Embarassing laundry question

[mary9761]

I wasn't really sure where to post this and I've avoided posting until this evening. Most of you know I make my own bike gear, I don't put/use a chamois in my shorts or the pair of tights I have made. Until recently I didn't notice a problem but I just moved the crotch insert from the awkward position it was sewn in and sewed in OVER the closed seam and the tights are FINALLY comfortable to wear AND stay up better. Since I've moved this material essentially making an equivalent to a chamois out of lycra, I've noticed an odour after washing. I have washed multiple times and just this evening, I took 1/4 capful of liquid laundry soap and HAND SCRUBBED the material I then rewashed the tights AGAIN. I still smell an odour.
I would be concerned enough about this as I'm very self conscious about any body odour anyways, but recently there was a person that I don't even know that had posted some very nasty things about me on my local cycling forum one item in particular that said I smelled like the crap house door of a tuna boat. Needless to say, I'm even more self conscious of ANY hint of odour. Do I need to trash these tights and make new ones? I don't have the problem in my shorts, they are made differently and don't have the sewn in crotch. Should I see if I can take the piece back out without destroying the tights? If I do that then I will have an exposed seam that cause even more problems with comfort.
I appreciate any ideas. I'm embarassed to even have to ask this in the first place, but I sure don't want to have something that a troll said about me have ANY basis in truth for further fodder.

[Bikingmomof3]

Oh I am so sorry someone was rude enough to post something so terrible on a board about you! :mad: :( :mad:

I honestly have no real answer, I am just outraged people can be so downright cruel.

I use the sport wash for my clothing, I do not know if it makes a real difference or not. Could it possibly just be the certain bolt of fabric? If they cannot be salvaged, and I realize you put work into these (I knit), I would toss them.

I am hoping someone on here can give you better advice.

[Triskeliongirl]

I am not sure at all about this, but you might tray baking soda. I know its good for adsorbing odors in a fridge, so maybe it would work for clothing. Of course, it could also ruin the fabric but if its a choice of throwing them out or trying this maybe it can't hurt. I just googled clothing odor removal and found lots of good tips like this one, along the idea I suggested but more specific for how to do it: http://missourifamilies.org/features/materialarticles/feature4.htm

But Mary, maybe you should ask a close friend how much these odor issues are real vs someone being mean spirited. If they are real, there are medical issues that can cause odors that you might want to discuss with a doctor.

[lph]

How amazingly cruel of that person :mad: Apart from the comment being cruel I very much doubt that it's true, and apart from *that* - everybody smells, in one way or another. Pure biology.

But to the issue: I thought it was mostly temperature (high) that killed bacteria, not the kind of soap? I know all my training clothes stink to high heaven after a day or two, and the only way to get the smell out is to wash them at high temperatures even though I'm not supposed to.

[bambu101]

Try white vinegar in the water. It will help get rid of any odor. I have used it on my BF's polypropylene running tops, which he wears a few times until they get pretty ripe- ewww. I also put a dish of vinegar in the kitcen and let it sit overnight after I have cooked something pungent, like onions. It will help absorb any leftover smells.
And what a lousy thing to say about you.:(

[doc]

There is also febreeze for laundry. Maybe that will work.

As for the person who posted that, I can only hope that the mean mean karma they sent out comes back to them. I'm so sorry that had to happen to you.

[DDH]

I would try the viniger. That is suppose to be very good at taking out odors, and it shouldn't hurt your fabric. I don't think the baking soda would hurt the fabric either. Both of these are suppose to be really good for getting rid of bad odors. Then maybe hang them out to dry on a sunny day and let the sun and fresh air take care of the rest.

I'm sorry, but after I have had a long ride, I do not smell good. I could put a ton of deoderant on and still be stinky when I am done with my ride.
Mind you I sweat like a pig!!! I hate it but cannot help it.
If I want to ride my bike I just have to face the fact that I am going to stink. If someone else does not like it, then they don't have to ride with me or they need to stay up wind.
What this person did was very rude and just plain mean spirited and I would hope anyone else involved would let this person know this and put them in their place on the forum. I would not want to ride with someone that would say such mean things about another person, because who knows what they are saying about me behind my back. It might be embarasing but I would much rather someone tell me to my face when they have a problem with me, stinky or otherwise.

