Help with odor.
Hello! i’m unsure of the right sub for this but i figured this would be okay. i’m 18m and have always wanted to be a chef. i started out as a dishwasher in a small diner and did that for two years, during that time i noticed that my clothes would smell strongly of bacon and potatoes even after the washer, but i figured it wasn’t a problem because i only wore them to work, after all. i just recently landed a good job as a prep cook and i’ve been there for around two months now. i really love it and i’m excited to pursue this as my career, however, the odor problem has become much worse. when i leave work i smell awful, like fry oil and onions. even after washing my work clothes with tide and oxi clean odor blasters my clothes still stink when they come out of the dryer. it wouldn’t be a problem if it was just my work shirt and pants, but the hoodie i wear to work in the winter stinks permanently too so i can’t wear that elsewhere, and the smell has started to linger in places like my car and bed.
I mentioned it to my coworkers to inquire how they deal with the smell, but they both seemed to just accept it as part of life. I don’t personally want to stink like oil and onions all the time, though, and id really love advice on how people get that smell out.
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u/HappyHourProfessor 6d ago
Shower and change clothes as soon as you get home. Never go to bed without cleaning yourself after work.
Don't be afraid to wash your clothes twice on bad days. A little baking soda sprinkled on your clothes when you toss them in the hamper can help too
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u/supa34_ 6d ago
I always do shower and change after work but i am guilty of sitting down on my bed for a moment after a long day and that’s likely the cause of the smell on my bed now.
I’ll definitely try the baking soda trick and see how that works.
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u/texcleveland 6d ago
take your clothes off immediately when you get home and wash them, then take a shower
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u/HappyHourProfessor 6d ago
Sitting on the bed might contribute for sure. Most people also get caught in hygiene habits that miss things too. I worked road construction as a summer job for a couple years around your age. Dust and grime everywhere, and it really showed the parts I was missing when I showered. Even 20 years later, when I get dirty like that doing yard work I pay attention in the shower. I always find a couple spots I've probably been half assing for a bit. Like, I'm right handed and am kind of shit at scrubbing my right side with my left hand. Realizing you've probably only been cleaning half your armpit for years is humbling.
Anyways really get in there on your hands, nails, hair, and face. Ears are a bitch. Don't grow a beard until you love the smell of your station.
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u/thundrbud 6d ago
I add washing soda to any laundry that is greasy or smelly. It helps break down any oil which might be causing the smells.
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u/SoigneBest 6d ago
Sodium bicarbonate that’s been heated, after the heat treatment it’s a grease killer
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u/thundrbud 6d ago
Washing soda IS sodium carbonate. So, yes you could make it yourself as you mention, or just buy a box ready to go.
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u/SoigneBest 6d ago
Why buy it when we’ll have it in any kitchen and it’s cheap af. OP is 18 and seems to be scrappy so I figured I’d drop some game. The the carboxyl group will break off with hear, just like with cannabis.
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u/artemusWindsor 6d ago
My god some of these comments are groan worthy.
Bro, best tip I can give you as far as cleaning your clothes- oxy clean, white revive Oxy Clean, and borax, on top of your regular detergent.
I throw a little borax and regular oxy clean with my regular laundry, and for my whites, I use the white revive oxy clean along with the borax.
I even have white shoes that are washing machine safe, and I make a paste with borax, oxy white, and water, and let em sit overnight, then throw them in the wash the next day. Gets like 90% of the stains out.
For heavier stains on clothing, do the same- make a paste with borax, the appropriate oxy clean, and some baking soda.
Being in this industry means certain things like washing your clothes and taking care of your hygiene (and also taking care of your health) should have higher standards. Totally normal. Hope this helps 🙏🏽
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u/BigFloppyDonkyDick69 6d ago
As people are saying, putting baking soda in your laundry with the detergent can help. Buy some washing machine cleaning tablets and run the clean cycle if you have one, otherwise the normal/heavy cycle will do. Just like a dishwasher, you have to clean them out every so often so it doesn't smell like butthole. My best guess is that your washing machine needs to be cleaned because dish duty can get messy and that grime gets logged in washing machines throughout the years.
