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Laundry rant followed by laundry question
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When 2 people in the same household train for HIM/IM, the laundry is ENDLESS. My fiancee and I are both running and riding 5-6 times/week for each activity. It makes for piles of wet, sweaty, smelly technical clothes that can't sit in the laundry basket for more than a couple days before the stench and mildew start to take over the bathroom. Buying more workout clothes didn't decrease the frequency of laundry only the urgency. I feel like there's a newborn in the house--I'm always washing, hanging, folding, and putting away clothes!
Rant over...I'm going to change my diaper and get a fresh binky now.
Question: A few pieces of clothes and towels sat around wet for too long and now have a mildewy, sour smell to them despite being washed several times. I've tried fabric softener on the towels, but no luck. They are colored so I haven't used bleach on them. The technical stuff can't take fabric softener or bleach. Any suggestions?
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Re: Laundry rant followed by laundry question [kitboo] [ In reply to ]
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On the towels - a color safe bleach like Clorox 2 works really well.

The technical stuff - don't know - I've resorted to a small amount of the Clorox 2 in there a couple of times too, but my give-a-$hit factor is pretty low and I've been lucky nothing has fallen apart yet.

**********************
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Loyd: "I was thinking the same thing. That John Denver's full of shit, man."
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Re: Laundry rant followed by laundry question [kitboo] [ In reply to ]
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Made for technical clothing:




http://www.tri-sports.com/windetergent.html

or, the better stuff:



http://www.assos.com/...tion/store_wash.aspx

If there are no dogs in Heaven, then when I die I want to go where they went. - Will Rogers

Emery's Third Coast Triathlon | Tri Wisconsin Triathlon Team | Push Endurance | GLWR
Last edited by: JSA: Apr 11, 08 10:38
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Re: Laundry rant followed by laundry question [kitboo] [ In reply to ]
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oxyclean in the washer?
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Re: Laundry rant followed by laundry question [kitboo] [ In reply to ]
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I so hear you on the laundry thing, it's ridiculous. We've started a mid-week workout clothes laundry session to help alleviate it, but it's just endless. I second the poster who recommended Oxyclean...

M

------------------------------------------------------------
The beatings will continue until morale improves
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Re: Laundry rant followed by laundry question [kitboo] [ In reply to ]
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The sports wash like the Win below works good. Ihave a couple itmes I almost threw out that I used it on and it worked wonders.
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Re: Laundry rant followed by laundry question [kitboo] [ In reply to ]
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Another vote for the Oxyclean. We were having the same stinky problem until we started adding a scoop of Oxyclean to every load. I haven't tried the pricier specialty tech-wear detergents because the Oxyclean is cheaper and easier.
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Re: Laundry rant followed by laundry question [kitboo] [ In reply to ]
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Great analogy ... washing for a newborn, washing fitness clothes. It IS time consuming!
We add a scoop of borax (in addition to regular laundry detergent) to the skankier loads of workout clothes & that takes care of all of the lovely scents from fermented sweat through oh-so-gross green smelly lake. As for leaving the clothes for several days, you're far braver than I -- we do sports laundry daily!
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Re: Laundry rant followed by laundry question [kitboo] [ In reply to ]
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After a workout I hang my gear outside on a clothesline until it is dried out,(NOT all day)then it goes in the hamper.(the sun works wonders on BO smells)Turn clothes insideout for best results.If the weather is bad clothes go directly to the wash or hang them in front of a fan.NEVER PUT WET CLOTHES IN A PILE OR BASKET they will get a life of their own and run away and hide.The very least hang them indoors until thet are somewhat dry then wash ASAP.I still haven't found a pair of shorts that took on a life of their own and ran off.
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Re: Laundry rant followed by laundry question [txvet] [ In reply to ]
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Another vote for Oxyclean. BTW, since you have a newborn, you probably have experience with the whole "diaper explosion stain" thing. Here's what I found worked really well:
  • Put the washing machine temperature on hot and the water level on low
  • Put the soiled baby clothes and several (3-4) scoops of Oxyclean in the washer
  • Start the machine with the lid up (so the machine stops before it drains the Oxy-filled water)
  • Let the machine sit overnight
  • Close the lid the next morning and let the machine finish rinsing the clothes
  • Return the temperature and water level to normal
  • Toss in some non-stained baby clothes on top of the ones you've cleaned with Oxy and wash the whole load as normal (this gets out any residual Oxy).

My parents and husband prefer putting the Oxy and hot water in a bucket for overnight soaking, but I like doing it in the washing machine because the mess is contained.



"Real winners aren't content with yesterday's victories"
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Re: Laundry rant followed by laundry question [kitboo] [ In reply to ]
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I hang my wet gnarly stuff up to dry prior to putting it in the hamper....

As to stinky, well I have 2 boys that play baseball - blech. and got training for handling this because I used cloth diapers and washed them at home....talk about stinky....
anyway, I also like oxyclean - which did not exist when I was doing diapers. On the diapers that could not be bleached I used vinegar in the final rinse. Sometimes a presoak in baking soda was called for too. vinegar can be as a presoak too but I liked the baking soda better. recently bought an industrial sized bag....

if they smell mildewy the vinegar will cut that.