And Mary, don't be embarrased to ask questions on here. We are all women with a variety of issues and I think that is what this forum is for. :D

[lph]

btw: I dislike stinky clothes as much as anyone else, but it is a bit weird our common idea that human beings should be these squeakyclean, odourless aliens.

Anyone else heard the story of Napoleon, who wrote home to Josephine: "Don't wash, I'm coming home!" I'm betting they didn't have to do much laundry around then ;)

[mary9761]

Thanks ladies, I knew if I couldn't ask anywhere else I could here. Luckily once people caught on to what this person was saying/doing. He'd started the thread as a riddle thinking he was funny (What weighs 300 pounds and smells like the craphouse door of a tuna boat) so I didn't even know what/who he was insinuating until he said it rides a Navigator 50 then several people jumped on him and luckily the thread was pulled. I didn't say anything to him at that time, this was the person who has since posted other stuff as well.
I know that I'm mainly hypersensitive right now as I know any odour that I've smelled after a ride or different times of the month are completely normal and I'm probably the only one that CAN smell it, but this with the tights just started so I really didn't want to give this person any fuel in case I DO know them and they are just being cruel and anonymous.
I will try the vinegar later today and see if it doesn't help with the slight odour, I mean I have to put my face into the material to smell it, but like I said I figure it's not good to give this person any credit by actually having an odour.
Thanks again.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Mary,
First, how wonderful that you are not as sad and pathetic a person as that one who says mean hurtful things about people. What a nasty way to have to live!

Second,
I find a HUGE difference in body odors dpending on the particular fabric one puts next to the body. Some fabrics especially polyesther, tend to really amplify our natural odors and make them smell worse than they would normally be. I had to dump some very expensive cotton blend close fitting shirts once that made me have terrible BO. Now I wear different fabrics, and I don't have BO at all! Try a different fabric altogether and see if that eliminates the problem. Also, I think fabric softeners clog the fabric pores and cause bacteria to sort of glue themselves into the waxy fabric softeners molecules. The fabric can't breathe and therefore bacteria thrives. More bacteria=more odor.
Wash out that fabric softener all together if you are noticing odor problems.

[GLC1968]

I was going to suggest something similar to Lisa. Many synthetics will retain stink no matter what you do to them. I think this is why so many chamois fabrics are treated to prevent bacterial growth all together. I'd suggest trying to replace that panel with a more natural fabric that is still wicking (soft wool, perhaps??).

But definitely try white vinegar first...that stuff works miracles!

I'm so sorry that person said such hateful things to you! If he/she really does know you in real life, rest assured that they are clearly a spineless coward if all they can do is make annonomus and riddled insults about you on an internet message board! :mad: If they don't know you, they are even more pathetic. Don't let them get to you!!

[SouthernBelle]

Mary,

Sorry about that cretin. There are some fabrics that trap odors.

But what I wanted to suggest is that you can buy undies with a chamois built in. Then you can make whatever you want to go over them. I THINK I saw them in the Colorado Cyclist catalogue, but someone may correct me if I'm wrong.

HTH,

[BeeLady]

I try and dry all my riding clothes on the line, not a clothes dryer. I think this helps too. In the sun would be ideal.

[margo49]

Sunshine and inside-out.

[spokewench]

Mary - I'm so proud of you for riding your bike and persevering. People like the one you describe are ignorant and cruel. They deserve not one minute of attention.

I wear sports clothing, but sometimes, polypropelene (sp?) can really smell after several wearings. After a while, sometimes, I just throw those old undershirts away cause I can't get the odor out of that fabric. I have some problems with synthetics so I don't usually wear them to work, etc. cause they make me have BO. But, of course, I do wear them to work out and it is normal to sweat and smell a little when you are working out - everyone else does too!

[Ninabike]

Mary - This might be kind of on the expensive side, but if all else fails, maybe you could get a pair of bike shorts with a chamois and take the chamois out and sew it into your tights.

[Thistle]

btw: I dislike stinky clothes as much as anyone else, but it is a bit weird our common idea that human beings should be these squeakyclean, odourless aliens.



How rude was that person who wrote on the website about you smelling :mad: Of course we smell when we exercise. Der. I really cant believe that out in the open air when you're cycling it's that noticeable... and i have a damned good nose for smell :D

Try the vinegar and the good friend ideas. Sounds better than believing this other unpleasant person. So sorry you have been the target of her angry little personality!

