Help! Must be a cheaper solution for BO in clothes?

[troubl3]

Please advise, or am I being unreasonable and should just replace the clothing of my poor teenage daughter!
13yr DD has good hygiene, showers daily, hair wash every couple of days. Always showers after exercise. Uses “proper” deodorant and perfume. She still struggles with BO. It sticks to her clothes after a day of being warm at school, or out with friends. Her school shirts, branded school jumpers, personalised dance uniform, all smell, even after washing. I have tried every product in the supermarket. Am I just going to have to let her smell or do I fork out again for new? AIBU to think there must be a better solution?

Spray the clothes with white vinegar then put them straight in the machine with 2 washing tablets .

Didn’t you up it to 40 when needed?

Dettol laundry

I use Star drops white vinegar laundry spray on all armpits on clothes. Leave for a while before washing. I also put a cup of distilled vinegar (white vinegar) in the rinse drawer. Because of allergies I can only use persil non bio. There's also a vanish that gets rid of smells as well as stain removal.

I had to stop using simple soap as that was suddenly causing my skin to be itchy. Tried other bar soaps including dove still itchy. So I now use Sanex for sensitive skin. I have to wash all over twice or I find sweat smell lingers. So I lather up shave rince & repeat..

I have to pay particular attention to the crease between my arm and armpit. If I don't I get BO. I would soak all her clothes that smell in vinegar before putting them through the washing machine.

I recommend Fussy deodorant, it seems expensive but lasts for ages and really works.

She should use antiperspirant to stop the sweating. Mitchem roll-on works well. (deodorant without antiperspirant is less effective-read label)

Yes, Pears bar soap & a wash puff to get underarms clean.

Vanish spray. Turn shirt inside out, spray armpits every time & let it sit for 3- 5 minutes. Wash 30-40*

Synthetic fibers hold smells, cotton not so much. Try not to let her wear things more than once, wash quickly after wearing if you can so odor doesn’t set.

Using vanish powder to wash added can help, or bucket soak w vanish (whites mostly). Too much vanish can fade or bleach some fabrics. Also leaving spray on too long before wash.

I’ve noticed some shirts the smell comes to life in the hot dryer, and probably same happens when DD wears,

you both can get on top of this.

This is the one I buy. I won't let my daughtesr use any that have aluminium and nasty chemicals in

www.amazon.co.uk/Natural-Deodorant-Activated-Charcoal-PROCOAL/dp/B07G3L8QGL

I work in a kitchen and my uniform gets quite rank sometimes. I soak all my clothes in a cheap supermarket dettol and water solution for a few hours b4 washing…

You could have your daughter try to wash her underarms with Hibiscrub (diluted with water, like a shower gel).
https://amzn.eu/d/4Xwe3QE

For antiperspirant, Dove Maximum Protection or Sure Maximum Protection in a cream form seem to work for me, personally (I just go for Dove Original, it has a fresh smell). I had a big problem with sweating and it helped. I also stopped using spray antiperspirant alongside it and it is fine. https://amzn.eu/d/czGrUtz

Dettol soap for armpits and Mitchum rollon anti perspirant (deodorant simply disguises the smell for a short time)
Wait until Rollon is completely dry before dressing and yes, need to wash at a higher temperature.
I use Fairy pods and fabric softener.

@troubl3 Not sure if it's already been suggested but I always make a paste of bicarbonate of soda and water, rub it on the armpits of my gym gear, leave for 24 hours and wash. It neutralises like magic.
Also ace at getting rid of stubborn deodorant stains that always stain black clothes white despite what the ads say. And cheap as chips too, 60p a tub in Lidl!

There was a great tip in the Guardian for this, using Acnecide antibacterial face wash in the shower kills the bacteria under the arms that makes sweat smell. Works a treat!

Dettol do a good body soap if you’re looking for a recommendation OP. It’s antibacterial and completely safe for skin. Boots sell it. Make sure she has a loufee thing and is using it to scrub the soap into her body, or an African net works too.
Shower gel is pretty ineffective at cleaning your skin, it just has a nice smell.
40 degree washes also important.
I’d also experiment with natural deodrant, I swear by AKT. I sweat wayyy less since switching, once I got past the dreaded ‘detox phase’ ofc!

Napisan. Definitely worth a try xx

My adult Audhd son has terrible body odour and it was really deeply ingrained into his clothes. I had enough and one weekend I tried the vinegar suggestion. I put 1/2 a pint of eucalyptus scented cleaning vinegar from b and m in the washing machine and put it on a prewash cycle and then a 60c wash with extra soap with an extra rinse cycle. I did this with every load (washing all of his clothes weekly) for 4 weeks and I was shocked by the difference tbh. I also swapped him to coal tar bar soap ( home bargains) and solid salt stick for his puts and then Mitchum on top.

I was going to suggest vinegar - white vinegar gets rid of the smell of anything - and doesn't smell like a fish and chip shop afterwards.
google to see the best way to do it - a solution to soak the lot in or neat on the problem areas.
Asda sell it quite cheaply (own brand)

Stop messing around trying lots of different deodorants and washing powders and send her to the GP. The can prescribe special roll on that helps stop the whole sweating thing so no BO, it’s amazing and completely life changing

This. It's about £4 in Morrisons etc. For a proper reset, If you still have smelly tops from previous washes, try a cold water napisan soak for a couple of hours in a bucket then wash as normal at 40. It's amazing, I discovered it when I had babies, and I've kept using it since. You can add it to a wash instead of vanish. it's great at removing smells and stains and fab for a white wash instead of vanish. Good luck :-)

Mitchum deodorant leaves no residue on clothes and works really well. We use that and wash with Radox blue shower gel. We used to have this problem and don't with these. Bars of soap aren't strong enough to remove the old deodorant and smells for us.

I'm guessing these are all acrylics and polyester? That could be your problem. Man made fibres are less breathable. She might find she sweats less in fabrics like cotton and linen. Obviously this will be hard with uniforms and things, but for underlayers she wears close to the skin, switching to cotton might help.

Wash at 40 full cycle not a quick wash . Look on the powder/liquid and use the correct quantity of detergent.

use soap on sweaty areas.

sure maximum protection deodorant.

Vodka is always the answer. But seriously, it works. The smell is bacteria and vodka kills it. Rub it in well and leave in, pop it in the wash. Works wonders.

Isn't there advice around using hydrogen peroxide for BO ??? Prevents the bactwria growth and thus the smell. Needs to be diluted i think. Google it.

She probably doesn’t need the GP, just proper soap, a flannel and strong antiperspirant!

my colleague was going on about his feet stinking and I said have you tried soap, cotton socks etc
blank face from him and “I just let the shower gel run down in the shower?”
Sweat and antiperspirant needs friction to get off

If you want to wash at low temperatures you have to use biological washing powder