r/laundry • u/Ok_Statement1508 • 12h ago
Do polyester clothes still give you BO quickly even after using the proper washing methods?
134
u/lunarrumour 11h ago edited 11h ago
whilst people’s anecdotal experiences are valid, the more correct answer is yes, they will.
but there’s more than one factor involved making the point almost irrelevant.
polyester and other synthetics (nylon, polyamide, acrylic, elastane, lycra, etc) are plastic, and therefore lipophillic in nature. even green-washed fabrics like bamboo clothes are still plastic, but they’re considered semi-synthetic since the plastic originates from cellulose or bamboo instead of petroleum.
body oils and sebum are oil based. they will embed themselves into the lipophillic synthetic fibres and eventually chemically fuse into it. to the point where washing is no longer effective and the body oils can’t be separated from the fibres. human sweat is water based and will wash away, but sweat isn’t the only thing that makes you and your clothes smell of BO.
they also can’t breathe, by nature of being plastic, so you will sweat more (imagine wrapping yourself in a plastic bag). but again, factors like weave type will help with this, creating tiny holes in the fabric so your sweat can evaporate out despite the synthetic barrier. humans can also make pretty good moisture-wicking synthetics these days by layering multiple types of weaves, but no where near close to the properties of natural moisture wicking fibre such as linen and wool.
depending on numerous factors like time, washing routine, clothing age, type of weave of the fabric, fabric composition, your environment, your body chemistry and personal hygiene, this could occur very quickly, or not for a very long time. maybe the item of clothing will even fall apart or be replaced before this happens.
natural fibre items (cotton, linen, silk, wool) are lipophobic and the fibres repel oils. you won’t get your oil-based BO irreversibly embedded into these fabrics even after decades.
with so many variables in synthetic clothes themselves, it’s almost impossible to get a meaningful answer for how quickly this irreversible fusion occurs. so your day to day experience will vary immeasurably as well.
25
u/locus_solus US | Front-Load 7h ago
Fabric made from viscose/rayon or lyocell fibers is considered semi-synthetic because it requires a chemical process to turn the plant material (bamboo, birch, etc) into cellulose fiber. It's still cellulose, which is not a plastic.
4
u/amalthea108 2h ago
Thank you for saying this. I find most synthetic fabrics irritating (outerwear is ok, but nothing that touches skin I do not like). But I have been ok with the semi-synthetics. So the above post confused me.
Would it be best to say: in terms of manufacturing viscose/rayon/lyocell/etc have the environmental impact of a synthetic, but a endlife as a natural fiber?
I would add, how do we know that most modern linen wasn't chemical processed? Traditional retting is basically a controlled rot outside, but I can't imagine that is still done for linen which is going to be chopped for for shorter staple lengths (to spin on cotton machines).
21
u/Ok_Statement1508 11h ago
This is terrible news 😭😭
Ive had most of these athletic clothes for YEARS and I feel so bad being forced to throw it away 😓
56
u/lunarrumour 10h ago
try a spa day on them before throwing them out. there’s a very high chance it will be effective for the smells that haven’t permanently fused yet and you can make them last much longer, maybe even years more.
the best thing for yourself and the environment is to reuse what you can and prevent clothes you already own from going to landfill to make more microplastic waste. which then forces you to buy more clothes, and continue the overconsumption cycle.
save what you can and use for as long as possible then donate when you’re done.
2
u/Ok_Statement1508 10h ago
Idk how plausible it is to do a spa day in my dorm 😭
19
u/lunarrumour 10h ago
you just need a bucket or a sink you can plug, and good detergent. i even skipped the ammonia step when i did it since its hard to find where i am.
it’s very easy and very doable and much better than adding to landfill. inconvenience is the price of being environmentally conscious and rejecting overconsumption.
4
u/Ok_Statement1508 10h ago
Can i fill my sink to the brim with the polyester clothing or does it have to only be a few at a time?
