I need some advice regarding my son's sweaty uniform t-shirts. They are 100% cotton. I wash them with my other laundry and everything comes out clean and stain free, except for the sweaty smell on the underarms of my sons t-shirts. I use Dash laundry powder which is very similar to Tide in the U.S.
Can anyone suggest a solution in which I can soak them before laundering? They are turquoise in color so bleach isn't an option. Also, borax is impossible to find in my country so I can't use that either. They aren't stiff or stained, just very smelly, even when clean!
Please help. Thank you so much in advance.
By cettina from Malta, Europe
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Dear Cettina,
I've used white vinegar on white T-shirts. I put it on full strength, soaked them overnight in a bucket of tepid water, then washed in the machine. There was no more sweaty odor.
Are you able to buy borax? Borax is a wonderful disinfectant and deodorizer. I think I would first try adding it to the wash load; and if that was not enough; then would try a pre-soak. I even used it with cloth diapers, with good results.
Jilson, I've mentioned in my query that borax is impossible to get in my country because it is not available here. So that is not an option. I'm looking for alternative ways to eliminate the sweaty smell.
Thanks Ramona for your suggestion. I'm just wondering if the vinegar would affect the color of the t-shirts? Have you ever tried it on a colored garment?
I have never had an issue with vinegar changing the color of anything, although you could try it on the inside of the garment. I would try a cup of vinegar in the wash, and another in the rinse first. If that doesn't work, you could try full strength vinegar on the armpits. Another deodorizer is baking soda. Use in the same way as the vinegar. However, do not use them together they neutralize each other.
Ammonia is also a deodorizer, but I have found that it changes the color of clothing and towels, so I don't recommend it for this instance.
Thanks for your suggestions. I always use vinegar mixed with fabric conditioner in my rinse cycle but have never put it in with my laundry powder. Since my washing machine holds 8kg of clothes, which is a lot. I think it would be better to try the straight vinegar directly on the tshirts.
I would think that baking soda would work well to remove the smell. You can add a cup to your wash, or make a paste & rub it into the stained and/or smelly parts of the shirt.
What I do is wet the armpit area of the garment then rub Sunlight, Fairy or in fact any block of soap before putting it into the washing machine. Sometimes I rub neat washing up liquid into the armpit area instead (make sure if you use this method that you do not overdo the laundry detergent or you will get an overly sudsy wash).
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