Why do I/my clothes smell??

[Stinkysolutions]

Right lovely MNers, I've name changed for this.

I think I smell when I'm at work. Warm environment etc, but I can't work out the actual source! It's like a BO smell, but both myself and my uniform are freshly washed. I don't notice it when I'm not at work, so I don't think it's actually my body.
I usually wash my clothes at 40c but have upped it now to 60. My clothes don't seem to smell when they're off either.
Its been going on a few months now. Have changed shower gels, deodorants, perfume, washing powder. I don't use fabric softener or scent boosters. I've tried washing clothes with white vinegar, soda crystals, increased washing temp. I line dry clothes where possible.

Any ideas? I'm so embarrassed 😳

You could try a little white vinegar sprayed directly onto the armpit area of your uniform. Leave for a bit before putting it in the wash.

@Stinkysolutions I also second using bar soap on your pits. I love a decent shower gel but it doesn't work as well on smelly areas. I use Sanex bar soap on pits and bits and that makes a big difference I find. Worked with young stinky teen too.

I know it sounds crazy but there’s a woman in Scotland who’s been hired by the nhs to sniff patients’ clothes for diseases. She’s very accurate for Parkinson’s. I saw a documentary about her. She’s what’s called a super smeller.

antibacterial hand gel rubbed into the pit area of the garment before a wash can get rid of nasty niffs as well, and works on your own pits too.

Could it be the material on your chair rather than yourself?

Any chance you use Dove anti-perspirant? I used that for years but they changed the formula (I initially didn't realise). It didn't work, smelt like chemicals and ruined two of my white work shirts.

It's your uniform. The bacteria is still in the armpit area and gets activated by your body heat. My DDs uniform was exactly the same. If you want to confirm try using an iron on a clean uniform and sniff the armpit area.

Use wash powder only, not gel or liquid or pods. Powder.
40C hour long wash.
Add Dettol launder sanitiser. It's surprisingly effective.
https://www.tesco.com/groceries/en-GB/products/307351212

If that doesn't sort it then bin the top, but it's worked on multiple tops in our house.

I was just going to say all of this!

Thanks everyone. I'll be out to tesco tomorrow to stock up on all the suggested products.
Hoping for some sweeter smelling days ahead! 💐

Do you ever give your armpits a quick top up spray with antiperspirant at work, while wearing your uniform, and then just carry on working? I read on mumsnet a few years ago that when you subsequently wash the clothes it bakes in the sweat mixed with the spray, which hasn't had chance to dry properly. This then dries crispy in the underarms of clothing with the smell permanently trapped in it, which smells as it gets warm. Nothing will get it out.
My DS ruined most of his t shirts doing this years ago (because obviously as his DM I didn't know what I was talking about)

How old is your bra? How frequently do you wash it?

I would recommend mitchium deodorant to anyone, it’s been a game changer for me, I used to feel like I always smelt and I started using this a year ago and honestly I never smell bo anymore. It is amazing!

Perspirex and Mitchum are game changers.

How quickly do you take your clothes out of the washer and put them to dry? I've always found clothes drying on maidens/radiators smell more musty than from a tumble dryer.

It sounds like a scrubs problem then. Hopefully the advice from other posters helps.

Multiple bras on the go, of varying ages! 2 only bought in the past fortnight...yet the smell continues...

Agree with everything @AutumnFroglets has written. I have tops that are clean but the potential to smell is ingrained in the armpit area. I wear a base layer under my scrubs to try to minimise it but my body heat can trigger it. This is one of the reasons that I don't buy second hand tops.

Yes I’d say it’s this.

I agree with those saying it’s the material. For clothes like this we do -
Soak in Astonish Oxy Action for about an hour or so
Biological washing powder only
Wash on 60 with Dettol Or Astonish laundry cleanser (any laundry disinfectant will do)
Never use the quick wash
Dry clothes as quickly as possible - either in a dryer or outside is best
Do not too much powder

Polyester does seem to hang on to smell. Maybe try doing a strip wash?

That deodorant gets in the clothes imo

Can the uniform go in the dryer?

I had this issue with certain items until I started putting them in the dryer. It gets much hotter than 60 degrees.

I absolutely love onions and garlic and eat them a lot, unfortunately I do notice that it makes my sweat smell much more BO'y. And I notice it more at work because the ambient smell is different at work. Could it possibly be diet? Also could it possibly be linked to being a bit dehydrated? It sounds like you're doing everything right, just trying to think of what else it could be. As others have said tho I think the polyester thing could be it, e.g. my polyester sports clothes always have a little bit of a whiff despite washed every time at 40 with proper Arial and dried quickly...

This was definitely the case for me. My work tops smell worse since perimenopause, almost like vinegar (!) especially after hot sweats. I now use Mitchum and have deodorant in my bag and locker in work in case I feel wiffy.

I've noticed my armpits have started to smell and I think it's perimenopause 😕 I'm 46yo and it's definitely worse at certain times of the month.

Man made fabrics are terrible for making it worse which is a problem as my uniform is polyester 🤦‍♀️

It's ingrained in the clothes and is coming out whenever they warm up ie when you're wearing them. You need new clothes, basically. Other things that can help is using the longer 2hr cycle on the washing machine not the quick wash hour long cycle, it gets the clothes cleaner, as does biological washing powder. Ironing the armpits on hot temp can help kill off the bacteria properly too.

I have this issue as I sweat a lot. What happens is that when you wear the clothes and then sweat in them, the smell from the old sweat is released and you stink! Lovely. I have to first the underarms of all my clothes before washing. I used to use danish spray but I now have allergies so i make up a stain removing spray with 1/3 washing up liquid and 2/3 hydrogen peroxide on a spray bottle. Works really well well.

Have to spray the underarms off all my clothes before washing without fail and I can only wear tops once. You may find that you now can't get the smell out of your existing clothes - once sweat beds in it can be impossible to get out.