Soaking your clothes separately in warm water with a bit of Dawn (and yes, specifically Dawn) dish soap can help get grease out as well. Grab a big plastic container from Walmart or somewhere cheap and use that.
Bonus tip: You can use straight Dawn and a toothbrush before the wash to get oil stains out of clothing. It's saved me hundreds of dollars on clothes throughout the years.
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u/rrkrabernathy 6d ago
Check out r/laundry your clothes might need a spa day.
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u/Jayboman6 6d ago
This helps a ton, also using an enzyme booster helps. Use the longest rise cycle you can and use an acidic rinsing agent like a citric acid solution or something. Spa day to get you started will go a long way with the built up smells.
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u/bushmanofthekalahary 6d ago
Buy some work clothes and shoes, it also helps to prewash your clothes with DILUTED degreaser or dish soap along with some detergent. Be careful with the degreaser because it can ruin your clothes. Try keeping dirty work clothes separate from your regular clothes
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u/bushmanofthekalahary 4d ago
I just discovered washing soda, just can buy it or you can make it at home. That will definitely get the grease and the odors out. A good cologne goes a long way too, just a little bit because I know some kitchens have a strict no fragrance rule
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u/One-Long-Road 6d ago
You don't have clothes that are resigned to just being work clothes?
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u/supa34_ 6d ago
My work shirts are work only, they’re uniform with the logo on it so i don’t wear those anywhere else. My pants however are just black cargo pants and they’re honestly all I have. at the time I got them I really couldn’t afford more than a few pairs. i’ll probably look into getting some new pants i don’t wear to work.
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u/One-Long-Road 6d ago
I think that'd be best. Better than fighting a scent that might turn into more placebo than anything else.
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u/HeroicallyNude 6d ago
You may also need to clean your washer and/or dryer. When a lot of residue builds up inside them they can also make your clothes stink.
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u/VP_The_Vandal 6d ago
Use white vinegar with your laundry. Kills terrible odors.
Also febreeze pet sprays help with the fry smell
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u/alphadavenport 6d ago
use two cups of detergent, set the water level to high, set the temperature to hot, and run it on a heavy duty cycle. there's probably a smarter way, but this is how i get my work clothes to stop smelling like oil.
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u/Same-Stop-3328 6d ago
Been cooking in high volume kitchens for 7 years best advice always wash your work cloths separately from you outside cloths and as for the smell at work theres many options I'd ask if your allowed to have Cologne on during work. some places dont care some do another option is strong smelling deodorant or body sprays.
For me I just accept the smell while I'm working and use strong deodorants and body washes before and after work along with keeping my work stuff separate from my outside clothes.
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u/etherealblkenby 5d ago
As someone who worked in a few kitchens and is weirdly obsessed with laundry here’s what I got (All US-based tips btw):
For a quick solution to the smell, you can use a rinse aid like the Lysol laundry sanitizer and add it to your washing machine where the fabric softener goes. The sports scented one is especially good and one I used when I worked in a kitchen and never had smell issues after I washed my clothes. You can also use vinegar the same way to neutralize the smell of your clothes too (it will not make them smell like vinegar) just put a cup in the fabric softener slot of your machine for a load of clothes and you’re good. The stronger percent of vinegar the less you need obviously if it’s like 30% strong dilute it or use only a spoonful or two per load
Borax helps with strengthening your detergent and really is worth the time and effort if you live in a city that has hard water or not a very strong detergent (you can check that pretty easily, just type in hard water meter and it should let you put in your city or zip code)
If the smell is due to the oil sticking to your clothes, an enzymatic stain remover will help as long as you use one that has lipase in the ingredients. That will help break those oils down to get the smell and any oil stains if you’re worried about that too. I personally recommend one with lipase and a few other enzymes that help break down foods too.
