smelly clothing

[Jeff Grippe]

This may seem a bit off topic for the recumbent group but stay with me, it
isn't...

I am a major league sweater and I have found that my tee-shirts acquire a
permanent ammonia odor which I can't seem to wash out. When I launder the
shirts they smell fine but when they get even a little wet the ammonia odor
surfaces.

I have tried the following without good results:

1. Adding Vinegar to my wash.
2. Spraying my shirts with vinegar when I take them off (this has been tried
with and without also adding the vinegar to the wash).
3. Adding baking soda to the wash.
4. Using Fabreeze including the "tough odor" version.
5. A few different brands of detergent although mostly I use Wisk.

Its gotten to the point where my best solution is to not wear my favorite
tee-shirts when I ride. This keeps them smelling ok but then I don't get to
wear them when I ride. I have some great ones that would make E.D.'s head
explode but I want to protect them from odor.

Any suggestions?

 

[Cully_J]

"Jeff Grippe" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> This may seem a bit off topic for the recumbent group but stay with me, it
> isn't...
>
> I am a major league sweater and I have found that my tee-shirts acquire a
> permanent ammonia odor which I can't seem to wash out. When I launder the
> shirts they smell fine but when they get even a little wet the ammonia
odor
> surfaces.
>
> I have tried the following without good results:
>
> 1. Adding Vinegar to my wash.
> 2. Spraying my shirts with vinegar when I take them off (this has been
tried
> with and without also adding the vinegar to the wash).
> 3. Adding baking soda to the wash.
> 4. Using Fabreeze including the "tough odor" version.
> 5. A few different brands of detergent although mostly I use Wisk.
>
> Its gotten to the point where my best solution is to not wear my favorite
> tee-shirts when I ride. This keeps them smelling ok but then I don't get
to
> wear them when I ride. I have some great ones that would make E.D.'s head
> explode but I want to protect them from odor.
>
> Any suggestions?


Hello,

I wonder if you'd have the same problem with regular bike jersies. I've
never had a "smell" problem with bike jersies. I think, mainly, it's because
they're not cotton. It's either that or my sweat is the neutral,
non-smelling kind...which I kinda doubt.

Regards,
C.

 

[Jon Meinecke]

"Jeff Grippe" <[email protected]> wrote
>
> my tee-shirts acquire a permanent ammonia odor
>

Ah, more on the stinky clothing theme, but this time not
related to stink bait or chumming fishing technique. %^)

It is probable that your shirts have been "colonized" by
microbes that bind tightly to clothing fibers. This is
fairly common, especially with synthetic sports clothing
and results in persistent or recurring "body odor" even
after washing.

Biz laundry detergent and perhaps other laundry products
containing enzymes seem to help get rid of the microbes.

I add Biz to the laundry when washing my bike clothes,
and if they're beginning to really smell, I soak them
overnight in solution of Biz. Some synthetic clothing
materials also have antimicrobial treatments built-in
or added. Wool fabrics are fairly odor resistant
and seem to stay fresher smelling longer.

There are special products for removing pet odors
that contain more concentrated enzymatic cleaners
(OUTZ is one brand). Spot treating with these may
also help in severe cases.

You're on your own with respect to removing stains
from tee-shirt readers' exploded heads...

Jon Meinecke

 

[Bill Bushnell]

Jeff Grippe <[email protected]> wrote:
> Any suggestions?

I occasionally have this problem with jerseys (smell) or shorts (rash).
In both cases, I soak the offending article of clothing overnight in a
diluted bleach solution. Also, for biking clothes with synthetic fibers,
it's best to wash them soon after taking them off. Don't bunch them up
wet and throw them into a hamper for a week.

--
Bill Bushnell
http://pobox.com/~bushnell/

 

[Edward Dolan]

"Jeff Grippe" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> This may seem a bit off topic for the recumbent group but stay with me, it
> isn't...
>
> I am a major league sweater and I have found that my tee-shirts acquire a
> permanent ammonia odor which I can't seem to wash out. When I launder the
> shirts they smell fine but when they get even a little wet the ammonia
> odor surfaces.
>
> I have tried the following without good results:
>
> 1. Adding Vinegar to my wash.
> 2. Spraying my shirts with vinegar when I take them off (this has been
> tried with and without also adding the vinegar to the wash).
> 3. Adding baking soda to the wash.
> 4. Using Fabreeze including the "tough odor" version.
> 5. A few different brands of detergent although mostly I use Wisk.
>
> Its gotten to the point where my best solution is to not wear my favorite
> tee-shirts when I ride. This keeps them smelling ok but then I don't get
> to wear them when I ride. I have some great ones that would make E.D.'s
> head explode but I want to protect them from odor.
>
> Any suggestions?