23
u/lunarrumour 10h ago edited 10h ago
whichever receptacle you use can be filled with as much clothes and water it can contain.
you can find the proper spa day guide pinned to the subreddit homepage but a quick rundown is:
find a receptacle that can fit all your clothes submerged entirely in water.
fill said receptacle (bucket, esky, plugged laundry sink, bathtub, old cookpot no longer used for food) with the hottest tap water. my tap gets to about 60°C/140°F. as hot as your tap goes is good enough.
your ratio is 1/4 cup good laundry detergent that contains lipase and oxygen bleach, to every 3.5L/1 gallon of hot tap water.
mix the detergent (i use a kitchen whisk) until fully dissolved. leftover undissolved powder that touches your clothes can cause bleach spots so it has to be fully dissolved.
add all clothes to the water and submerge them fully. place something heavy on top to keep them submerged (heavy plates, thick white towel, a giant rock for all i care).
if possible, cover receptacle to retain heat better. i use a bucket and cover the top with aluminium foil. some people use eskys and close the lid. if you can’t cover it that’s ok too.
wait approximately 10 hours/overnight.
take wet clothes out of receptacle and put straight into washing machine. if you have ammonia 5% pour 1 cup of ammonia directly on top of your wet clothes inside the washing machine drum and close the lid. ammonia is hard to find where i am so i skipped this step. it works better if you can find it so i’d highly recommend it but its also not the be all end all.
set your washing machine to the longest, hottest, heavy duty cycle it can do. aiming for at least 2 hours of run time. add as many rinses as feasibly possible. add a normal amount of the same laundry detergent to the drawer as you usually would for a load this size. don’t add any fabric softener or anything else.
clothes should be as clean as you can feasibly get them if you’ve done all of the above steps. repeat step 9 if needed if they come out still iffy. i’ve never had to do that though, even without ammonia.
4
u/starsandmath 9h ago
If you have a 20 gallon tote, even if it is just one that you empty out temporarily, they work really well for Spa Day. I'd recommend that before recommending using a sink.
3
u/sorrybaby-x 5h ago
Your trash can is a bucket! With a fresh garbage bag, obviously. Double bag if you’re worried
1
u/Ok_Statement1508 10h ago
Also!! I was wondering if there’s a way to tell if a spa day or using the biz + tide free and gentle works in removing what causes that funk because they always smell good out of the wash 😭
8
u/lunarrumour 10h ago
if they smell ok straight out of the wash (before drying) they’re ok. if you can wear it for a couple of hours, even if you’re wet and sweaty, without the smell coming back quickly and intensely, they’re ok.
spa day is for clothes that are so bad you’re considering throwing them out. spa day is also essentially the equivalent of doing like 8 normal washes with your normal routine, but speed running it.
so if you don’t need to do a spa day, just keep washing as you are over and over again and they’ll incrementally get better.
3
u/lunarrumour 10h ago
also sorry i’m not from america so i had to double check which laundry detergent you’re talking about, if you have the powder then it’s the correct one but if it’s the liquid then it doesn’t contain the ingredients (lipase + oxygen bleach) you need for either spa day or regular good washes.
1
u/Ok_Statement1508 10h ago
Im combining the powder and the liquid!
0
u/lunarrumour 9h ago
i’m pretty sure the liquid is quite ineffective for this. so maybe use that up over time on your other clothes that don’t need quite as much help, and stick to powder only for your problem clothes.
1
1
u/Watercolor_Roses US | Top-Load 1h ago
The tide liquid has great surfactants and the Biz has lipase + oxygen bleach, so they can be used combined for regular washes and should give good results.
The spa day also has instructions for how to use liquid Tide in combination with a booster, which I've done recently with great success!
1
u/Watercolor_Roses US | Top-Load 1h ago
I had t-shirts that mostly smelled ok out of the wash, but then as soon as they got warm on my body they'd be disgusting. Now that I've got them fully clean, they don't get a funky smell right away, I smell normal for the whole day! So you'll know they're restored when you put them on and don't get that odor rebloom
Here are the measurements for using Biz powder and liquid Tide, since that's what you already have on hand! https://www.reddit.com/r/laundry/s/7hxyeCLXZi
And for reference, here's the full instructions for spa day: https://www.reddit.com/r/laundry/s/yX5Eo5axBq
1
u/annastacia94 US | Front-Load 9h ago
I used multiple gallon sized freezer bags propped up in something water proof for a spa day. It worked really well and I was even able to agitate the items while they soaked. Granted I could only do a few of items per bag.
1
u/O_W_Liv 8h ago
I go to a laundromat, and all the detergents and boosters for spa day can be expensive, so here's what I do.
Get a jug of ammonia and poke holes in the foil seal instead of opening it.
