Content

• To step
• Method 1 of 3: Soak your clothes
• Method 2 of 3: Pre-treating your clothes
• Method 3 of 3: Treat odors without washing
• Tips

Accept it, sometimes your favorite old sweater stinks, and just washing won't take away the smell. If regular washing doesn't do the trick, you may have to try a different tactic to get rid of stubborn body odor. Use one of these methods to get the bad smell out of your clothes once and for all.

To step

Method 1 of 3: Soak your clothes

1. Sort your clothes in the usual way. Remember to keep light and dark colors separate and to keep delicate fabrics separate from coarser fabrics. You will need to use warm water for this method, so if some of your garments can only be used in cold water, you will need to use a different method to remove body odor.
2. Soak clothes in warm water with baking soda. Put clothes in a washbasin, bucket, sink, or bath. Add enough warm water so that they are all completely submerged. Add two cups of baking soda to the container. Stir a little until the baking soda has dissolved. Leave it for a few hours, if possible all night.
   • You can also soak your clothes in a washing machine. Put your clothes in the machine and turn it on so that the machine's bin fills with water. Once the machine is filled, add two cups of baking soda and stop the machine. Then leave your clothes in the water with baking soda for a few hours.
3. Wash the clothes by hand or restart the washing machine. It is imperative that you wash the baking soda from your clothes after soaking them. If you wash by hand, use a normal amount of detergent. You may have to change the water several times to get all the soap and baking soda out. If you're using your washing machine, just turn it back on and add detergent as usual.
   • You can also try this method with vinegar. Add 250 ml of vinegar to your laundry and let it soak for a few hours. However, after soaking with vinegar, you should wash them with bleach-free detergent. Combining bleach and vinegar will produce toxic fumes that are dangerous to your health.
4. Hang them outside to dry if possible. If that's not possible, consider putting your clothes on a towel to dry. Wring out the clothes so that it is not dripping wet and lay flat on a towel. Let the clothes dry for 24-48 hours.
   • Hanging your clothes outside or laying them out to dry is good for both your energy bill and your laundry. If you haven't gotten all of the body odor out of your clothes, clothes dryers tend to trap the odor.

Method 2 of 3: Pre-treating your clothes

1. Find out where the smell is coming from on your clothes. This method of treating against body odors is a topical treatment, so you can focus your work on specific areas. In most cases, the smell comes from the armpit area near the shirts or the crotch near the pants.
2. Apply a stain remover to the strong smelling areas. There are many commercial products for sale in stores, but a little bit of your own laundry detergent can get it done really well too.
   • You can also try mixing a paste of baking soda and water. Make a thick paste, not so thick that you can no longer spread it. Apply the paste to the areas where the scent is most pungent.
   • Some recommend crushing an unprotected aspirin and rubbing it on strong smelling areas of clothing. The salicylic acid in the aspirin should help get rid of body odor.
3. Wash your clothes as usual. Don't forget to sort by color and type of fabric. A warmer wash cycle will likely help remove the odors more effectively, but always remember to follow the washing instructions on your clothes labels.
4. Hang it outside to dry if you can, or put it on a towel to dry. Try to avoid using a tumble dryer if you are not sure if the smell has disappeared. Dryers can trap the odor, making it even more difficult to remove them the next time you wash your clothes.

Method 3 of 3: Treat odors without washing

1. Find out where the smell is on your clothes. This method of removing body odors from clothing is a topical treatment, so you should focus on working on specific areas. For most garments, this is in the armpit area of ​​shirts, or the crotch of pants.
2. Treat the smelling areas with an aerosol of vodka. Simply put neat vodka in an aerosol can and spray the affected area directly. You will have to soak the area completely as a light moisturizing will not work.
   • This is a very good way to get rid of odors in clothes that are only allowed to dry clean. You don't always have time to take your clothes to the dry cleaner and it can get quite expensive too. Spraying places means you don't have to take your nice clothes away as often.
   • You can also use isopropyl alcohol, vinegar, or hydrogen peroxide, but vodka is used for a variety of scents in fabrics. It is odorless and evaporates quickly from your clothes, so it is not necessary to wash your clothes after this use, which is the case with vinegar.
3. Let the area dry before putting the clothes back on. Once it dries, the smell should be gone. If it is not completely gone, try soaking the area again with the vodka treatment. You may need to repeat it a few times to get rid of a very strong smell.

Tips

• Never wear your clothes for more than two days in a row without washing them. Actually, you should try to limit it to a day if you can. Body odors can build up on your clothes and will be more difficult to remove the more you wear your clothes before washing them.
• Try to shower every day, but if you can't, change your clothes and wash under your arms to reduce your body odor.
• Use an antiperspirant deodorant to stop body odor in advance.
• Try changing your diet if you experience excessive body odor. Some foods and drinks can cause this, such as alcohol and strong herbs. If your body odor changes noticeably, you may want to consider seeing a doctor as this could be a symptom of a bigger health problem.