General Discussion Triathlon Talk » I'm tired of how much I stink... Rss Feed  
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2013-07-26 3:15 PM

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Subject: I'm tired of how much I stink...
No really, I literally stink. How do I get the smell out of my workout clothes? I run during lunch which means my clothes have to stay in a gym bag at work until I get home. By the time I get them into the wash, they are super stinky. So much so that they still stink coming out of the dryer. I know that these new materials wick the sweat away, but they also absorb the smells super well. What does everyone do?


2013-07-26 3:19 PM
in reply to: Carrick1973

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Subject: RE: I'm tired of how much I stink...

Is there any place you can drape the clothes to dry before putting them in a gym bag?

Are you using one of the detergents designed for workout clothes? i.e. WIN, Penguin

2013-07-26 3:24 PM
in reply to: Carrick1973

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Subject: RE: I'm tired of how much I stink...
Someone on here suggested Tide with Fabreeze...I think its designated as for "athletic clothes" or something like that. It seems to work well.
2013-07-26 3:24 PM
in reply to: rrrunner

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Subject: RE: I'm tired of how much I stink...
Originally posted by rrrunner

Is there any place you can drape the clothes to dry before putting them in a gym bag?

Are you using one of the detergents designed for workout clothes? i.e. WIN, Penguin




Why no, no I'm not using one of those. I'll have to pick up some WIN and give it a shot, because I can't stand to be near myself... Thanks rrrunner!
2013-07-26 3:30 PM
in reply to: Carrick1973

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Subject: RE: I'm tired of how much I stink...
Well darn - I did a search and couldn't find much, and now I see at the bottom of this post a bunch of relevant threads. Mods - please feel free to delete this if you all want...
2013-07-26 3:41 PM
in reply to: Carrick1973

Subject: ...
This user's post has been ignored.


2013-07-26 3:52 PM
in reply to: pahmiyel

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Subject: RE: I'm tired of how much I stink...
I use Charlies Soap, its natural with no scent , and gets every bit of the smell out of not only my smelly WO clothes, but also a disgustingly smelly (like we have to crack the windows on the way home from the game) 15 year old basketball player's clothes. And no chemicals to soak in through your skin Smile
2013-07-26 4:23 PM
in reply to: Meljoypip

Payson, AZ
Subject: RE: I'm tired of how much I stink...
just do your athletic clothes separate and add some vinegar to the wash.  A little goes a long way and your clothes will not smell like vinegar after (nor will they smell like you)
2013-07-26 5:05 PM
in reply to: Carrick1973

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Subject: RE: I'm tired of how much I stink...
The other thing I'd mention here aside from how to wash the clothes at home, is that If I were you, I'd wash 'em out in the sink at work right after my workout with some detergent or at least just rinse 'em out with water...this will at least help some. The biggest problem is you're trapping all the sweat, moisture, and funk inside the gym bag and it's just growing cultures inside that bag until you open it up...so I'd also find a place to drape the clothes to air dry until you leave. Might not be possible but that'd help alot.
2013-07-26 6:25 PM
in reply to: Carrick1973

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Miami
Subject: RE: I'm tired of how much I stink...
My job has a shower. I just get in the shower with my workout clothes on and rinse out the sweat. Then i take them off and take my shower. I had the same problem with sweaty clothes marinating all day in my gym bag.
2013-07-26 7:46 PM
in reply to: angelo314


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Subject: RE: I'm tired of how much I stink...
Even though you're not supposed to, I machine wash my cloths sometimes in hot water. It's the only thing that truly kills the bacteria. I try to wash my cloths, at least my bike shorts, after working out with water and whatever hand soap I can find. That seems to really help. I still cold machine wash them too though (weekly workout clothes load).


2013-07-26 8:55 PM
in reply to: Blastman

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Subject: RE: I'm tired of how much I stink...
use vinegar or baking soda when soaking them before washing and dry them under the sun, but not directly.
2013-07-26 11:34 PM
in reply to: oldSAP


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Subject: RE: I'm tired of how much I stink...
I get in the shower with my clothes and rinse them out. Once I finish my shower I ring them out several times and then lay them in the back of my truck to dry while I finish my day at work. I then wash them with Tide with Fabreeze once I get home. No more smelly clothes

I went through all last summer with smelly clothes before I noticed someone else do this...
2013-07-27 1:25 AM
in reply to: #4814226

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Subject: RE: I'm tired of how much I stink...
I have some running shorts that stink up pretty bad and my solution is to wash the in borax, it does a good job and has been around forever.
2013-07-27 7:13 AM
in reply to: tri.bob

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Subject: RE: I'm tired of how much I stink...
NO FABRIC SOFTENER WITH TECH CLOTHES
2013-07-27 7:19 AM
in reply to: La Tortuga


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Subject: RE: I'm tired of how much I stink...
^^ THIS!! No fabric softener. Makes the stink stay. I wash all my workout clothes separately in Sport Wash detergent (I've thought of the vinegar, but concerned about that amount of acidity w/ the fabric) then hang dry. SO MUCH better.


