Washing clothes....getting the funk out

[Bobby]

Many times, after one washing, some of my hiking clothes are still a little funky. I've tried low water level with extra detergent which seems to work, but still sometimes I have to wash things twice or more to get them smelling clean. Any ideas on this? Thanks.

 

[Waumbek]

Lots of variables here. Are you using a cold/cold cycle? Try warm/cold (and check to see if the water is actually is warm). Are you using a "quick/gentle wash" or equivalent setting? Try a longer one. Are the hiking clothes made from some of the older polypro fabrics, aka "polypew"? What kind of detergent? Are you putting it in correctly (either bottom of washer or a dispenser) so it's there when needed in the cycle?

 

[Chip]

This could be a sub-topic: A friend mentioned she was at REI the other day and they had hiking underwear that only needed to be washed every 2 weeks . I experimented with this idea in college but was largely unsuccessful...

Re getting clothes clean; I believe it has alot to do with the material. I've been lucky I guess, but I know there are base layers known to "hode da funk."

 

[skibones]

I will use Lestoil directly on the clothes and then throw them in the wash with the regular detergent. It usually works- but I guess my friends would be a better judge of that!

 

[dentonfabrics]

Could it be that you're using cheap detergent? If you check out Consumer Reports you'll see that the quality of detergents vary widely and I've noticed that to be true.

I've found that the cheap stuff is okay for stuff you wear every day (and that stuff doesnt really stink - I hope), but to get the really funky stuff clean, you need to use Tide or better. It really does make a difference. Laundry detergent and toilet paper are two of the things you should never buy generic!

There, I've said my peace. I hope to never have to discuss laundry detergents again in mixed company. So let me get back to my baking....


bob

 

[bikehikeskifish]

Lestoil on synthetics? Eeek. That stuff stinks worse than the clothes. I can tell you something I learned from 12 years of "funky" bicycle clothes (similar materials, soaked with sweat) -- let them dry before dropping them in the hamper so the ammonia does not have a chance to build up and grab hold.

At the end of the day, however, the synthetic materials are chemically predisposed to holding onto the funk more than cotton -- it's the price we pay for comfort. Besides, 10 minutes after the hill starts I'm adding funk back to the clothes any way


I use Tide HE in a front-loader and it works very well -- not perfectly funk free but very close.


Tim

 

[DougPaul]

Polypropylene can take on a permanent stink. Long underwear used to made from it, but it is now hard to get. Also known as polypro.

Most long underwear is now made of polyester--softer feeling, less stinky, but still can get fairly stinky. (The term polypro is often misused to apply to polyester.)

Wool long underwear is making a comeback--it is the least stinky of the three. Merino wool is soft and comfortable.

I'll guess that you most likely have polyester.
From the fabric expert of Rec.backcountry:

From: "Penny S."

Try the stinky gear recipe: Soak in "Biz" overnight, at least 12 hours. This is an enzyme based presoak that goes after organic matter, not your regular presoak. Then, rinse that out and then run through the wash with a laundry product called Oxyclean, which is not an detergent it's an additive. You should be able to get that at any supermarket.

Penny S

The recipe is originally from the thread "stinky bike gear" on alt.mountain-bike.

Works for me.

Doug

 

[DrewKnight]

Half a cup of white vinegar might do the trick...

Odd as it sounds, adding a half cup of white vinegar to the wash-cycle might work wonders for removing eau de trail. I have heard about this solution from a variety of sources, not all of them set to profit by the sudden uptick in sour apple futures. It's also a lot better for the environment than a lot of the commercial, chemical-based detergents.

Another thought for outdoor clothing: careful with the fabric softeners. They smell pretty (maybe to bugs, too, but not sure about that), but they also reduce absorbency / wicking, and I think I have heard that some odor-causing bacteria thrive in the residue.

 

[Kevin Rooney]

The most effective cleaner I've found, bar none, whether is cleaning grease from a stove, the microwave, floors, etc is an organic product called CitraSolv. It also works great as a laundry pre-soak, and a spot cleaner. Be careful with it and read the directions - a little goes a long ways. I've never tried Biz, so can't compare them.

And I second DrewKnight's comment re: fabric softeners - they can interfere with wicking/absorbency.

 

[bikehikeskifish]

And while we're on the subject of laundry, detergents will destroy the waterproofness / repellencency of some high-tech fabrics.