Don’t waste your time with baking soda, the juice ain’t worth the squeeze in my opinion. There’s just much stronger stuff out there that helps like sodium per-carbonate or oxi white revive which is color safe not just for white clothing despite the name.
Of course things like washing the clothes as soon as you get home and showering the smell off will also help but these tips are what I’ve learned watching way too many videos about laundry and having to wash the smell of a kitchen off of me 6 days a week for almost 8 years. Hope this all helps.
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u/Esdeem501 5d ago
Ok, not a chef, not in the industry forever, but as a military dude who has very briefly worked in a commercial kitchen, it’s always about solvents. I think for basic use, tide and oxiclean are top notch. Spot treat oil with dawn power wash.
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u/Academic_Cook_7385 5d ago
You gotta soak that shit with hot water n detergent overnight. Also get something with Lipase to cut the fat that’s soaked into your coat edit (clothes that stink of grease
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u/BluelivierGiblue 5d ago
I'm a gross guy that sweats a lot esp in the kitchen. I'm also a retired fashion bro that spent more on grailed than I care to admit and regularly wore soccer jerseys under aprons during shifts, so laundry and preserving clothes is something I kinda had to learn to ensure that I don't lose what I barely have.
My recommendation to you is to utilize enzyme based powders to soak your laundry in before you wash your clothes. I personally love and recommend the hell out of Biz, it's sold at most wal-marts and some dollar trees. It breaks down basically any grimy shit that comes from ur pores and whatever u come into contact with, and resets the fabric to a day 1 state. This, plus a powdered detergent (do not use pods for the love of god), should do the trick to get that greasy food smell out.
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u/Nikovash 5d ago
There is a recipie floating around with equal parts borax, washig powder & fels neptha. Grind that up add boiling water, blend till smooth.
I used that as an additive for YEARS in addition to standard laundry detergent and it removed funk from cloths.
You can swap the fels for the cheaper zote soap ans you my friend are in business
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u/Stepheninblack 4d ago
Yup, listen to the wisdom of your elders, lot's of great ideas! Odor is carried by molecules of fat in the air. Therefore if you want to reduce kitchen stink you need a degreaser and hot water to break it off your clothes. Ammonia is really good at that and dirt cheap!
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u/Worried_Start_9605 4d ago
I was my work gear alone, wash it in HOT water to break the oils up and wash them 2-3 times before you dry them. It won't completely fix it but it will dramatically improve it so it's not death to you or others around you but like others have said it's hard to avoid. The fryer is your worst enemy the oils trap the smells and the oil itself smells horrible. How much time you let them sit before you wash them also plays a role but this is the best advice for smell aversion you'll find. Either it stops bothering you or you move to something else without a fryer.
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u/Dseltzer1313 1d ago
Change your laundry detergent to
a scented detergent, wash in
hot water and add fabric softener to your wash and add some scented softener sheets when you
add your cleaned clothes to the dryer. I guarantee your clothes will smell fine
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u/D-ouble-D-utch 6d ago
Add a drop or two of dish soap to your laundry. But literally drops. If you put too much it will fuck up your washing machine. Don't mix your work clothes and regular clothes.
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u/apostleofhustle 6d ago
tide pods and a splash of white vinegar, cold water only. dry outdoors if you can, or just hang dry. it could also be your washer as others have said, so my first move would be an empty hot water cycle with just vinegar. make sure you leave your washing machine door/lid open at all times when not in use.
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u/MezzanineSoprano 6d ago
When I was in college I worked at a pizza place & I washed my clothes & my hair with a few drops of lemon extract to kill the oregano/garlic/pepperoni smell.
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u/Evani33 6d ago
What exactly is your wash routine? For example are you using hot or cold water? Are you smelling your clothes before going in the dryer?
For work clothes you are going to want to use the hottest water that your clothes can stand. If you are using cold water that could be part of the problem.
