I think this belongs in General Questions, but it may end up being opinion rather than fact, so I won’t be surprised if it gets moved!
TL;DR - does baking soda really take BO out of clothes and if so are there any fabrics that really shouldn’t be treated this way?
Long version:
I’ve vowed to use the AC as little as possible this year (it’s freaking expensive! and I’m saving up to buy a dual fuel stove!)
My employer isn’t inviting us back to campus for quite some time, so unfortunately this summer I will be working 100% from home.
I’m using the ceiling fans and dressing very lightly, and when necessary turning on the AC.
I’m not sweating heavily, and I wear a good deodorant+antiperspirant, but I still get a little sweat smell in my clothes. Washing normally seems to cure my cotton fabrics, but I have several dresses (and all my bras) that get washed on delicate, and they still smell faintly of sweat after washing.
Google tells me that pre-soaking clothes in water with baking soda will cure this problem. Yay! Except I haven’t been able to find out if this is safe for fabrics like rayon, spandex, nylon, etc.
Does anyone have experience using a baking soda soak on these fabrics? If so, did you find that it worked well and didn’t damage the fabric, color, shape, etc?
Washing soda (sodium carbonate) works better for laundry than baking soda (sodium bicarbonate). It’s a more effective water softener, and I’d expect it to be at least as effective against odors. Arm and Hammer sells it, and there are other brands as well.
I’ve been doing my loads with some borax - instructions will be on the box (Mine is 20 Mule Team but it’s not the only brand). It, too, softens water and is (I’m told) a common additive to detergents. I don’t have a lot of “delicates”, but my totally synthetic work shirts have not been harmed by it and they smell better, or at least less like me.
Borax was the only thing that worked when a former housemat left a load damp in the washer for a few days. So stinky. We tried vinegar, baking soda, dish soap, various detergents. Good ole borax did the job. Great handsoap,too.
If buying, do not mix up boric acid (an insect pesticide) for borax.
You can easily make sodium carbonate at home.
Just spread out a pile of baking soda out on a pizza tray and heat it for 2 hours in 350°F oven. That’s sufficient for 100% conversion of bicarb to the carbonate.
-No link because it’s an old recipe I’ve been using for years. I’m certain you can verify it easily on the internets.
I have acquired washing soda, borax and (already owned) baking soda. I’ve begun my experiment with a pre-soak in washing soda before washing on the gentle cycle.
Tomorrow I will do the same with some items using borax.
Then at a later time baking soda.
No control group so peer review isn’t going to go well.
Anyone got washing soda experience with this odor: Our oldest stinkiest cat has been using the concrete & fieldstone grill as a base all winter and spring and the area is stinky all the time now. The area is under a roof and gets no sun. I’ve sprayed it down with water, then two applications of Pinesol (it was in the cabinet) but when it’s dry the smell returns. The cat still uses the area and we will not exclude her from there.
Any chemists, like @am77494 might be, or people with experience have any thoughts? I’d have to go get washing soda and then there’s the rigamarole of loading and using the sprayer which I am loathe to do if it’s stupid to think it will work.
I don’t think washing soda is going to do the job there. Assuming the problem you are having is the odor of cat urine.
There are enzyme-based cleaners you can get at pet supply stores and some big box stores to chemically break down the components of the urine.
I have also seen suggestions for using vinegar to clean it up, which I’d try after the enzyme cleaners. Ammonia will help with it because a lot of the stuff in urine is ammonia or related to it, but lingering smell from this might register to a cat brain as “oh, this smells like piss. This must be where I piss. I am going to piss here. Ah…! So much relief!”
Anything absorbent in the area will tend to soak up the piss and stink, so remove any trash or leaves or stuff dragged/blown into the spot. If the spot is directly above the ground… well… the soil is going to absorb the liquids and odor. You could dig out the soil and replace it with clay-based litter or sand, which you can replace as needed, but that seems to be a lot of work. If the spot is concrete/stone/brick then using the enzyme cleaner followed by a thorough scrubbing might work to control the problem.
@kcor1953 - I am not a chemist but a Chemical Engineer, so I know just a little about chemicals.
Having said that, I agree with @Broomstick on enzymatic cleaners. I have a dog and buy a gallon of this brand and use it with a sprayer. You may get this one or any good enzymatic cleaner : Amazon.com
Once you clean with the above cleaner, let it dry and once dry spray Febreeze on it :
I spend a lot of time backcountry hiking, with the same shirt worn for a week or more… if you want a more aggressive treatment than soda, I’ve found that a long soak in Oxi-Clean before a regular wash is effective. Wear gloves - Oxi-Clean won’t really hurt you, but it makes your skin feel weird.
The problem is occurring because the OP is trying to reduce her energy use by limiting use of the AC. Running the oven for 2 hours won’t help reduce energy use! Especially compared to simply buying a box of it at the store.