Tim

 

[DougPaul]

Another thought for outdoor clothing: careful with the fabric softeners. They smell pretty (maybe to bugs, too, but not sure about that), but they also reduce absorbency / wicking, and I think I have heard that some odor-causing bacteria thrive in the residue.

I've read that fabric softeners leave some kind of oil in the fabric.

A real down killer...

Doug

 

[NewHampshire]

I have heard of people, when their backpacks start getting funky, throw them into the freezer for a while. Perhaps the same can be accomplished with regular clothing????

Brian

 

[paul ron]

I give em to my wife to wash, they come back smelling great. She does em in the washing machine, hangs them on the line in the sun to dry outdoors. Maybe that's the trick?

 

[Kevin Rooney]

... hangs them on the line in the sun to dry outdoors. Maybe that's the trick?

We do that too - I think it helps.

While on the subject of fabric softeners - the liquids added to wash water has a different (and detrimental) effect on wicking/absorbency from the dryer sheets added to a dryer load. I don't think dryer sheets have much on an impact on those two characteristics.

 

[DougPaul]

hangs them on the line in the sun to dry outdoors.

Some fabrics are damaged by UV light. Nylon is sensitive, polyester less so. Wool and cotton are relative insensitive.

Doug

 

[marty]

While on the subject of fabric softeners - the liquids added to wash water has a different (and detrimental) effect on wicking/absorbency from the dryer sheets added to a dryer load. I don't think dryer sheets have much on an impact on those two characteristics.

That is my experience, too. I have seen no effect from dryer sheets.

Regards,
Marty

 

[uphillklimber]

An old lesson from my Earth Science teacher: When we make cake, we mix the ingredients, but nothing happens to them until we heat them, or put them under pressure, much like the earth's surface and crust doesn't change until pressure or heat is applied. This can be applied to polypro clothing. We wash, then hang the clothes to dry. Even a little body odor still trapped in the clothing after washing, and it gets baked in by drying, never to leave....

 

[DougPaul]

An old lesson from my Earth Science teacher: When we make cake, we mix the ingredients, but nothing happens to them until we heat them, or put them under pressure, much like the earth's surface and crust doesn't change until pressure or heat is applied. This can be applied to polypro clothing. We wash, then hang the clothes to dry. Even a little body odor still trapped in the clothing after washing, and it gets baked in, never to leave....

Not necessarily true. Depends on the reactants (ingredients) and the initial conditions under which they are mixed (room temp and 1 atm in your example)--some reactions will happen spontaneously, some will not.

For instance, some rocket fuels and oxidizers are chosen because they react spontaneously (and violently) upon simple contact under a wide variety of conditions. A less dramatic (and safer) example would be adding water to baking powder (sodium bicarbonate plus an acid) causes a spontaneous reaction which gives off carbon dioxide.


FWIW, I have been able to remove all perceptible body odor from my polyester clothing with the recipe that I posted earlier. I haven't tested it on polypropylene.

Doug

 

[Rick]

Polypropylene can take on a permanent stink. Long underwear used to made from it, but it is now hard to get. Also known as polypro.

Most long underwear is now made of polyester--softer feeling, less stinky, but still can get fairly stinky. (The term polypro is often misused to apply to polyester.)

Wool long underwear is making a comeback--it is the least stinky of the three. Merino wool is soft and comfortable.

I'll guess that you most likely have polyester.
From the fabric expert of Rec.backcountry:

The recipe is originally from the thread "stinky bike gear" on alt.mountain-bike.

Works for me.

Doug

People still post to RBC???? It's been a number of years since I visited the NG....I thought it would have died with the WWW.

My poly usually starts to stink as soon as it warms up to body temp. I have been replacing it over the years and have been very pleased with Ex-Officio underwear.
Chip, I don't know if your friend was referring to this, but Ex-Officio claims you can easily take 2 pairs for 2 weeks and wear nothing else and just wash each pair each night by hand (they dry quickly). I have to say, I beleive their claims. I'd buy more EO products, but they are expensive...

 

[iceNsnow]

Evening wear

Some fabrics are damaged by UV light. Nylon is sensitive, polyester less so. Wool and cotton are relative insensitive.

Doug

Does this mean I can only wear nylons at night?