How to Remove Body Odour from Clothing

How to Remove Body Odour from Clothing

Sweating is a completely normal process because it is your bodys way of maintaining and controlling the temperature. But that sweat seems to infuse itself into fabrics, making them reek. Especially black clothing.

So if your newly washed clothes harbor a ghastly underarm odour despite looking spick and span, its high time you try some new ways to restore their clean and fresh smell. In case you cant figure how to start out, here are a couple incredibly effective ways to get rid of your body odour from clothes. These tactics are simple, natural and incredibly easy to follow.

It was of no surprise that my husbands work clothing always had a bit of a pong to them after a long hot day working in the sun. But when my eight year old son came home just stinking of body odour, I knew I had to do something about it. School Uniforms are terrible at absorbing odours so I always try and wash them as soon as I can.

Here are some fantastic tips that really get that stink out!

Asprin and Cream of Tartar

This is one of the most effective ways to treat the underarm odour from your clothes. To begin with, take a bowl of warm water and add three white aspirins to it. Now finally add a teaspoon of cream of tartar and mix it well. Once the mixture takes the form of a paste, take an old toothbrush and apply it to the underarm area of your clothes. Scrub the mixture well and let it remain on your garment for at least twenty minutes. Finally, get your clothes washed with your regular detergent.

For really embedded body odour in clothing, especially business shirts and kids school uniforms, you might need to repeat this a couple of times.

Use Bicarbonate of Soda

Bicarbonate of Soda is brilliant stuff and is one of the best ingredients for neutralizing body odour in clothing.Add two tablespoons of bicarbonate of soda to a small bowl and add a teaspoon of warm water. Mix it well until it takes the form of a paste. Now, use your old toothbrush for scrubbing it on the affected areas. Leave this paste for around fifteen minutes, or let it rest overnight. Now wash the garment with your regular washing powder. This is particularly good on white business shirts.

via BBC Good Food

White Vinegar

White vinegar is another ingredient that helps you to get rid of the body odour from your clothes right away and is cheap as chips. For this method to work, grab a bucket of warm, clean water and add a small cup of white vinegar to it. Now, soak the garments in this solution for about two to three hours before you actually get them washed in your machine. Once you do this, the odour from your garments is likely to be reduced immediately. In case it doesnt work on the first go, try this process a couple more times for the best results. Vinegar is great for getting rid of smell.

There is also another simpler way to use vinegar for reducing body odour. For this, fill your washing machine with water and then add one-third cup of vinegar to it. Now soak your garment for at least ten minutes in the mixture and then launder it the way you want. If needed, add another one-third cup of vinegar while washing the garments.

Note: Vinegar does not take out colour and is gentle on clothing!

Remember to hang all clothing out in the sunshine sunlight is a natural deodourizer!

Black Tends to Stink More

There are some garments (usually black in colour) that really absorb stinks and are hard to remove, even using the above methods. Adding a few millilitres of essential oils to every wash just gives them a fresh smell that wont hurt the fabric but will potentially mask the clothing that has no chance at redemption! Just choose one that you love the smell of.

Prevention is Better Than Cure

Using 1/2 cup of white vinegar in every single wash will help to prevent body odour from embedding itself into clothing. It is also a fantastic fabric softener so you can kill two birds with one stone! Hanging your washing out in the sunshine is also a great way to prevent the stink from setting.

NOTE: White vinegar can also be used for whitening dirty socks. Add your socks to a bucket, and warm a litre of vinegar in the microwave or on the stove. Pour it hot over the socks, and let it sit for 24 hours. Then wash as normal. They will be white and bright!

Now that you know how to remove body odour from clothing, try these strategies for quick and effective results. Also, while you launder your clothes, make sure to wash the smelly garments and the non-smelly ones separately. This will prevent the odour from one garment to be transferred to the other.