What diet and medication do to the smell in clothing

Short answer: Some foods and medicines change the composition of sweat. That can give a different smell in clothes even though washing habits and materials are unchanged. If the change is sudden or marked, it belongs with a doctor and not in the laundry room.

Sweat reflects the body

Compounds from food can be excreted through the skin. Garlic, strong spices and alcohol are the best known examples. The body gets rid of some of it through sweat, and it can be noticed in clothes, especially the parts that sit close to the skin for many hours.

Medicine can change the amount

Certain medicines affect how much you sweat. More sweat means more food for the bacteria in the fabric. If you change medicine and notice more smell in your clothes, there may be a connection. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist before you change anything. See bamboo footies for women.

See a doctor if the change is sudden

If the smell changes markedly without an explanation, it belongs with a doctor and not in the laundry room. It may be completely harmless, but a person with professional knowledge can assess it. See bamboo petticoat and bamboo socks for women.

Meals and smell

The smell from a strong meal can sit in the sweat for up to a day, depending on the amount. Garments that have been close to the skin in that period take up the smell. It is not a sign that the garment is bad, but that something in the sweat belongs to the meal.

How to wash the smell out

It sits in the sweat and not in the fibre, so an ordinary wash works. Choose the temperature printed on the garment and a detergent made for the purpose. Let the clothes dry fully before putting them away so the smell cannot settle.

Change more often when there are big differences

If you are in a period where you sweat more or smell different, it can help to change clothes more often and wash after each wear. It is a simple pause until things settle again, and it needs no special effort.

Tight clothes and fresh air

Clothes that fit tightly hold moisture longer. Choose something that leaves room for air when it is warm and change after a sweaty day. If the clothes hang after use, they dry faster, and the bacteria get less good conditions to act on the sweat.

What clothes cannot solve

Clothes can help manage sweat, but they cannot change what the body excretes. If you feel something is different, a doctor can give answers. The laundry room is not the place to find an explanation for a health question.

How to keep track

Write down what you ate and which medicines you took if the smell suddenly changes. It makes it easier to see patterns and easier for a doctor to help. Also note whether washing habits have changed, because that can be part of the explanation too.