[mary9761]

I want to thank everyone for their responses. I washed the tights again in vinegar after letting them soak all day yesterday while I ran errands. It did the trick. I never use fabric softner on my cycling clothes so I knew it wasn't softner, but I think I'll be using vinegar in my rinse from here on out or if I have to wash the tights separately, I'll do that too. Weird thing is it's just those tights (same fabric as the shorts I've made) and it's only since I moved the crotch insert from where it was. The instructions had said to sew it in strangely so they fit weird and were uncomfortable. I took it out and sewed the seam like I would any other pants then sewed the insert OVER the seams. Since then, I've started having the problem with them not smelling clean after washing them. Looks like I will be investing in a BIG bottle of vinegar just to keep in the laundry room.

[Bikingmomof3]

Mary,
I am glad you were able to save the tights. :)

[kelownagirl]

Yay Mary! People are ignorant and thoughtless and just plain rude sometimes. I'm sorry you had to go thru that embarrassment...

[bambu101]

Glad to hear that the vinegar did the trick! I keep a gallon of it next to the washing machine, and pour a little bit in when I wash towels. I read somewhere that it will help remove soap residue. I don't like the strongly scented detergents and dryer sheets, so vinegar is a staple in my house.

[Meaux]

That's just tacky of someone to say that. To paraphrase my dad, I'm sure that the person who posted that doesn't smell like Chanel No. 5. We all smell after a ride. I probably smell just from a normal day at my office job.

[Daggett]

I used cloth diapers for my son and found that using borax in the wash and vinegar in the rinse worked wonders.

My son is now 14 and is in the boy scouts. He brings home some really stinky clothes. Using borax and vinegar gets rid of even 14 year old boy stink and that is a very powerful stink.

[wannaduacentury]

But Mary, maybe you should ask a close friend how much these odor issues are real vs someone being mean spirited. If they are real, there are medical issues that can cause odors that you might want to discuss with a doctor.

I second this, perhaps you have a infection you aren't aware of. I'm sorry that person was so mean to you, that's inexcuseable for what they said. Kudos to you for wanting to make your own clothes, I wouldn't mind doing some colorful jersies if I could find the right fabric. Jennifer

[mary9761]

Thanks again for the feedback. I have a feeling that I'll be taking the insert off again and trying another type of fabric to cover the seams. When I wash the tights again yesterday (with other bike clothes AND rinsed/soaked in vinegar, the problem was back. Sooooooo unless I have to wash these by hand, then machine by themselves and soak in vinegar every time (NOT necessarily convenient to do) I think I'll experiment with a cotton blend material like the tightie whities are made out of, at least it will be breathable and perhaps won't cause whatever irritation must be causing the problem in the first place. It's JUST these tights and none of my biking shorts.
The thing again about the situation with the person who said the nasty things is that I don't know that I've even MET the person. I don't know that they've been close enough to me to have smelled anything real OR imagined. I don't notice anything except these tights myself. The strangest thing about the person who said these things is I have no idea what I might have done to anyone for them to think they needed to say them. I hope I don't find out that I know the person. I'm just hypersensitive right now and somewhat walking on eggshells. I've always had lower self esteem and had to deal with this sort of things in Elementary and beyond, but this is making me angry for the fact that it was said and that I'm not able to shrug it off. Oh well, they've been quiet again for a while so, maybe they gave up again.

[Brandi]

OMG!:mad: That is awful!!!!!!! I hope you don't ride with this person? I am beside myself and don't know what to say.

[Tuckervill]

Mary, it's not you, it's them. Sometimes things can feel personal (and sure, this was directed at you, personally), when they're not personally about you, at all. It's about them. Their need to feel superior. Their need to lash out. You may have just been an easy target.

I think it's coincidence that these tights are a problem at the same time as this poster. Sometimes things are just coincidences.

One time I got a phone call in the middle of the night from someone who was trying to scare me. Thing is, I was house-sitting at someone else's house and very few people knew I was there. (before the days of cell phones and caller ID) I really, REALLY thought that someone was trying to target me. I was scared for days and days. I was so scared that I can still call up that feeling just by thinking about it. I mean, what if someone who did know I was there told someone casually and that person told someone who knew me, you know? Maybe someone followed me there. Who knows?

