Stinky teenager and stinky clothes: help!

[onomatopoeia]

My son is 14 and sweats a lot.  I got him an extra strength deodorant/anti-perspirant which he uses at night which has actually really helped with both the sweat and his stink, but some of his clothes still have this awful smell to them which I can't get rid of.  I've been washing in hot water, using Tide Sports detergent along with vinegar or baking soda, and running the rinse cycle twice.  Nothing seems to help.  

Any suggestions or magical detergents?  We have hard water, if that matters. He mainly wears athletic shorts and shirts (the sports fabric).  I hate to get him a whole new summer wardrobe but is it a lost cause?

[sunshineluv]

I have used oxyclean, the odor reducing one. Soak the clothes with the oxy for 3-6 hours then wash. It has helped with some of my workout clothes that were funky. The water turns all dirty which makes me feel like it’s working.

[eddy]

I also do a load of laundry every day to every other day. I don't let stuff sit. That seems to help.

[winecat]

Have you tried "laundry stripping"? I've seen people here and elsewhere on the interwebz talk about it.

[isabel]

Jul 20, 2020 9:51:36 GMT -5 winecat said:

Have you tried "laundry stripping"? I've seen people here and elsewhere on the interwebz talk about it.

Ditto this. Athletic wear gets funky fast and can be really hard to effectively clean. I’d strip it and then make sure that you’re washing his clothes frequently. Don’t let them sit too long.

He’s old enough to do his own laundry. I’d get him in the habit of running a small load every other day so that bacteria doesn’t sit for too long.

[mrsd2006]

I don't know if this works or not. I've ordered it but it hasn't come in yet.

www.lysol.com/products/laundry/lysol-laundry-sanitizer/

[onomatopoeia]

Jul 20, 2020 9:55:53 GMT -5 isabel said:

Jul 20, 2020 9:51:36 GMT -5 winecat said:

Have you tried "laundry stripping"? I've seen people here and elsewhere on the interwebz talk about it.

Ditto this. Athletic wear gets funky fast and can be really hard to effectively clean. I’d strip it and then make sure that you’re washing his clothes frequently. Don’t let them sit too long.

He’s old enough to do his own laundry. I’d get him in the habit of running a small load every other day so that bacteria doesn’t sit for too long.

I'll look into this, thanks! As well as the Oxy and Lysol.

We usually do a load every day to every other day (between camp and baseball he goes through a lot of changes and the laundry adds up fast). The stink persists. It's been very hot and humid here which doesn't help. He often does do his own laundry but with the stink not going away I thought it was time for adult intervention lol. 

[isabel]

Jul 20, 2020 9:56:08 GMT -5 mrsd2006 said:

I don't know if this works or not. I've ordered it but it hasn't come in yet.

www.lysol.com/products/laundry/lysol-laundry-sanitizer/

Can you update after you try it? We have some stuff that I think got left in the washer and has picked some gross smells. It’s getting better with warm washes, but I’d like to avoid having to strip it if I can. I didn’t realize there was a product like this out there.

[formerlyak]

As noted already, the athletic fabric gets nasty fast. It's like it holds extra smell. Would he consider cotton t-shirts with the athletic shorts? I found cotton holds the stink a lot less.

Also, does he use a deodorant soap like Dove Mens or Old Spice or one of those. The stink of my kid went away almost completely when he switched to that. So he does deodorant in the morning and then showers with the deodorant soap in the evenings.

Signed,
Also the mom of a 14 year old

[gummybear]

I ordered Rockin Green Athletic Wear detergent bc I was intrigued by the FB ads of brown water. It is a MIRACLE. I’ve done all my athletic wear, sheets, towels, and my husbands grungy Phillies hat. It’s seriously the best thing ever.

ETA: I am the worlds sweatiest person and despite me taking very good care of my workout stuff (most of which is relatively new, mostly high quality and not worn in places where I’d get particularly dirty) the water when I soaked was DISGUSTING. Dark brown. Towels which have been musty forever have no odor. Sheets feel crisp. I can’t even talk about the hat without gagging.

[AdaraMarie]

Jul 20, 2020 9:56:08 GMT -5 mrsd2006 said:

I don't know if this works or not. I've ordered it but it hasn't come in yet.

www.lysol.com/products/laundry/lysol-laundry-sanitizer/

Where did you buy this? I used to use it all the time but haven't been able to find it since before everything shut down in March.

