The Best Way to Remove Sweat Smell From Clothes and Fabrics

It is what it is: Occasionally, not-so-great smells and stains stick to clothes after several washes. This can leave your fresh-from-the-wash clothes looking (and sometimes even smelling) anything but clean. While stains can be notorious for being hard to get out, strong odors like sweat can be just as challenging. Ahead, we spoke with an expert about the best ways to get sweat odor out of your clothes, plus tips for making sure your clothes smell great all the time.

How to Remove Sweat Odor From Clothes

To remove tough, set-in odors, you'll want to pre-treat the offending areas first with either baking soda or vinegar, according to Shaun Veran, a microbiologist and COO of OURA, a company that makes clothing and accessories from anti-microbial and deodorizing fabrics. "Baking soda is a mild alkali that helps neutralize acidic odors. It also acts as a gentle abrasive to lift stains from the fabric," he says. "The acid in vinegar breaks down the residues that cause odors and can also act as a natural fabric softener, leaving clothes clean and soft."

Materials You'll Need

• Baking soda
• Vinegar
• Water
• Laundry detergent (or odor-eliminating laundry detergent)
• Basin or bucket

Instructions for Using Baking Soda

1. Create a baking soda paste using a few tablespoons of baking soda mixed with water
2. Apply the paste to areas of clothing that harbor odors, usually under the arms and the neckline
3. Let the baking soda paste sit for up to 30 minutes to absorb odors
4. After 30 minutes, wash the clothing as usual in your washing machine. You can use your regular detergent or try an odor-eliminating detergent like Win Sports Detergent or Tide Sport Power Pods HE Compatible Febreze Odor Eliminator, both recommended by Veran.

Instructions for Using Vinegar

1. Mix one part vinegar with four parts water in your basin or bucket
2. Submerge your clothing in the mixture, taking care to make sure it's completely submerged and soaked
3. Let it sit in the vinegar mixture for up to 30 minutes to allow the vinegar to break down odor-causing residue and bacteria
4. After 30 minutes, wash the clothing as usual in your washing machine with either your regular detergent or an odor-eliminating detergent.

Causes of Lingering Sweat Odor

According to Veran, sweat in and of itself is primarily made of water and is generally odorless. So, how does that translate to smelly clothing? "The key player in turning sweat from an odorless liquid into a source of body odor is the skin's microbiome (particularly the bacteria that live in the sweatiest parts of your body)," he says. "These bacteria thrive in the warm, moist environments of our bodies and when they come into contact with sweat, they metabolize any proteins and fatty acids it contains, breaking them down into smaller molecules." When sweat is broken down by bacteria, a strong-smelling odor is caused.

Bacteria and sweat from your body can then be transferred to your clothing, causing both stains and tough-to-remove odors. And, in many cases, removing stains is actually easier than removing odors from garments. "Removing these odors is not as straightforward as removing visible stains for a few reasons. Firstly, bacteria can cling to fibers, especially in synthetic materials like polyester that provide an ideal environment for bacteria to flourish due to poor ventilation compared to natural fibers," Veran says. "Secondly, the waste products of bacteria can penetrate deeply into the fabric fibers, particularly in tightly woven or thick materials, making them hard to remove with regular washing."

One other factor that can contribute to odor is built-up residue from detergent and fabric softeners. "Fabric softeners and other laundry additives can leave residues that trap odors and bacteria, compounding the problem over time," he says.

Tips for Keeping Clothes Smelling Fresh

If you want to keep your clothes smelling good and decrease the chances of harboring set-in sweat odors, keep these tips in mind.

Wash Sweaty Clothes Promptly

If you've just come back from an intense workout, don't let your sweaty gym clothes sit for too long—that just gives the bacteria in sweat more time to settle into the fabric of your clothing. "Sweat-soaked garments provide a perfect environment for bacteria to thrive and multiply," says Veran. "Always wash sweaty clothes as soon as possible instead of letting them sit in your gym bag or laundry hamper. If immediate washing isn’t possible, air them out to dry before tossing them in the hamper to reduce bacteria growth and odor intensity."

Choose the Right Wash Temperature

Water temperature can make all the difference in getting odors out of your clothes, but it depends heavily on the type of fabric that you are washing. Synthetic fabrics like nylon and polyester, which is what most activewear is made from, are best washed in cold water. "Cold water helps prevent the setting of protein-based stains (like sweat) and avoids damage to the elastic fibers that give sportswear its stretch," says Veran.

Clothing made from natural fibers, like linen and cotton, should be washed on a warm cycle. "Warm water is more effective at dissolving dirt, body oils, and tougher stains that are typical on cotton and linen," Veran says. "Using warm water for heavily soiled items, such as cotton socks and T-shirts, helps to open up the fabric fibers, allowing the detergent to penetrate more deeply to remove the odor-causing bacteria and residues more effectively."

Use the Right Cycle Setting

Using your regular wash cycle setting is generally sufficient for moderately soiled clothing with a mild sweat odor. But for a deeper cleaning of very soiled clothing with strong sweat odor, you'll want to choose the heavy-duty cycle. "This cycle uses more water and has a longer washing action, which means more mechanical energy is being applied to scrub the clothes," says Veran. "The heavy-duty cycle is particularly effective for deep cleaning workout gear, sports uniforms, or any fabric that has been exposed to a lot of sweat, especially if they’ve been sitting in a laundry hamper for a few days."

Choose Clothing Made From Specific Fabrics

If sweat odor has been a problem for your clothing, it might be time to pay more attention to the fabric of the garments you're buying. Opt for moisture-wicking fabrics that draw sweat away from your body and to the surface of the clothing for faster evaporations, says Veran. "Look for fabrics like polyester, nylon, or specially engineered synthetics for athletic wear," he says. "These materials not only manage moisture effectively but also dry quickly, which helps prevent the growth of odor-causing microbes."