ACcording to Chinenye Peace Ibekwe, a laundromat owner, “Sweat marks are made by a combination of salts in the sweat and the deodorant people use. Sweat itself is a sterile thing but when it mixes with the bacteria on the skin, the odours we associate with sweat occur.”
Ibekwe added that sweat marks and odours can be stubborn when not handled correctly.
The operator of the service laundry business, Stainless Touch Drycleaning, since the early 2000s, advised on how to avoid such occurrences.
Wash your clothes promptly
Stains and odours are caused when bacteria form on fabric. So, the best thing to do is launder clothing soon after each wear because according to her, the longer you leave sweat on clothing, the greater the bacterial growth.
She points out, however, that it’s important to balance prompt washing and over-laundering, which can be wasteful.
Sweat stains can be sneaky
On special occasions, wears such as silk, aren’t immediately apparent so the garment is put away without dry-cleaning or laundering. If the fabric is particularly delicate, the sweat might cause a reaction over time, resulting in an odour or stain that appears months later. A quick hand wash or drop-off at the dry cleaner’s can prevent this.
When possible, wearing a cotton undershirt that can absorb underarm sweat and stand up to more frequent laundering may also help extend the life of collared shirts and silk blouses.
Spot clean the sweatiest areas
Ibekwe agrees spot cleaning is a good idea because sweat stains can require more attention or higher temperatures than the recommended wash cycle for the rest of the garment. She suggests using “a laundry product designed for spot treating” but to be “careful not to rub too hard on fabrics that might snag or woollen fabrics that might fade”.
Choose natural fibres and natural deodorants
Due to their distinctive properties, natural fibres, such as cotton, wool and silk react differently to sweat than synthetic fibres, such as polyester and elastane.
Ibekwe says “polyester has a complicated relationship with sweat because it absorbs the oily sweat from under the arms”, which causes long-term odour. “Everyone can think of a polyester top they’ve washed and put on again and it still smells,” she says.
She further explains that this is in part because polyester has the same molecular make-up as plastic, so it doesn’t breathe. A recent study found that even odour-control synthetic fabrics smell worse than natural fibres over time.
The way to avoid this is by choosing natural fibres, such as cotton and wool that respond to the body’s temperature and reduce sweating.
“The more natural the fibre, the less likely you are to produce an odour,” Ibekwe says.
The same goes for your deodorant. She adds: “When you take the aluminium out of your antiperspirant, you are less likely to produce sweat marks.”
When all else fails
Ibekwe suggests cutting out stained armpits, or the portion of the fabric, causing the odour, and replacing it with a patch of fresh fabric. In the case of polyester garments that have a persistent smell, the area could be replaced with a natural fibre, solving future problems.
If transforming a blouse into a sleeveless top or adding a cotton underarm gusset is beyond your sewing skills, these can be done easily by a professional tailor.
