The Reason Polyester Clothes Get So Stinky

Do you ever have that problem where a question just worms its way into your brain and won't let go? Because same.

I hope I am not the only one who got really curious about the answer to this question. 😅

Are you sure you want smell-o-vision for your entertainment? 💀

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References:
(6) Press, R. Masks Under the Microscope. NIST 2021.

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[KristineVike]

I completely forgot to mention how polyester usually *either* wicks sweat to the other side, like in many types of sportswear, *or* lock the sweat against our bodies and making us feel like a sweaty mess, like in linings of jackets. It is the same mechanism of polyester not liking water though, just slightly different in execution!

[crystaltaylor]

Yes! This is why I started sewing so I could wear linen.

[Tvianne]

About 15 years ago I had a bunch of microfleece pjs. I stopped using them 'cause they started smelling bad like… after half an hour of wearing? Fresh from the shower, and they were clean! Never again. Thank you for the explanation!
(I love your cat)

[eyesofthegoddess]

Kristine, you are such a wealth of knowledge and your curiosity is wonderful. Please keep on working on these unusual facts and keep the great work in sewing your fabulous clothing, however difficult or simple, they are a joy to watch and I intend to replicate a few of your garments. Love from Canada

[verahabanera]

And here I blamed myself for so many years! I couldn't figure out why my clothes reeked so badly when I never heard anyone else complain. I guess I was trying to keep my cheap clothing long past its "expiration date". These days I'm able to invest in linen and wool that I can wear for years to come instead of trying to make an acrylic t-shirt last for a decade 😬

[elskersten-vandijk]

Amazing - you're right, polyester can get incredibly, uncleanably smelly but I never really wondered why... Thanks for this entertaining, interesting, well-researched video, love it!

Edit: PS I've already shared this with several other people, I feel like everyone needs to know this.

[soilmanted]

Great information. I have always been wondering about exactly why I hate polyester so much. I'd like to see a deep dive into what's going on with acrylic fibers too. I've always hated knit acrylic caps, hats, and socks, even more than polyester. I think Orlon is a brand name for acrylic clothing fibers but don't quote me on that. But I remember my parents buying Orlon socks for me and they stunk. I was horrified by the idea that they only conerned themselves with what the socks looked like; they never looked at the label to see what they were made from. In my teen years I began buying my own socks, I switched to cotton socks, and the stink got much less. I couldn't easily find cotton knit watch caps in clothing stores, they had only acrylic caps, so I hired a knitter to make me one.

[MijnWolden]

✨✨special synthetic stink✨✨ and lobsters are bacteria on our skin now😂

The smell of sheep is one of its Selling Points for wool sweaters for me 😅

[del]

Ha! I was having almost this exact conversation with my friend over dinner on Thursday. We were talking about the properties of wool vs man made fibres and what I’ve discovered in my journey to switching fully to natural fibres. Being of a nervous disposition, & perimenopausal, I am all too aware that my odour can be very unpleasant if I wear synthetic clothing when it’s hot. I’ve known this for a long time, however socks have been the biggest revelation to me. I’ve always, since I was a child, had stinky feet. I don’t wear socks in the summer because my feet blister from the heat, but I’ve always tried to wear cotton socks in the winter. Despite this, my feet still stink to high heaven!…that is…until this winter when I decided to knit my own 100% wool socks & gloves because I’ve developed a bit of Raynauds syndrome and I need to keep my feet & hands as warm as possible. I’ve found that I can wear my hand knitted socks for several days before washing them, and, unbelievably, they still smell of sheep, rather than the alternative. Needless to say, all of my old socks have been disposed of (responsibly). I didn’t know that even the slightest amount of synthetic fibre could still cause clothing to stink. I suspect all of my “cotton” socks have got elastane in them and that’s where the problem was all along! I thought I was doomed to have stinky feet forever. 😱
Thanks so much for this video, Kristine, now I’ve got science to back up my findings❤

[zacharypastor]

Easy subscribe. I love the science, and you have a very concise speaking style i find very pleasing. People might tell you you're quiet, but as someone who's ideal earbud volume is 1, your volume very soothing.

[CryMeA_River]

There is a way to get rid of any type of smell from clothing in the wash and it does not return for a long time. This might sound like a absolutely crazy stuff, but I have tried and it works. Potassium permanganate, amount is about size of a wheat berry, or on the tip of the sharp knife (amount to use is really depends how much water its going to be used in. I'm just giving you a rough idea) diluted in water and then added to wash(never add dry crystals directly to wash), and in the rinse cycle add about 1 teaspoon of citric acid ( sold in canning department, used in food preservation) it neutralizes any color that potassium permanganate might have tinted light color clothing into. If possible line dry, because the sun also helps with "sealing" your efforts for longer time. CAUTION: must take care and read instruction on how you handle the potassium permanganate, don't let dry crystals touch skin. Back in very old days, this was used in some hospitals to disinfect hospital linens and clothing.

[dawsie]

Well that explains why Dads underclothes started to smell oily, I finally checked their labels all of the ones that were pure Cotten are fine but the ones that were a mix they are the ones that I’m constantly having to pre soaked before washing. I now check all labels before buying only natural fibers are getting a full pass on the shopping list. I now have a whole laundry basket of clothes that need to be re-washed minus the offending items

[emilysmith]

This is very interesting. I had to throw away all my husbands sweat wicking T-shirts as I just couldn’t get them to not smell bad and they couldn’t be washed in high temperatures or go in the tumble dryer. In healthcare we wash linens in 60+ degree centigrade water as that is the temperature required to kill bacteria. I find my tumble dryer will kill more bugs and bacteria than my washing machine as most clothing labels say to wash at 30-40 degrees. Which is hot enough to remove dirt but not bacteria. I think the biggest distinction is the difference between cleaning your clothes and sanitising your clothes.

[jezanne]

Very well done! Being a biologist in my professional life and a sewist/crocheter/knitter/ embroider and overall lover of everything textile as a hobby I learn a lot from this video.

[Lou.B]

Very educational, well-researched, and presented! Bravo!

[aquaaurora]

haha 2:14 "Monster soup.... being a *correct* representation of the precious stuff doled out to us"

[linr]

... well this sure explains why bras are the only thing in my wardrobe to have that problem. They're invariably synthetic, on top of being perfectly placed for that kind of sweat.

[azrani]

You have a fantastic way of explaining and speaking in general - I enjoyed listening to you a lot. Thanks!

[janeteholmes]

Fascinating. I’d love to hear more about the shawl you’re wearing. It looks very cosy.

[bluevviolet]

This is why I refuse to buy polyester clothing. I wish people would stop buying it so that they would stop making it! It really limits what one can buy. Unfortunately, sometimes even a new "100%" cotton garment will still get that exact same awful synthetic stink after wearing, and I suspect polyester thread which manufacturers are not required to disclose. This is a tangent, but thrift shop clothing has become incredibly stinky over the past couple of decades, even in natural fibers. It is a horrible mix of artificial fragrance and BO and is impossible to remove. I wonder now, after watching this video, if it has something to do with the plastics/fats in fabric softener and deodorant coating the natural fibers?