Sweat away like hell and be proud of it. Your body is doing exactly what it
is suppose to be doing. Anyone who doesn't like the way you smell should
keep their freaking distance. Why would anyone ever want to be closer than
several arm lengths away from others anyway? Unless you are engaged in
intimate sexual relations, you do not need to concern yourself with others.
Hells Bells! Smells is Good!

The biggest laugh in the world are all those touring cyclists who think they
have got to shower each and every day of a bike tour. What good does that
do? The next day you are bathed in sweat within 15 minutes. I have even seen
these types of jerks hand washing their cycling shorts at night. I can go
for weeks without showering and months without washing any clothes. Yes, I
sweat a lot, but I am not "dirty." Wash when you are dirty. Sweat we will
always have with us. It is what humans do and it is very necessary. Either
that, or learn to pant like other animals.

You should shower (take a bath) about once a week on a Saturday night and
you should wash your cycling clothes about once a year. Hells Bells, I would
not even consider wearing any cycling clothing that did not at least stick
to my body. In fact, I like cycling clothing that will stand all by itself
even when I am not wearing it.

All this bathing and washing is total insanity and is the ruination of bike
tours. It makes cyclists appear to be idiots who only have hot showers and
washing their freaking shorts on their minds. Some are such idiots that they
would rather bath and wash even before they have something to eat.

The American obsession with cleanliness is mindless and only those with no
minds obsess about it. If you had a mental life, you would not ever think of
such trivial nonsense. I read that the Tibetans only bath once a year and
they cover themselves in yak fat year around in order to ward off the cold.
Now there is a sensible people!

Ed Dolan the Great - Minnesota

 

[Slugger]

In article <[email protected]>, Jeff Grippe
<[email protected]> wrote:

> This may seem a bit off topic for the recumbent group but stay with me, it
> isn't...
>
> I am a major league sweater and I have found that my tee-shirts acquire a
> permanent ammonia odor which I can't seem to wash out. When I launder the
> shirts they smell fine but when they get even a little wet the ammonia odor
> surfaces.
>
> I have tried the following without good results:
>
> 1. Adding Vinegar to my wash.
> 2. Spraying my shirts with vinegar when I take them off (this has been tried
> with and without also adding the vinegar to the wash).
> 3. Adding baking soda to the wash.
> 4. Using Fabreeze including the "tough odor" version.
> 5. A few different brands of detergent although mostly I use Wisk.
>
> Its gotten to the point where my best solution is to not wear my favorite
> tee-shirts when I ride. This keeps them smelling ok but then I don't get to
> wear them when I ride. I have some great ones that would make E.D.'s head
> explode but I want to protect them from odor.
>
> Any suggestions?
>
>
Ammonia eh? No offence Jeff but maybe you need to change something in
your diet?

All kidding aside, I went into this mountain equipment store and they
had a 100.00 T-shirt made from some crazy techno wool from New Zealand.
This sales guy tells me he wore one for two weeks of hiking and it
barely smelled at all. Pretty impressive, but 100 bux for a T-shirt is
bloody steep.

 

[Edward Dolan]

"Jeff Grippe" <jeff@door7> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> "Edward Dolan" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
[...]
>>I read that the Tibetans only bath once a year and they cover themselves
>>in yak fat year around in order to ward off the cold. Now there is a
>>sensible people!
>
> Regarding Yak Fat (tm) to ward off the cold:
>
> This is a problem I've rarely had while cycling. I checked with Nashbar
> and Performance. They don't sell anything with Yak Fat (tm). And believe
> me the last thing I need to drape myself in is fat of any kind. I'm
> already equipped with a built in supply. Its not Yak Fat (tm) but if I
> wore a fur coat I'll bet you couldn't tell the difference at 20 feet. I'll
> bet if those Tibetans lived here and dined regularly on McDonalds they
> wouldn't need Yak Fat (tm) either. Shame on you for endorsing a culture
> whose real crime is under consumption of fast food, American fast food at
> that. If everyone went out and simply got Yak Fat (tm) clothing then
> nobody would need fast food, our economy would collapse, and there'd be no
> money to fight our war. Sure that's good for me and my type but you aren't
> thinking this through Ed.

Well, this is what happens when your inferiors like Jeff Grippe try to be
funny.

The Tibetan yak fat thing was a throw away line that referenced your concern
about being smelly. The Tibetans use the yak fat in order to ward off the
cold, but you can imagine how it must smell. But the Tibetans are a sensible
people because they are not concerned all that much about how they smell.
They only bath once a year even though covered in yak fat. They would rather
be warm and smell than be cold, clean and not smell. Got it? Yet?