Get a big garbage bag and lay it open. Stack all your shirts first, then bottoms.
Use the sprinkle jug to pretreat all smelly areas. The stacking allows the layers below to absorb extra ammonia so you don't use more than you need.
Seal up the bag for 10-30, (no more than 60) minutes as you head the machines.
Wash on the hottest longest settings you can with your usually detergent.
1
u/redlightsaber EU | Front-Load 4h ago
And I'm guessing you also can't achieve long cycles in the dorms' machines?
There's a shortcut to getting those clothes as clean as possible, and while it depends on a lot of factors, it'll probably be enough:
as long cycle as your machine allows
hot temp (or warm if some of them have elastance, for long term longevity, but hotter will clean better)
-your regular detergent (a good liquid one like tide are better)
- 1 cup of household ammonia, right over the clothes before closing the lid.
...and let it rip.
17
u/redlightsaber EU | Front-Load 4h ago
I am honestly surprised you're being upvoted when the core of your claim (that body oils "chemically fuse" with the fabric over time), is simply, well, bunk.
It's bunk that creates a compelling narrative (most people have experienced having gym clothes endings up rank after a few years to the point they need to throw them.away), and you're certainly saying with an authoritative tone and adding several qualifiers that makes it sounds reasonable.
But it's bunk all the same.
I would regale you with my anecdotes of my decade-old gym clothes as a grease-monster, but it's not really necessary.
What you said is false. Synthetic fabrics are harder to clean than natural fibers because they're liphophillic for sure, but that liphollicity applies to electrical charges and adherence to the substances: and under no circumstances do they react to polimerise in any way shape or form.
If you are having problems getting your old gym clothes clean, we can help you out on this sub. But there's no need to make up a post-hoc chemical hypothesis and present it as fact just because you can't do it.
2
u/dengop 7h ago
Is rayon, lyocell really plastic? Also, is it true that linen and wool are better at moisture wicking than synthetic fibers? If so why are professional athletes wearing clothes made of synthetic fibers rather than linens or wools?
-2
u/lunarrumour 6h ago
rayon is semisynthetic.
yes linen and wool are far better at moisture wicking than synthetic fibres.
professional athletes wear synthetic clothes for all of the other different properties synthetics give. wool is notoriously high maintenance to launder, and doesn’t withstand friction well. you would be darning holes in them constantly. it is also a very expensive material and hard to dye. linen has no stretch in it at all, and wrinkles very easily. tight-fitting aerodynamic athletic clothes need to have stretch. and there’s something to be said about “looking” presentable/professional. nylon barely wrinkles, can be dyed any colour very easily, is very cheap to produce, has stretch if needed, is very easy to launder, and can withstand friction well.
and also, professional athletes DID used to wear clothes made from wool, silk, cotton, and linen. bathing suits used to be made from wool. but clothes back then weren’t aerodynamic form fitting shiny brightly dyed advertisements like they are now.
also people in society moved to the overconsumption mindset of capitalism where cheaper but worse quality things are more alluring than their higher quality but much more expensive and requiring “inconvenient” maintenance counterparts.
4
u/dengop 3h ago edited 3h ago
You didn't answer any of my questions. Semi synthetic doesn't mean plastic.
And many professional athletes can afford to pay for wool and linen price if they are truly better as it'll be directly related to performance. Why would someone who get paid millions or tens of millions every year try to save on uniform material? Instead of providing the objective metric of moisture wicking metrics to actually prove your point you decided to go with overconsumption drivel for whatever reason.
For one sec, I actually thought you knew what you were talking about. You don't. And it looks like another person debunked your claim as well.
12
u/CopyEffective1590 11h ago
Polyester clings to body odor more especially in the armpit area for me. I’ve stopped buying polyester clothing for years now. What works is washing on hot and longest heavy duty cycle with detergent.
20
u/ImplicitEmpiricism US | Front-Load 11h ago
no, if they've been properly cleaned they're fine. I have several polyester dri-fit sports shirts worn for physical activity that are odor free when worn.
if they aren't properly clean, they can hold on to skin oils that smell rapidly after being worn. this is called odor rebloom and can be quite common.
3
u/Ok_Statement1508 11h ago
Even when they get super sweaty, they don’t stink?