---

cat
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Re: Laundry rant followed by laundry question [kitboo] [ In reply to ]
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Vinegar works great (white, not apple cider, malt, or any of that fancy stuff).

I hang out my stuff on the bannister/chair backs until its dry - then I toss it in the hamper. Properly dried out workout clothes can sit for a while without becoming bothersome - although depending on the person, that may vary.

I've heard good things about Win, Oxy and Assos but have never used them myself. I use Woolite or Lux.



I really don't mind doing laundry - it's folding and putting it away that I dislike!


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Re: Laundry rant followed by laundry question [kitboo] [ In reply to ]
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Baking soda and white vinegar, purchased in big sizes at my local wholesale club, are my go-to laundry accessories for the smelly stuff. Both products are easy on the pocket and the environment.

DFL > DNF > DNS
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Re: Laundry rant followed by laundry question [kitboo] [ In reply to ]
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Hmm, that's why you have a washer and dryer at home. This stuff should go into the wash at the end of every day. Especially if it's two of you, you easily should have one small load of training clothes for the washer.

Oh, you don't have a washer and dryer at home? You need them.

As for those stanky towels, what the others said. Soak them in the washer with any of the products mentioned. Then wash on the hottest setting and dry.

BrokenSpoke
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Re: Laundry rant followed by laundry question [Khai] [ In reply to ]
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I'm totally with you on the folding and putting away. I always have HUGE pile of clean stuff on my table or I'll get it folded and in a basket then pick through the basket until everything needs to be refolded again.

My Friday night plans are to do a marathon folding and putting away session. Fun stuff.
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Re: Laundry rant followed by laundry question [kitboo] [ In reply to ]
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Thank you gang for "listening" and for your advice!
Off to de-skankify tri clothes...
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Re: Laundry rant followed by laundry question [kitboo] [ In reply to ]
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first of all if you are both working (maybe?) and both training for an IM, then there is no reason why you shouldn't BOTH do the laundry. The flip side of being expected to work and pay for things, is guys chipping in with the domestic stuff. If you take turns doing it, then you only have to do it half the time ;)

That being said, i have this "discussion" with my bf who i live with and who also does tris, and the issue seems to be that his idea of when laundry needs to be done, is very different from mine. Sometimes you just plain have to ask them nicely to help.

As to the clothes that sat around, i think the advice from others is probably better than mine. I have yet to find the answer to things that never smell clean!



"What am I on? I'm on my bike busting my ass for six hours a day. What are YOU on?" - Lance Armstrong
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Re: Laundry rant followed by laundry question [kitboo] [ In reply to ]
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I got my husband into the habit of taking the really sweat soaked stuff right into the shower with him....lets it drip dry till the follow mornings shower. This has helped enormously. However, we do laundry 4-5 times a week...3-4 loads each. We also have too young daughters that are either at swim team, riding horses or practicing lacrosse....

Kat Donatello
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RD, The Pumpkinman Triathlon Festival
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Re: Laundry rant followed by laundry question [kitboo] [ In reply to ]
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I agree with you about two people in training being very difficult with the laundry...add three muddy dogs and you can't believe what happens.
In any case I have found TWO things that help significantly:

1) Oxyclean does not affect the technical clothing and work wonders...Use it with
2) TIDE with FEBREEZE...this tide formulation seems to be the one that works the best to get the stench out (even after the clothes have hung around gross for awhile). Tide COLDWATER seems to work almost as well.

I find these are both easy to get and a sure thing. Good luck
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Re: Laundry rant followed by laundry question [kitboo] [ In reply to ]
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Amen... me HIM first then IM, hubby HIM then HIM...other races between. LOTS AND LOTS AND LOTS of smelly, sweaty clothing.

I've found that color safe bleach is good so is that Oxy clean stuff.

I run in the am and get ready at a gym for work, which means my running clothes are in my car all day. Once it is warm enough (was last week, NOT NOW!) that I am soaking wet with sweat, I just get in the shower w/ my running clothes on and rinse them out. Hang them in the back of my 4 runner w/ a window or two barely cracked and it helps.

No running shoes in the house and if we can, if we get back from a run/ride and can de-clothe in the garage and then shower, we leave them in the washer and try to make sure we run it that day...there is ALWAYS something that can be washed... this mostly happens on the weekends.

Good luck!



Tiger for Life -- War Eagle!

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Re: Laundry rant followed by laundry question [kitboo] [ In reply to ]
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I jump in the shower in my clothes after every workout, then hang them to air dry. They go a LONG time between washings this way, and don't end up getting the wear and tear of the wash machine, also.

It was a huge help when I lived in an apartment and had to pay for laundry...and I still do it now, even though I have an "active wear" setting on my washer.

As far as the mildew stink...oxy clean and/or nature's miracle.


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