Q&A for How to Remove Body Odor from Clothes

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Can I use tea tree oil to remove body odors from clothes?

Susan Stocker
Professional Cleaner
Susan Stocker runs and owns Susan’s Green Cleaning, the #1 Green Cleaning Company in Seattle. She is well known in the region for outstanding customer service protocols — winning the 2017 Better Business Torch Award for Ethics & Integrity —and her energetic support of green cleaning practices.

Susan Stocker

Professional Cleaner

Expert Answer

Yes! Try adding several drops of tea tree essential oil to your laundry detergent. It is amazing at killing bacteria and germs, and it's also a natural anti-fungal.

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Question

How can I use vinegar in the washing machine to get rid of bad odors?

Susan Stocker
Professional Cleaner
Susan Stocker runs and owns Susan’s Green Cleaning, the #1 Green Cleaning Company in Seattle. She is well known in the region for outstanding customer service protocols — winning the 2017 Better Business Torch Award for Ethics & Integrity —and her energetic support of green cleaning practices.

Susan Stocker

Professional Cleaner

Expert Answer

For mild odors, add vinegar directly to the washing machine basin during the rinse cycle. For strong odors, use vinegar in place of detergent in the wash cycle, and then add more during the rinse cycle.

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Question

Will baking soda damage my clothes?

Susan Stocker
Professional Cleaner
Susan Stocker runs and owns Susan’s Green Cleaning, the #1 Green Cleaning Company in Seattle. She is well known in the region for outstanding customer service protocols — winning the 2017 Better Business Torch Award for Ethics & Integrity —and her energetic support of green cleaning practices.

Susan Stocker

Professional Cleaner

Expert Answer

Absolutely not—that is a myth. Baking soda brightens clothes and also removes odors. In the house cleaning business, we use to remove odors all the time.

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Question

Can I use rubbing alcohol instead of vodka to remove odors from clothes?

Community Answer

Yes! A preventative trick is to use hand sanitizer before you shower. Lather it on your armpits and you will not smell bad, even if you sweat. Caution: it only takes that pesky bacteria 4 or 5 hours to come back, so keep some in the car.

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I cannot get the underarm odor out of my husband's t-shirts. He uses deodorant! No matter how long I wash the shirts, they smell! What can I do?

Community Answer

I had this problem for years! T-shirts get caked with antiperspirant. It traps what you are trying to kill (bacteria). Using hand sanitizer in the armpits instead of deodorant makes a huge difference. Ask your husband to try it. He may have to reapply it once or twice over the course of the day, but you won't have a problem with those odors anymore.

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Question

How can I make my armpits smell better?

Community Answer

Use roll-on deodorant with antiperspirant. The odor in your underarms is caused by bacteria that feed on your sweat. The antiperspirant will block your sweat glands from releasing sweat throughout the day, while the perfumes in most deodorants will create a smell that covers up any odor that might arise.

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Question

Do I put the deodorant or antiperspirant on first? Or does it matter?

Community Answer

You should probably apply antiperspirant first, as it's what stops the odor from coming out in the first place. The deodorant can be used afterwards, to cover the scent.

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Question

How do I remove body odor from mesh clothing?

Community Answer

The same methods can be used for mesh clothing. Try soaking the clothing in any of the usual bacteria fighters. White vinegar works best for tough smells, but hand sanitizer is the most effective way of getting rid of odor without having to wash clothes.

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Question

Is it possible to combine baking soda and vinegar together when soaking smelly clothes?

Community Answer

Yes! baking soda and vinegar have a chemical reaction that cleans and also removes smells from items.

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Question

What is the ratio of baking soda to vinegar for soaking smelly clothes?

Community Answer

Use one or the other, not together. If you combine them, the alkaline of the baking soda and the acidity of the vinegar cancel each other out.

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