Smelly husband

[Smarshian]

DH works long hours in a stressful job. He wears a uniform which consists of polo tops. He absolutely stinks when he gets home. He sweats in meetings a lot. His tops often still smell when they come out of the wash, the under arm bits almost retain the deodorant/ sweat.
He showers twice a day, wears a clean top and Mitchum antiperspirant deodorant.
Any tips on either how to reduce the sweat/smell in the first place or how to get rid of the smell in the tops gratefully received. It’s really impacting his confidence.

Sure Maximum protection is the best IMO.

Biological powder for the wash with dettol antibacterial laundry liquid. You need the full on power of actual biological (not non-bio.)

Use one specifically for colours. If you use the one for whites you will fade his T-shirts.

Options

Ok so we use biological washing powder and yes he washes in the morning and evening.
We do use a fabric softener so maybe I should stop with that.
I will try a few of these.

I agree that 40 degrees is definitely not hot enough to kill the bacteria that make the smell.

Throw out the tops.once that smell is impregnated into the clothes it invariably never comes out!

I can second the poster who said about stress sweat- it stinks. So he should consider this and now to minimise it.

Our bodies can get used to various deodorants so switching the product would be a good ideA.

Taking in afew tips to change into through the day? What about washing in between meetings? He could take a wash bag into work?

Tops not tips.

What are his tops made of? Polyester reacts with sweat and getting the smell out is nigh on impossible.

Switch to cotton if they are polyester.

He can’t really get rid of all the tops or change to different type as they are uniform and he gets given a set number a year.

Suggest he shaves armpits rather than wax? This could become part of his morning shower routine - perhaps every other day? At least he recognises an issue and has asked for help.

60 degree wash with bio powder & wearing a base layer will definitely help him.

My DH had this problem too. He gets immune to deodorants so he’s always switching every few months. I agree you need to wash on higher degree setting at least 60. Wearing a T-shirt under the polo shirt will help protect the polo shirt from being sweat stained. You will have to throw out the sweat stained ones there is no rescuing them once they’re impregnated. I know it’s a uniform, but can’t he buy extra through the company? My DH also shaves his armpits and it really does reduce odour.
If your DH is sweaty by noon, have him take a fresh T-shirt and polo shirt plus babywipes. He can pop to loo, wipe down, re apply deodorant and put on a fresh top. He should really see a doctor about Botox shots to his sweat glands if he’s at this level of getting sweaty. The NHS does pay for it according to their webpage.

I was my kids school tops at 90 as that's the only way to keep the pits fresh. If this is mainly an issue when he's wearing the work polos then I think the issue is the trapped odours in them rather than anything else.

Yes definitely use the antiperspirant before bed. If you Google you will see the science behind it. Then obviously shower and use a deodorant in the morning but the antiperspirant will have had time to work it's magic overnight when there are no stressors to cause moisture and stop it from penetrating deep into the skin x

Another poster has already suggested this, but it really is the solution: vinegar.
Soak the tops overnight in a mixture of white vinegar (the cheap stuff used for household cleaning) and water (I use half and half). It'll kill the bacteria, which are causing the smell. You can then just wash as normal. DH is a runner and I have to do this from time to time with his sports kit.

Old-fashioned colognes are also fabulous for neutralising body odour. You splash them all over after a shower and the alcohol kills the smelly bacteria. It'll also take out the Corona virus as an added bonus. Some countries use colognes as disinfectant and hand sanitizer.

Can he not purchase more tops? @Smarshian

www.ejisinc.com/blogs/news/how-to-properly-apply-antiperspirant

Read this it's a game changer.

Dettol bar soap is good too, instead of shower gel.

My husband uses anti perspirant after his shower at night.

I wash his smelly clothes (gym stuff) on 60c for 2.25 hours in biological liquid. Seems to work pretty well.

Driclor is the shit, stings like fuck if you don’t moisturise after but no sweat.

Wiz do a laundry anti bac that isn’t tested on animals. Homeba4gains sell it.

Prewash with biotex and/or main wash at 60 with napisan.

Although this deodorant doesn't stop sweating, it totally stops any smells for around 24 hours and smells gorgeous. It's designed for dancers and athletes so has to be heavy duty to work effectively.

www.aktlondon.com

Thanks for the suggestions. He has been using driclor and it seems to be solving the issue, although stinging a bit. Does the stinging last long?

Put a bit of body lotion on after, stops it stinging.

60 degrees. Bio powder. Dettol Laundry liquid.

Bar soap for his armpits then a cream deodorant.