Tag Archives: clothes smell

Food and smoke

How do Clothes Absorb Smells like Food and Smoke

2 Replies

Food and smoke

How many times has this happened to you? You go to your favorite restaurant and have dinner. On your way home you realize that your clothes now smell like what your main course was. Or even worse, you visit a friend who is a smoker and you are only there for a handful of minutes. When you walk outside and get into your car you are disgusted to find that your clothes now smell as nasty as an ashtray. Why is this? Why do clothes absorb odors?

Clothes can absorb so many smells and odors, some that are more desirable than others. The reason for this is that clothing is made of material that has somewhat of an absorption property. Just like a sponge will absorb water, so too will clothing absorb smells. Here’s what it depends upon:

•    Material: Have you ever noticed that some articles of your clothing absorb odors more than others? This is because of the different materials that the clothing is made up of. It also has to do with the way in which those materials are put together. When you sit down to eat a piping hot plate of pasta with red sauce and garlic all over it, the steam will be all over the place. This steam is also going to contain the odor of the dish you are eating and this is what gets absorbed into your clothing. Your cloths actually act like a net as the fabrics are very finely woven together and this allows some of the odor to pass through, but it will also catch a significant amount of the odor as well. This will literally have the odors, ‘stick’ to you clothing and make them just a bit damp, even though you may not realize it. Once the clothing is dry the odors are left behind for all to smell. This is how you can get that nasty B.O. smell stuck in the arm pits of your shirts if you aren’t wearing anti-perspirant.

•    Your chemistry: If you an individual that perspires quite a bit you will allow your clothing to be damp at many different points throughout the day. The damper your clothing is the tighter that net of woven fabric will be and thus the more odors that will be absorbed. Remember, once the clothing is dry the odors are left behind.

•    Environment: Some things stink more than others. That said, the type of environment that you are in is another reason your clothes will absorb odors. With food, if something is spicy or has a lot of garlic, there will be more odors produced. In your home, there will be more odors if you are a smoker or you have animals like dogs or cats. As your clothing gets whisked through the air by you moving around it will naturally absorb those odors in the environment. This explains why cloths seem to smell so much better when they are hung outside to dry. The environment is fresh air, flower, grass, and sun. That is what gets absorbed and thus it smells good.

Whether you like it or not, clothes will always absorb odors and all the cologne and perfume in the world can’t cover up certain smells. Remember, a cleaner environment equals cleaner smelling clothes.

Chemical Smells In Clothes – What are they and How To Remove Them

Leave a reply

Stains and odors are the two worst enemies of clothes. One small stain or one impossible to remove odor can mean that an otherwise perfectly good shirt will be not used and eventually gotten rid of. Therefore we typically work very hard trying to get rid of any and all stains and unpleasant odors we find on our clothing.

If you have been in certain areas where the odor is very strong, in some cases it will cling to your clothing. Many times simply washing it will be enough to return it to its original great smell. However, some odors linger and simple washing is not enough. In those cases, you may need to identify the smell on your clothes in order to get rid of it. Chemical smells are one of the worst offenders.

Finding that your clothes have a chemical smell on them is somewhat common. If you can identify the source of the smell and you know where you picked up the odor, you will best be able to successfully get rid of it. However there are some cases, especially with synthetic materials and synthetic blend materials that the chemical smell really is a part of the fabric. Certain fabrics are made from petroleum or are treated with chemicals like formaldehyde that bond to the fabric. They usually have a telltale odor that is as much a part of the clothes as the color. In these cases, it is almost impossible to remove the chemical smell.

If you have a chemical smell on your clothes, you can take several steps to get rid of it. Air it out well outside in the sun. Spray the garment liberally with an odor eliminating spray like Febreeze. This should also be done outside or in a well-ventilated area. Then wash the item, as usual. If your item is white, you can add a cup of vinegar to the rinse cycle in order to help get rid of the odor. If you use vinegar with other colored T-shirts you run the risk of fading them.  Check the clothes carefully after the wash cycle to make sure it is odor-free before air drying it outside if possible.

If you find that your T-shirt has that horrible chemical smell no matter what you do, the best thing to do is throw out the shirt or use it as a rag. Order a custom-made organic T-shirt to replace the old one, to be sure you get one that is completely free of noxious odors. You can choose one in any color or style you desire, as well as in the fabric weight or quality of your choice as well. With a custom-made T-shirt you can print anything you would like on them. You can completely replicate the T-shirt that you have had to get rid of or make one that appeals to you even more.

Get your clean smelling custom-made organic T-shirt today and never again spend time trying to awful remove chemical smells.