Protein family: cold water first
How to get sweaty gym clothes odour out
Body oil and bacteria trapped in synthetics; no visible stain, but the smell survives washing.
Do this first
Wash soon, don't leave in a bag
Fresh stain
- Wash soon, don't leave in a bag
- Soak in cool water with a cup of white vinegar 30 minutes
- Wash with enzyme detergent
- Skip fabric softener
- Air dry
Dried or old
- Laundry stripping soak
- Repeat
- Fabric care
- No chlorine on spandex; no hot dryer.
- Time
- 30 min
- How to tell
- Look: little or nothing; Feel: slightly stiff; Smell: sour even after washing
Where this fix comes from
- Household folk practice, checked against the guides above
- American Cleaning Institute, Stain Removal Chart
We check every fix against these published guides. We do not run a test lab of our own.
Before you start
- Test on a hidden seam first.
- Never mix cleaners.
- Keep it out of the dryer until the stain is gone.