2013-07-27 10:13 PM
in reply to: Carrick1973

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Subject: RE: I'm tired of how much I stink...
Not sure if anyone mentioned this but if you could rinse them in a sink, ring them good, and find a spot to let them dry that should help reduce the smell.
2013-07-28 4:00 PM
in reply to: ChemNerd23

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Subject: RE: I'm tired of how much I stink...
If I have to have my sweaty clothes in a bag for a while before I can get home to hang them before they go in the wash (yup, I hang them to dry before throwing them in a hamper), I place them in a mesh bag or drape it on a towel spread out in my car. I've also done the rinsing in the sink thing. Wring it out with a towel, then throw it in your car with the window cracked a little to dry out. You could get fancy and hang them to dry in your car.
2013-07-29 10:57 AM
in reply to: GreenMtnLabbit

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Subject: RE: I'm tired of how much I stink...
Thanks everyone - a lot of excellent advice in this thread. My first trick will be to jump in the shower with my clothes on and rinse the sweat out of them as much as possible and then let them hang dry for a bit while I finish my shower. That should take care of the initial stench. I'll give a couple of these ideas a shot and see how they work for me. Thanks again!
2013-07-29 11:41 AM
in reply to: oldSAP

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Subject: RE: I'm tired of how much I stink...
Baking soda (a weak base, 0.5-1 cup/load) and soap will do great to clean off alot of the oily sweat stuff.

Additionally, you may find using vinegar (weak acid, less than 0.5 cup/load) as a *rinse* will not harm the fabric, doesn't linger, and will help neutralize any remaining soda. Using vinegar with soap likely renders the soap a little *less* effective.

-J
2013-07-29 12:15 PM
in reply to: karlaj


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Subject: RE: I'm tired of how much I stink...
I soak my workout clothes for about half an hour before I wash them (I just let the washer fill up with the lid open). I also set the washer for second rinse. I don't think that works if you have to use a laundromat, though.


2013-07-29 12:40 PM
in reply to: Carrick1973

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Ottawa, ON
Subject: RE: I'm tired of how much I stink...
I also do my training during lunch time. Few things I do every day:

1- shower in the morning before work: when come time to workout, your transpiration will be 'clean'. You will not smell as your body and skin is 'fresh' from the early shower. (same goes for biking into work) I don;t have shower here so this trick helps a lot IMO.

2- always wear different clothes: that goes for your underwear too. I have a few set (5+) of tech shirt and running short at work which I rotate each day. Never wear the same one per week unless you really need too. On Friday, I bring everything home to wash and back to the office on Monday.

3- always air my wet clothing after each workout: I use an extra chair in my office to dry my clothes. After each workout, I hang shirt, shorts and a small towel on it. Before I leave work, I toss them into my gym bag for the rest of the week. If it is not complety dry, I will leave them on the chair and remove them first thing in the morning.

4- a good fan: I bought a 8 inch Sunbeam Blizzard fan for the office. Small and compact enough to be on my desk, I turn it on right after I come back from my workkout. It helps cool me down and provide enough 'air flow' to dry me quickly removing any 'smell' from my workout.

5- Don't stay in your wet clothing: Once I am back at the office, it is 2-3 minutes in front of the fan to cool down and than right to the washroom to remove my workout clothes. The longer you stay in them, the worst the smell will be in my experience. Once I am back into my work clothes, I keep my fan going for 5-10 minutes to fully cool down.

6- one load workout clothing: as other mentioned, I do one load per week which only has workut clothing. I used the 'quick wash' cycle from the washer and at times put some baking soda. Air dry and it is good to go!

Hope it helps!
2013-07-29 1:15 PM
in reply to: Dave 2.0


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Subject: RE: I'm tired of how much I stink...
Originally posted by Dave 2.0

The other thing I'd mention here aside from how to wash the clothes at home, is that If I were you, I'd wash 'em out in the sink at work right after my workout with some detergent or at least just rinse 'em out with water...this will at least help some. The biggest problem is you're trapping all the sweat, moisture, and funk inside the gym bag and it's just growing cultures inside that bag until you open it up...so I'd also find a place to drape the clothes to air dry until you leave. Might not be possible but that'd help alot.


I do this a lot also. I'll get in the shower fully dressed and wash up a bit as I undress in the shower. I also almost exclusively wear under armour or dri-fit clothes so I don't have a bunch of soaked cotton in the bag. Mesh bags and 'shoe dogs' help too.
2013-07-29 3:05 PM
in reply to: Chokebait


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Subject: RE: I'm tired of how much I stink...

http://www.freshwaveworks.com/store/pc/Sport-c16.htm

This stuff really works. The Chicago Blackhawks equipment managers use it.

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