UKC

Believe it or not, this question really is on behalf of somebody else, not myself!

Does anyone have any advice on how to clean wool base layers that have picked up a 'bacterial' stench in the armpits? No amount of washing with conventional detergents or a couple of "sports wash"/odor eliminator products seems to have had any impact (or only very temporarily). Does anyone have any magic solutions? Wasn't wool supposed not to smell like this?

Are you sure they're not a wool/synthetic blend....?

I've never managed to get wool to permasmell. I thought it was impossible.

If it is pure wool, I wonder if the smell is due to antiperspirant build up? I generally avoid ap when wearing wool for that reason.

 In terms of cleaning you could try white vinegar which is the age old method for stains and smells

Easy...

Buy some Tesco laundry cleanser (https://www.tesco.com/groceries/en-GB/products/312705939) or equivalent product.

Soak the smelly items in a bucket of as hot water the clothes will tolerate. Follow the instructions and wear gloves, but soak for double the recommended time and be slightly generous on the amount.

After soaking chuck them in a washing machine (don't wring or rinse, just chuck the stuff in wet with the cleanser stuff) and wash as hot and intensively as the clothes can tolerate, using biological laundry detergent.

It works! Kills yeasts, bacteria etc. You need to repeat this after a bunch of wears or it'll come back. Works for trainers and synthetic base layers too

You could try wetsuit shampoo?

It didn't do much for one pair of my wetsuit boots, but I think that smell is due to the glue inside breaking down.

As above, are they 100% merino?

This has happened to a few older t-shirts that I've got that have a small proportion of nylon or polyester and a bit of deodorant residue buildup.

I've found soaking them in a strong solution of laundry cleanser (eg dettol brand) then washing as normal seems to sort it.

50/50 white vinegar and water solution.  Soak offending area of item in the solution for a few hours then launder as normal 

Boil for 4hrs in apple cider vinegar, then hot wash for 2hrs in 50:50 cilit bang and fairy liquid.

Tumble dry on hot for 87minutes.

Donate to some parents of a newborn baby. 

My solution: old spray bottle with cheap vodka kept next to the laundry basket, and spray the pits of every garment as and when you throw it in the basket. The alcohol kills the bacteria and it means you can wash on a cool cycle if required to protect the clothes.

I find drinking the cheap vodka annihilates any sense of smell...achieves the same result

That's what you told the family it was for.  

Meanwhile exploding your washing machine!

Whilst we're in the laundry room, and suggestions for removing white deodorant stains from cotton t-shirts?

white vinegar again

white vinegar again

Thanks everyone for the suggestions. I am assured that most of these suggestions (e.g. vinegar... although not Dan Arkle's 'interesting' suggestion...) have been tried already, to no avail. Perhaps CantClimbTom's point about "repeat after a bunch of wears" is the key here, maybe it will never be banished permanently.

The point about deodorant/antiperspirant is an interesting one though. That could well be the issue. Not sure the suggestion of not wearing any has gone down very well, but it's certainly one to consider. 

I'd be wary of acidic materials to natural fibres.

Buy white cotton T-shirts...

Or stop using deodorant

Thank you to those who suggested deodorant/antiperspirant as the culprit. The evidence from the past few deodorant-free days is looking promising. Even after a 13h hill day(*) on saturday in damp conditions, I am assured that the baselayer is still pristine.

(*) Courtesy of her guidebook's four-word "descend the Fionn Ghleann" advice, this included 4 hours in the dark & mist with a companion who is not confident on treacherous terrain - but who nevertheless had impeccable armpits...

I found switching from a standard anti-perspirant to one of the more eco-friendly deodorants (based on bicarbonate and with no aluminium) has helped in the staining and intransigent clothing smells areas.  

I actually made the deodorant switch to cut down on plastic waste and was sceptical as to whether it would be sufficient as I work in close proximity to others and don’t want to stink out my colleagues.  Found that I seem to produce less oxter sweat and don’t stink, and neither do my clothes.