I have a little household tip for you this time.
As I was doing laundry this week, I got lightheaded while putting our technical workout clothes in the wash. Last weekend both hubby and I competed in races. He did the Tough Mudder in North Carolina, and I did the Carolina Marathon. I disturbed the odors that were in our clothes basket. Nast.Eeeee.
But this is isn’t a new problem. Our workout clothes reek on a regular basis. I’ve heard that it is because a different type of bacteria thrive on polyester than cotton. And apparently you can’t kills those stinky little critters. I have tried the special detergent for workout clothes. And it does seem to help, but I think it’s just because the fragrance is stronger. And it doesn’t help for long. As soon as you wear them again and your body warms up the bacteria, the stank returns.
So I looked up how to get rid of the stank. You can either dry your clothes in the sun, or use vinegar. I don’t have a clothes line, so I opted to try the vinegar route. I soaked my shorts in 1 part vinegar, 4 parts water for 30 minutes. Then rinsed them out and put them in the wash with the rest.
Verdict. Compared to some of the other items (yes, I went through and smelled our stuff-you’re welcome), it did seem to be better, but not totally gone. The only workout clothes that don’t smell of mine or either new, or from lululemon. So I guess you could pay a fortune at lululemon once, or buy cheaper stuff more often. Or stop running all the time. But that ain’t gonna happen.
Love it! Vinegar saves the day again! Thanks! We add Borax to our stinky laundry (I also use it for household cleaning since it’s all natural and has that abrasiveness that’s good for scrubbing…), but I bet vinegar is awesome too. We also use natural detergent that doesn’t have any petroleum. Not only is it better for the environment, it doesn’t leave an invisible film on polyester (or any material, for that matter) that the stinky bacteria just LOVE to cling to after washes. Any type of dryer sheet is also a huge culprit, so we avoid those too. (They are full of toxins AND they’re expensive.)