But hey, if other idiots here think you are funny, then go for it. But the
trick will be to amuse me - and I am not easily amused because I am cursed
with a great intelligence.

Ed Dolan the Great - Minnesota

 

[Jeff Grippe]

Big Ed Said,

> However, I warn you, God and I do not suffer "preversions" lightly.
>

Of course god suffers perversions lightly. Your existence is proof of that.

As far as what you do, few of us care frankly. In that respect we are like
god ourselves. We listen to you (well read actually) but actually we could
care less. At this point it is amusing to see what you are going to say
next.

And that's "Mr. New York Secular Jew" to buddy.

 

[LioNiNoiL_a t_Y a h 0 0_d 0 t_c 0 m]

Jeff Grippe wrote:

> my tee-shirts acquire a permanent ammonia odor which I can't
> seem to wash out. When I launder the shirts they smell fine
> but when they get even a little wet the ammonia odor surfaces.

According to Dr. Mirkin, it could be from an infection, or from eating
too much meat:

http://www.drmirkin.com/morehealth/8831.html

--
"Bicycling is a healthy and manly pursuit with much
to recommend it, and, unlike other foolish crazes,
it has not died out." -- The Daily Telegraph (1877)

 

[[email protected]]

>Personally if they ever made a shower head for my camelback, I'd buy one.
>Then I could shower while riding. Hmmm, there's a project for the weekend.
>Too bad I'm busy. Maybe you can work on it Ed. Let me know if you come up
>with something.

I was riding on a real hot day with a camel back and no water bottles.
I blew into the mouthpiece then held it over my head and squeeze the
mouthpiece to open it up. The water came out onto my head in a little
stream and cooled me down.

 

[Jeff Grippe]

Awwww. Ya just ruined ED's new business venture.

Forget the Camelback Showerhead idea Ed.


<[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> >Personally if they ever made a shower head for my camelback, I'd buy one.
>>Then I could shower while riding. Hmmm, there's a project for the weekend.
>>Too bad I'm busy. Maybe you can work on it Ed. Let me know if you come up
>>with something.
>
> I was riding on a real hot day with a camel back and no water bottles.
> I blew into the mouthpiece then held it over my head and squeeze the
> mouthpiece to open it up. The water came out onto my head in a little
> stream and cooled me down.
>

 

[Edward Dolan]

"Jeff Grippe" <jeff@door7> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Awwww. Ya just ruined ED's new business venture.
>
> Forget the Camelback Showerhead idea Ed.

Only idiots top post, even if it is only to your lame brain previous
message.

But Jeff Grippe is headed to the bottom of the barrel as I knew he would be
from day one. He is just not up to our high standards. Soon he will be at
the level of Slugger - nothign but a bottom feeder.

Ed Dolan the Great - Minnesota

> <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
>> >Personally if they ever made a shower head for my camelback, I'd buy
>> >one.
>>>Then I could shower while riding. Hmmm, there's a project for the
>>>weekend.
>>>Too bad I'm busy. Maybe you can work on it Ed. Let me know if you come up
>>>with something.
>>
>> I was riding on a real hot day with a camel back and no water bottles.
>> I blew into the mouthpiece then held it over my head and squeeze the
>> mouthpiece to open it up. The water came out onto my head in a little
>> stream and cooled me down.

 

[Peter Clinch]

Jeff Grippe wrote:

> I am a major league sweater and I have found that my tee-shirts acquire a
> permanent ammonia odor which I can't seem to wash out. When I launder the
> shirts they smell fine but when they get even a little wet the ammonia odor
> surfaces.

> Any suggestions?

Stop wearing cotton Ts and start wearing fabrics designed to shift sweat
away from your body while not building up bug problems.

X-Static fabric has silver coatings on the fibres designed to make them
resistant to bug colonies forming, Merino wool tends to be resistant to
that sort of thing naturally. If the word "wool" makes you think of
cold weather clothing then note that a fine Merino top is quite a bit
thinner than a cotton T so shouldn't overheat you. You can get them
from good outdoor suppliers (though probably check hiking sections
rather than cycling) and they're one of the current best of breed for
comfortable base layers.

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch Medical Physics IT Officer
Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Univ. of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK
net [email protected] http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/

 

[Peter Clinch]

[email protected] wrote:
>>Personally if they ever made a shower head for my camelback, I'd buy one.
>>Then I could shower while riding. Hmmm, there's a project for the weekend.
>>Too bad I'm busy. Maybe you can work on it Ed. Let me know if you come up
>>with something.