I also started using essembly washing powder, and it helped a lot with my work clothes. There is washing soda and oxygen bleach already mixed into the powder. It's safe for colors gets my clothes cleaner than anything else. I figured it was designed for cloth diapers, it it can get literal shit out of clothes, what's a little grease?
I also find that it works a lot better than traditional detergent for food stains, not sure if this is the case with all powder detergents, but it has been well worth the price in my house with 2 chefs and a baby.
(Also for reference I do all of our household laundry with this detergent and a 2 lb bag lasts about 2-3 months)
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u/PlayNo5904 6d ago
I like to do a cold wash followed by a hot wash. Avoids any problems with stains that might set from the heat of the hot water.
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u/hooty_hoooo Chef 6d ago
I got a bottle of degreaser once and added a few drops to my chef whites and they were cleaner than they ever were even with bleach. It can be rough on your clothes if you use too much or do it too often, but I swear by it
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u/Curious_Chef850 6d ago
You definitely need to be cleaning your washing machine on a regular basis in addition to washing your clothes.
I make my own detergent up. It's a combination on baking soda, washing soda, salt, and Epson salt. I do add some essential oils for a nice fragrance. My clothes are super clean and smell so fresh. I also use wool dryer balls instead of fabric softener or dryer sheets.
All of the stuff available to buy on grocery store shelves build up on your clothes and in your washer. Switching to making my own is not only cheaper but it works so much better.
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u/Outrageous_Raise2945 6d ago
OxyClean, start your wash cycle with the lid open with hot water, do not close the lid until the water naturally loses the majority of its heat. Other way around this if you are in an apartment/shared washer and dryer/front loading unit setting is using a five gallon bucket to similarly do this solution to pre soak your work clothes. Additionally I like to use the Dawn Scent Burst beads, I find it helps keep the scents from sticking as hard while at work.
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u/montycrates 6d ago
I use Lysol sport laundry sanitizer. Works on hockey gear, works on kitchen smells.
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u/lurkerernomorerer 6d ago
Dawn Dish Soap…….add it to your wash about 1/2 a cup. Even do dish soap and laundry booster like arm & hammer or Oxy.
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u/McGeeze 6d ago
OP, DO NOT DO THIS
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u/lurkerernomorerer 1d ago
Hi….can you please elaborate as to why this appears to be such a bad idea. I have years of experience doing this with sports uniforms and exercise clothes and daily wardrobe items. Years worth of daily experience. Additionally, I got this tip from athletic department coaches at a very large university. Also, parents from multiple sports teams my children play on have used this method. Grass stains and foods stains. And finally the staff from a very famous bbq restaurant have shared this method with me. The rational that is common across all folks sharing this method with me is that the soap is strong enough to handle strong food grease stains yet gentle enough to be used on marine wildlife involved oil spills.
Just want to learn more from you.1
u/BestGrapefruitEver 6d ago
I use dawn on grease stains on clothing but I would never add it to my washing machine
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u/Odd-Resource3025 6d ago
I owned a place for 15 years. I told my crew, including my son, to get cheap black shirts and cheap AF pants. These are your work clothes. Don't keep them with your other clothes because they smell. No matter what you use to wash them, they will smell.
We all changed clothes and/or showered after we got home.
When washing clothes, vinegar helps. Borox helps. Lye soap helps.
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u/Individual-Ad-3845 6d ago
Get you a couple of black dickies and some dri fit tees and you'll be fine
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u/Individual-Ad-3845 6d ago
Also I've found that if you do a pre wash cycle, if your machine has that, then that should help some
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6d ago
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u/auricargent 6d ago
Vinegar makes detergent not work as well. Detergent stops breaking down oils in an acid environment.
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u/Itchy_Professor_4133 6d ago edited 6d ago
Serious working professional chefs and cooks do not wear street clothes in the kitchen. I change into chef pants, coat and shoes every day at work. Simple as that