Well, I know now that it was just a coincidence. It had to be. They would have gotten the homeowner on the line if I had not been there.

Do NOT let this jerk wreck one minute of your existence. So your tights smell because they're polyester. It's just a coincidence. Don't give the guy the satisfiaction of taking up your time and essence over this. Just don't. You're GREAT. You're an inspiration. I haven't been on my bike since October 1st. Thanks for keeping on riding. When I grow up I want to be YOU.

Karen

[doc]

The thing again about the situation with the person who said the nasty things is that I don't know that I've even MET the person. I don't know that they've been close enough to me to have smelled anything real OR imagined. I don't notice anything except these tights myself. The strangest thing about the person who said these things is I have no idea what I might have done to anyone for them to think they needed to say them. I hope I don't find out that I know the person. I'm just hypersensitive right now and somewhat walking on eggshells. I've always had lower self esteem and had to deal with this sort of things in Elementary and beyond, but this is making me angry for the fact that it was said and that I'm not able to shrug it off. Oh well, they've been quiet again for a while so, maybe they gave up again.

Maybe you could get friends who post on the same board to shame him. If there were several entries that stated what a huge uncharitable jerk he is, and how logic would suggest he must therefore be perfect in every way, perhaps he'll at least get the message that it isn't OK to do.
Another point could be that a person could be helpful e.g. quietly tell a person (privately) that there is spinach in their teeth or they can be mean and destructive and laugh at someone else's expense. You might be pleasantly surprised at how many other posters agree with your friends!
A final point could be made at what a coward he is to hide behind an anonymous board.

[Ninabike]

Mary,

You have been such an inspiration to so many of us on the TE forum. The article you published some time back was so beautifully written and revealed what a person of strong character you are. I know it's difficult to shrug aside insults, but take comfort in the fact that you have helped more people than you know. I have referred a few people to your article, but you might want to post it again for new TE'rs. You go girl!!!

Nina

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Article? What article?? :confused:
Wanna READ it!....

[Ninabike]

Article? What article?? :confused:
Wanna READ it!....

Mary, I hope you don't mind.

Lisa, I'm not too good at posting links on the computer, but go to the "search" box, and type in "Asked to Write an Article". The post is dated 11/8/05. You will forever be inspired!!

Nina

[Geonz]

That fellow is probably still in "frat boy" stage of life... hasn't learned that most of the rest of the world (um, the civilized part!) doesn't "appreciate" that kind of "humor." I'd almost *want* to know who the yahoo was 'cause I'd know not to waste time in conversation with him... and also, these guys *revel* in being anonymous. (Who knows what else he does for fun...)

[mary9761]

I have rewritten that article a while back to update a LOT of information. I'll find it and try to go ahead and update the original thread. I'm glad I can be an inspiration.
Jimmy at The Bike Line regularly tells me he's amazed at what I've done on that little bike. He says he tells people about me all the time too. :o Just the other day after I told him my mileage for the year and now lifetime miles on the Little Navigator that Could that when people asked him about doing long rides etc on comfort/hybrid bikes that he sold, that they might be able to do things like that. Now he says when he's asked what someone can do on bikes like mine... You can do ANYTHING you want to on that bike, and proceeds to tell them about me :D

[Ninabike]

Yea Mary!! You CAN do anything, and don't let anybody drag you down.

Nina

[paigette]

After reading the article, I just thought of something.

Your bike model is in that article, along with the info on making your own clothing. It is ENTIRELY possible that the troll that chose to write that crap about you did it, not necessarily because there was a smell, but because he/she found out the info from the article. You know how rotten asshats some people can be, and maybe he just chose to mock the fact that you make your own tights or something.

I'm not excusing him at all, but given that you don't think you've ever met him, my thoughts make sense.

[mary9761]

The tights issue only came up AFTER the troll attack. I hadn't started wearing them yet. I'm really mainly hypersensitive right now and I realize that. I know they knew a lot of the things they wrote attacking me about from the article. I just don't know if I've actually ridden with them or not.
I'm going to take the insert out again and use another material. When I make my next pair of tights, I'll use cotton to cover the seams.