Remove Sweat Smell From Clothing

Excessive sweating makes the clothes smell. But why? And how can we remove the smell of sweat from clothing? We reveal the best home remedies.

This is how the smell develops

Sweaty clothes sometimes still smell unpleasant after the washing cycle. The reason for this nasty stench is our bacteria living on the skin, which have nested in the clothing through sweating. The textiles start to smell due to the bacterial decomposition process. Normal washing at 30 degrees does not help.

Remove sweat smell from clothing: The best household remedies

• Vinegar: Sweat stains and bacteria are particularly easy to remove from colourful and dark laundry with a vinegar solution. Simply mix water and vinegar in a ratio of 3:1 and soak the stubborn perspiration marks for an hour. Then wash as usual with detergent.
• Washing soda: Put a tablespoon of washing soda from the drugstore in a bowl with five litres of water and leave the solution to stand for a good half hour. Afterwards, undershirts and co. can be soaked overnight and then washed in the washing machine as usual.

• Citric acid: Textiles that we are not allowed to put in the washing machine or especially light-coloured clothes, we can soak in a warm water bath with citric acid (or two tablespoons of citric acid powder) for about three hours. This has an antibacterial effect and also gives off a pleasant fragrance. Caution: dark clothing could fade.
• Curd soap: We can moisten thick textiles with sweat stains in the armpit area and rub some curd soap into the fibres with a brush. Leave the soap to work for a good hour. Then wash as usual.
• Hygiene rinse: Antibacterial detergent fights against germs and odours. Simply add a little hygiene rinse to the detergent compartment and sweat will not stand a chance.

Preventive measures

• Armpit pads: If you sweat a lot, you can stick replaceable armpit pads in your clothes. In this way we prevent sweat smell and sweat stains.
• Antiperspirant: In order to inhibit the formation of sweat, we can use an antiperspirant spray or deodorants (aluminium-free deodorants), which have antibacterial ingredients. Looking for alternatives to deodorants? then take a look here: The best tips against sweating.
• Functional clothing: If you know that you tend to sweat quickly, you can use breathable training stops instead of polyester tops.
• Boil wash: Never wash too cold! Tops that you can wash warm to hot should be washed accordingly to prevent bacteria from settling. This also applies to bed linen and towels.