[mrsd2006]

Jul 20, 2020 10:13:06 GMT -5 isabel said:

Jul 20, 2020 9:56:08 GMT -5 mrsd2006 said:

I don't know if this works or not. I've ordered it but it hasn't come in yet.

www.lysol.com/products/laundry/lysol-laundry-sanitizer/

Can you update after you try it? We have some stuff that I think got left in the washer and has picked some gross smells. It’s getting better with warm washes, but I’d like to avoid having to strip it if I can. I didn’t realize there was a product like this out there.

I guess I didn't order it after all. I just looked on both of my Amazon accounts and I don't see it. I do remember it wasn't supposed to ship until the end of the month. 

It's OOS on Amazon, but Walmart has it. 

There's also a Clorox version. 


www.walmart.com/ip/Clorox-Fabric-Odor-Remover-42-Ounces/852178425

[gardengal]

I agree that part of it is that athletic fabric holds in stink unlike more natural fabrics.

I probably wouldn't go out & buy him new clothes this year, but I would see if more natural fabrics for shirts at least could maybe be apart of his future wardrobes so you won't have to do extra steps when doing laundry!

[Nonny]

I just stripped my workout clothes, and it seemed to really help a lot.

I previously tried the Lysol laundry sanitizer and it didn't really seem to help, but I suspect it might help keep the funk at bay after I'd already gotten things back under control.

[circa1978]

www.charliesoap.com/

[AdaraMarie]

Jul 20, 2020 10:31:09 GMT -5 mrsd2006 said:

Jul 20, 2020 10:13:06 GMT -5 isabel said:

Can you update after you try it? We have some stuff that I think got left in the washer and has picked some gross smells. It’s getting better with warm washes, but I’d like to avoid having to strip it if I can. I didn’t realize there was a product like this out there.

I guess I didn't order it after all. I just looked on both of my Amazon accounts and I don't see it. I do remember it wasn't supposed to ship until the end of the month. 

It's OOS on Amazon, but Walmart has it. 

There's also a Clorox version. 


www.walmart.com/ip/Clorox-Fabric-Odor-Remover-42-Ounces/852178425

Hmmm, when I look it up both lysol and chlorox versions are OOS at Walmart.

[tripleshot]

I agree with Lysol laundry sanitizer and stripping.

[VillainV]

If athletic fabrics, try air drying. We hang everything on hangars in our laundry room and they dry fairy quickly (definitely overnight, often much faster). It makes a huge difference.

[mrsd2006]

Jul 20, 2020 11:14:44 GMT -5 AdaraMarie said:

Jul 20, 2020 10:31:09 GMT -5 mrsd2006 said:

I guess I didn't order it after all. I just looked on both of my Amazon accounts and I don't see it. I do remember it wasn't supposed to ship until the end of the month. 

It's OOS on Amazon, but Walmart has it. 

There's also a Clorox version. 


www.walmart.com/ip/Clorox-Fabric-Odor-Remover-42-Ounces/852178425

Hmmm, when I look it up both lysol and chlorox versions are OOS at Walmart.

The Clorox one is out of stock

This size is in stock, there's a smaller size that is OOS

www.walmart.com/ip/Lysol-Laundry-Sanitizer-Crisp-Linen-90-oz-Eliminates-Odors-and-Kills-Bacteria/198281212

[bugandbibs]

I have used pinesol* at work to get rid of stinky odors in fabrics. It works great.

*my school won’t supply laundry detergent except for the special needs classroom. Obviously I have to wash a lot of stuff in the Health Room.

[AdaraMarie]

Jul 20, 2020 12:20:50 GMT -5 mrsd2006 said:

Jul 20, 2020 11:14:44 GMT -5 AdaraMarie said:

Hmmm, when I look it up both lysol and chlorox versions are OOS at Walmart.

The Clorox one is out of stock

This size is in stock, there's a smaller size that is OOS

www.walmart.com/ip/Lysol-Laundry-Sanitizer-Crisp-Linen-90-oz-Eliminates-Odors-and-Kills-Bacteria/198281212

Shows out of stock for me, maybe regional, *shrug* thank you though

[readyin07]

Jul 20, 2020 10:20:29 GMT -5 gummybear said:

I ordered Rockin Green Athletic Wear detergent bc I was intrigued by the FB ads of brown water. It is a MIRACLE. I’ve done all my athletic wear, sheets, towels, and my husbands grungy Phillies hat. It’s seriously the best thing ever.

ETA: I am the worlds sweatiest person and despite me taking very good care of my workout stuff (most of which is relatively new, mostly high quality and not worn in places where I’d get particularly dirty) the water when I soaked was DISGUSTING. Dark brown. Towels which have been musty forever have no odor. Sheets feel crisp. I can’t even talk about the hat without gagging.

bc 🌃

This! Worked great for my friend or google other sports detergent. Stripping is great but sometimes a slog to find all the ingredients. Also make sure you are using a high quality detergent ... you can google that also. Something like tide is good. All is not.