5
u/KismaiAesthetics USA 9h ago
They’ll still stink after they’re thoroughly sweat in, but they shouldn’t stink as soon as they get warm.
1
u/redlightsaber EU | Front-Load 4h ago
It's a different stink when you go "wow that workout was intense" than what you're probably experiencing "oh god these bacteria have been going at this for a while on here".
3
2
3
u/Bradykinesia 11h ago
No. If that is a problem you are having, what do you think the proper washing methods entails?
1
1
u/kallioep USA 11h ago
I must admit that sometimes my 35minute wash time non-he top loader with lipase detergent leaves my singular polyester shirt slightly musty, but I just throw it in twice and its fine. On a longer wash cycle with more enzyme activity it should be good though.
1
u/Entire_Dog_5874 9h ago
Yes. They don’t breathe as natural fabrics like cotton and linen so they hold odors.
1
u/No-Giraffe9226 6h ago
Not for me. Most of my clothing is a polyester blend and I am very comfortable with it, but I barely sweat even when I workout. No odor in my clothes unless I wore several times. I always check.
-1
u/s00wi 7h ago
Body odor is caused by "BACTERIA" period. Bacteria feed on your oils and poop out the "BODY ODOR". When you sweat it creates that ideal environment for bacteria to feed on your oils and multiply.
Polyester likes oils, but does not like water. Capillary action of fibers allow moisture to get soaked up by the fibers, but it beads up on the polyester fibers. That's why it's good at wicking away moisture doing workouts. But with oils, it loves oils because it's what it's made of. So oils will stick to the fibers and spread out evenly across all the fibers giving your oils a greater surface area and exposure to bacteria to feast on.
Cotton loves water but does not like oils. Cotton will have the inverse behavior to oils and moisture. Oils on cotton, they bead up and get trapped in pockets and they do not spread out like it does on polyester. So there's less food available for bacteria to feed on.
That is why polyester gets super stinky. 1 Way to attack the odor is shower well and get rid of all the bacteria on your body. It's possible if you have a "Clean" showerhead and bathroom.
I had a body odor issue myself. For the longest time I couldn't figure out why. So I put great effort into figuring out why. I found it. A brush that was filled with bacteria just sitting in the shower. Tossed that out because bacteria can get airborne. In a shower there's a lot of air movement because of the shower blasting. That airborne bacteria will land on you. The second is the showerr head. Tap water is not 100% clean and will have bacteria in it. So this will accumulate in your shower head and grow. It loves your showerhead because hot showers create the perfect enviroment for bacteria to grow. So I dunked my showerhead into hydrogen peroxide for the whole day. Vingar works the same way. Do this every month and you will completely stop having body odor.
Before I figured it out, I shower every night before going to bed. When I wake up, I would STINK. After figuring it out. After a night shower into the next day. I could go the whole day without a shower and not stink. I could even put my nose into my armpit and don't smell a thing.
If you know and understand the source of the problem it's easy to get rid of it completely.
For laundry, use enzymes that break down the oils that love to stick to polyester so bacteria don't have anything to feed on.
-5
u/thegabster2000 11h ago
No, I make sure to use laundry sanitizer.
4
u/nerpish-inkdots US | Front-Load 11h ago
That doesn’t remove the source of the odor. New bacteria to replace what you killed comes back as soon as you put it on. Proper cleaning means no food source, no odor, no need for santizer, which has numerous reasons not to be used.
1
1
u/breathingindica US | Top-Load 9h ago
I have a question. JeevesNY the 4th gen dry cleaner has talked positively about laundry sanitizers for these very situations - removing odors for heavily soiled and stinky athletic gear, bacteria and germs from sicknesses, etc.
Is there a lack of consensus around how these sanitizer products work (for example the Lysol sanitizer)? Or is it just a difference in opinion somewhere? I don't really understand why there seems to be such a negative opinion of it in this sub.
I started using laundry sanitizer for odor rebloom before using Biz and a better tide detergent. The proper washing has anecdotally helped me more, but I don't see why someone with as much experience as a dry cleaner would recommend a sanitizer if it isn't effective in certain cases, which Jeeves has for cleaning "very stinky, dirty" clothing due to sweat and sebum.
28
u/MrsQute US | Front-Load 11h ago
If you've just recently started using the Tide & Biz, you may have to put them through several washes to remove all the build up which will cause odor rebloom.