add it to your wash anyway. Okay, you still need to wash your clothes, but it's a lot cheaper And it works!
How dilute is 'dilute'? I like exactitude...
And how long to soak for?
1 part vinegar, 4 parts water for 30 minutes pre wash. Though you can vary the amounts if you find it necessary.
I also chucked in a bit with the wash but I didn't measure it so no exactitude there sorry. Just a splash in with the washing liquid. You can use bicarb in the washing machine too as it is also a deodoriser although I don't know what quantities you'd use as I've never tried that one. A word of warning though... don't use in the washing machine if your washing powder/liquid contains bleach!
D'you think it would work with clothes that have ground-in stink? (Sorry, TMI.)
That's what I did it on. Soaked, then washed (added a splash of vinegar to the wash). Wore. Still a slight smell but washed again with vinegar added to the wash and it's been absolutely fine ever since. You might just have to play around with a bit to find what works best.
I'm not sure it's been mentioned before, but you shouldn't use laundry softener to wash your gym/running kit (or towels by the way).
It decreases the absorbency by leaving a residue on the material surface and can disrupt the wicking of sweat. Apparently this can also cause your sweat-wicking clothes to rub and chafe.
What's laundry softener?
It's used with detergent in the washing machine to make clothes feel super soft and smell nice.
Here's an example from a supermarket website:
Whats a washing machine??
You SURE it wasn't printed on the 1st April???
what?? the DM publishes something that is sensationalist but isn't actually true???? *sits down in shock* *fans himself * i feel faint...
ah but not the DM online which is the only version id ever read since I wouldn't actually pay MONEY to them.. Unless I took back off pc.. And sat by the fan.. And that would be weird, even for me...
Genuinely laughs out loud at the 'sidebar of shame’ pub? whats that? *innocent look*
What is DM ? Danger Mouse ?
I usually just rinse mine straight after running, that seems to work..