How to Get Body Odor (b.o.) Smell Out of Clothes
Healthy bodies produce sweat in reaction to exercise, a rise in temperature, or stress and anxiety. According to Mayo Clinic, sweating regulates body temperature and maintains a balance of fluids and chemicals, such as sodium and calcium, in the body. Sweat itself is odorless, but when it is broken down by bacteria, odor arises giving off the characteristic scent of body odor. Improved hygiene typically controls body odor, but sometimes it is unavoidable. When odor develops, it gets trapped in delicate fabrics and reappears with a vengeance when the article of clothing is worn again. Removing the odor during laundering is key to keeping your garments smelling fresh and odor free. Does this Spark an idea?
Things You'll Need
- Stain Pretreatment
- Laundry detergent
- Salt
- Bucket
- White vinegar
- Vodka
- Spray bottle
- Chlorine bleach or color safe bleach
Instructions
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Pretreat with presoak with enzyme based products or scrub the underarm area with laundry detergent. Launder as usual. If odors persist after laundering, place the article of clothing in a bucket of warm water and salt. Mix 3/4 tsp. of salt to each quart of water. Allow the garment to soak overnight. Rinse the garment in clear water and dry as usual.
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Spray white vinegar or vodka on the effected underarm area and allow it to dry to remove perspiration odors. This method may remove odors quickly, even if you do not have time to launder the fabric, making it a quick fix when you discover laundered clothes that retain perspiration odor.
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Use bleach if other methods fail. The Textiles Industry Affairs recommends pretreating the fabric with a stain remover and laundering it in the hottest temperature recommended for the fabric. Use the appropriate bleach for the fabric.
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Tips & Warnings
Do not put clothes in the dryer if perspiration odor is present, as heat sets the odor and makes it difficult to remove.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit Brand X Pictures/Brand X Pictures/Getty Images