> I was riding on a real hot day with a camel back and no water bottles.
> I blew into the mouthpiece then held it over my head and squeeze the
> mouthpiece to open it up. The water came out onto my head in a little
> stream and cooled me down.

Ortlieb make shower heads for their water bags, so someone's already
thought of it before people start writing to the patents office...

http://www.ortleib.de/_prod.php?lang=de&produkt=dusch

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch Medical Physics IT Officer
Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Univ. of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK
net [email protected] http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/

 

[Jeff Grippe]

"Peter Clinch" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Jeff Grippe wrote:
>
> Stop wearing cotton Ts and start wearing fabrics designed to shift sweat
> away from your body while not building up bug problems.
>

That makes a great deal of sense but all of my really good political shirts
are cotton T's. I have always exercised in T's (and always produced T's that
end up smelling!)

I am revisiting the vinegar solution. It seems to be working better. I have
a feeling that I simply didn't use enough before.

I really like the T's but I will stop wearing them if I can't solve this
problem.

Thanks for the advice.

Jeff

 

[Peter Clinch]

Jeff Grippe wrote:

> That makes a great deal of sense but all of my really good political shirts
> are cotton T's.

Create a slogan-holder for the back of the seat...

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch Medical Physics IT Officer
Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Univ. of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK
net [email protected] http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/

 

[Jeff Grippe]

Good Idea but I already have signs on both sides of my trike that say:

"This Trike Fights Diabetes"

I think what I can / should do is just take a shirt to ride in and then
change to the T when I'm not riding. I assume that these fabrics that pull
sweat away from the body can easily have the sweat rinsed out of them when
you stop?

Thanks again.

Jeff
"Peter Clinch" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Jeff Grippe wrote:
>
>> That makes a great deal of sense but all of my really good political
>> shirts are cotton T's.
>
> Create a slogan-holder for the back of the seat...
>
> Pete.
> --
> Peter Clinch Medical Physics IT Officer
> Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Univ. of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital
> Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK
> net [email protected] http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/
>

 

[Peter Clinch]

Jeff Grippe wrote:

> I think what I can / should do is just take a shirt to ride in and then
> change to the T when I'm not riding. I assume that these fabrics that pull
> sweat away from the body can easily have the sweat rinsed out of them when
> you stop?

Nothing will particularly pull the sweat out. However, once sweat is
pushed into them the fabrics will wick it away from your body and spread
it over a greater surface area where it will evaporate relatively
quickly, so you stay a bit drier and still get a cooling effect. Unlike
cotton, the fibre itself does not absorb moisture (although some will
certainly be held in the weave of the fabric) so they hold less moisture
and will dry quicker when rinsed.

Polypro wicking tops like Helly Hansen Lifa are fairly notorious for
getting a smell despite these benefits: to avoid the pong look for
fabrics like X-Static and fine Merino wool.

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch Medical Physics IT Officer
Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Univ. of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK
net [email protected] http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/

 

[Johnny ReBike]

On 21-Jul-2005, "Edward Dolan" <[email protected]> wrote:

> Sweat away like hell and be proud of it. Your body is doing exactly what
> it
> is suppose to be doing. Anyone who doesn't like the way you smell should
> keep their freaking distance. Why would anyone ever want to be closer than
>
> several arm lengths away from others anyway? Unless you are engaged in
> intimate sexual relations, you do not need to concern yourself with
> others.
> Hells Bells! Smells is Good!
>
> The biggest laugh in the world are all those touring cyclists who think
> they
> have got to shower each and every day of a bike tour. What good does that
> do? The next day you are bathed in sweat within 15 minutes. I have even
> seen
> these types of jerks hand washing their cycling shorts at night. I can go
> for weeks without showering and months without washing any clothes. Yes, I
>
> sweat a lot, but I am not "dirty." Wash when you are dirty. Sweat we will
> always have with us. It is what humans do and it is very necessary. Either
>
> that, or learn to pant like other animals.
>
> You should shower (take a bath) about once a week on a Saturday night and
> you should wash your cycling clothes about once a year. Hells Bells, I
> would
> not even consider wearing any cycling clothing that did not at least stick
>
> to my body. In fact, I like cycling clothing that will stand all by itself
>
> even when I am not wearing it.

No wonder downtown Worthington, Minnesota is deserted. Mr. Ed has driven
everyone off with his foul personality and foul body odor.

--
Johnny ReBike
ReBike - Slowest Bike in the Known Universe

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[Johnny ReBike]

On 21-Jul-2005, "Edward Dolan" <[email protected]> wrote:

> As I sit at the right hand of God Almighty

ed doofus,

God Almighty says to take a shower and put some clean clothes on.

--
Johnny ReBike
ReBike - Slowest Bike in the Known Universe

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