Help to get sweat smells from teenage boys clothes.....

[doradoo]

They seem resistant to usual washing - even washing twice before wearing again.

Any tips and tricks to get the smells out - or do I need to dump the t-shirts and start afresh?

Spray or dab white vinegar on the affected areas and wash in biological powder. They will come out perfect.

Soak in Biotex before washing?

Have the owners switch to a stronger deodorant?

Add dettol laundry cleanser to the wash; it works a treat on sweat smells.

I find washing hotter helps

This stuff works beautifully on my horrid running kit - and I think if it can remove the underarm honk from my T-shirts, it can fix any pong. It is biological though so probably not suitable if the wearer of clothes has sensitive skin.

I buy mine from Ocado but it's fairly widely available - and worth every penny imo.

Hang out in the sun

MKe him change his clothes more often, wash more and use antiperspirant regularly.

I find putting Zoflora in the softener drawer works on rugby kit.

Tablespoon of bicarb of soda in every wash.

60 degrees, white vinegar, bio wash powder.

I just put neat biological liquid onto the armpits, otherwise smell lingers.

Dip the armpits in cheapo vodka. Leave it to soak in a bit then wash on 60.

I use lemon juice on DHs honking gym kit. I splash the armpits liberally and throw it in with a hot bio wash. Works a treat. It was very grim before I started doing this.

The dettol stuff seems to have worked well on a couple of my work tops which just wouldn't come clean. I buy the sensitive version.

Wash in biological washing powder - NOT liquid (they don't contain oxygen bleach) in the hottest temperature the fabric can bear, also use neat white distilled Vinegar - either in a spray bottle (cheap from £1 store and the like) and spray affected areas, or in the rinse cycle (adding in place of fabric softener in the dispenser).

Also, don't use fabric softener - by design, fabric softener is designed to "lock in" scents (mainly of the FS of course), however, it will lock in the smell of sweat unless thoroughly washed away. If you want to use it, best to run a wash cycle without it first, check the clothes smell clean and then run a separate rinse cycle with softener after.

Advise son to scrub under his arms using flannel/soap/sponge daily before putting deodorant on. Ex husband didn't do this in the old days and had to regularly chuck out stuff.

make him soak in bio powder & cold water over night.
then wash as warm as the garment can take it (at least 40) and put some white vinegar in the softener compartment.
dry as quick as you can, preferably outside.

Zoflora!! Cures my husband's running kit of any residual stinks

Do your future daughter-in-law a favour and get your son to take responsability for his own washing.

Sorry, woke up feeling very feminist today

Vanish with the green lid deals with stinky sports kit so I'd imagine it has a chance against teenage boys' pits. Just a scoop in each wash.

White vinegar on the pits and in the fabric conditioner dispenser bit for final rinse - it neutralises the bacteria that causes the whiffs

Wow - thanks for all the advice.

Have bought a sports wash type thing and there is an improvement already so may keep going with that.

And yes to pp he will be doing his own laundry at some point - we're working on the tidying and cooking first though.