[doctoranda]

Jul 20, 2020 12:00:54 GMT -5 VillainV said:

If athletic fabrics, try air drying. We hang everything on hangars in our laundry room and they dry fairy quickly (definitely overnight, often much faster). It makes a huge difference.

air drying in full sun helps a lot as well.

[VillainV]

Jul 20, 2020 13:44:19 GMT -5 doctoranda said:

Jul 20, 2020 12:00:54 GMT -5 VillainV said:

If athletic fabrics, try air drying. We hang everything on hangars in our laundry room and they dry fairy quickly (definitely overnight, often much faster). It makes a huge difference.

air drying in full sun helps a lot as well.

We’re in FL, it would probably take forever, then get rained on right as it’s about to dry! But yes, in other climates that would be a great option. I’ve been air drying the majority of our clothes for years. Basically cotton t-shirts, socks, underwear, and linens are the only things that get tumble dried. Our clothes smell better, last longer, and fit better.

[redheadk]

Jul 20, 2020 12:24:01 GMT -5 bugandbibs said:

I have used pinesol* at work to get rid of stinky odors in fabrics. It works great.

*my school won’t supply laundry detergent except for the special needs classroom. Obviously I have to wash a lot of stuff in the Health Room.

Yep, I use fabuloso (basically the same thing). I started when I was doing a friend's flood laundry and ran out of the Lysol Laundry Sanitizer. Works great at getting the stink out!

[melsbels]

The Lysol laundry additive works wonders! I use it on all of my sheets and towels. Found it at Walmart.

I’m dying to strip my laundry but there’s a local cleaning company with an instagram account that blew up to a few hundred thousand followers during quarantine, and now my entire city is always sold out of all of the supplies you need. People are literally re-selling boxes of borax for like $100 🤣

[tripleshot]

Jul 20, 2020 14:04:15 GMT -5 melsbels said:

The Lysol laundry additive works wonders! I use it on all of my sheets and towels. Found it at Walmart.

I’m dying to strip my laundry but there’s a local cleaning company with an instagram account that blew up to a few hundred thousand followers during quarantine, and now my entire city is always sold out of all of the supplies you need. People are literally re-selling boxes of borax for like $100 🤣

Go Clean Co? Yep, I’ve been buying up new cleaning supplies for the past 2 months and scrubbed down my white doors and trim with tide and bleach yesterday. 😂

[melsbels]

Jul 20, 2020 15:27:52 GMT -5 tripleshot said:

Jul 20, 2020 14:04:15 GMT -5 melsbels said:

The Lysol laundry additive works wonders! I use it on all of my sheets and towels. Found it at Walmart.

I’m dying to strip my laundry but there’s a local cleaning company with an instagram account that blew up to a few hundred thousand followers during quarantine, and now my entire city is always sold out of all of the supplies you need. People are literally re-selling boxes of borax for like $100 🤣

Go Clean Co? Yep, I’ve been buying up new cleaning supplies for the past 2 months and scrubbed down my white doors and trim with tide and bleach yesterday. 😂

Ha. YES.

I finally picked up powdered Tide the other day (also impossible to find lately) so I wiped down my walls and doors with it yesterday too! The amount of god knows what on my walls with two three year old boys is insane. That shit works wonders! I was amazed. My house looks brand new lol.

[stephm0188]

Jul 20, 2020 10:20:29 GMT -5 gummybear said:

I ordered Rockin Green Athletic Wear detergent bc I was intrigued by the FB ads of brown water. It is a MIRACLE. I’ve done all my athletic wear, sheets, towels, and my husbands grungy Phillies hat. It’s seriously the best thing ever.

ETA: I am the worlds sweatiest person and despite me taking very good care of my workout stuff (most of which is relatively new, mostly high quality and not worn in places where I’d get particularly dirty) the water when I soaked was DISGUSTING. Dark brown. Towels which have been musty forever have no odor. Sheets feel crisp. I can’t even talk about the hat without gagging.

This! I bought it for my own athletic gear and it’s good stuff. I stripped it in the tub first and was disgusted by the color of the water after.

[jc2009]

Jul 20, 2020 9:56:08 GMT -5 mrsd2006 said:

I don't know if this works or not. I've ordered it but it hasn't come in yet.

www.lysol.com/products/laundry/lysol-laundry-sanitizer/

This stuff is amazing! I've been using it for about a year. We foster dogs so things can get stinky around here. It's been oos at Amazon for awhile but I found it at my local Target.