Smelly Running Tops and other Smelly things!

At a group discussion after last Saturday's Ho Hum Run, it prompted me to do a bit of research on some common running gear problems.

The question was, how do you get the BO smell out of running tops? I hear you there!!

I have so many tops, that still look god, fit well and some are my favourites, but they stink, I can smell myself before a run…and that’s not good!

Some tops seem Ok but other just reek even when they have been washed.

Here are some ideas to help remove the smell and not throw out the tops

Sweat can carry bacteria and it is the thing that sticks to the fibres of your tops, the bacteria needs to be killed and removed

Some good tips are

*Soak your tops before you wash them to remove the bacteria

*Pre-soak in Napisan which has anti-bacterial properties (that’s why we use it for nappies)

*Pre-soak in a dissolvable aspirin or disprin in the soaking water

*Pre-soak in baking soda

*When you wash them, wash in an anti-bacterial washing power and in the final rinse add a cup of vinegar

*Treat the underarms or your tops as stains (even though you may not be able to see the stain), so rub with a sard soap or a stain pre-soak before you wash

*Wash in cold water, hot water just spreads the bacteria

*Do not tumble dry them that only make the bacteria breed

*Dry your tops in direct sun, sun kills bacteria

I can relate to this last one, as I often just hang my tops over a clothes horse in my porch, they dry pretty quickly and I don’t hang them out in the sun, but obviously I need to. When I think about it the tops I do hang on the line for the day, don’t tend to smell when I put them back on!

Other tips are
*Don’t wear a scented deodorant when running, it may smell good, but that smell combined with the sweat smell  sticks to your tops making the overall smell pretty bad, so use unscented for running

*Also make sure your tops are loose under the arms, if they are tight or rubbing straight under your arm pits the sweat and smell gets grounded in more

*Cool Max and Dri fit fabrics are the best to wear when running as they are designed to take the moisture off your skin and are far more comfortable to run in. However, they are also designed to hold the sweat, so can also hold the smell.  They cost a bit more, but they will last if you just use them for your running activities only and look after them.All the above methods are ok for washing technical fabrics. The technical fabrics should only be washed in cold water and never put in a clothes drier. Try to wash them separately from other clothing as well as they are classed as delicate!

Another smelly problem.... Shoes

Of course it’s the moisture that causes the stench, so your aim is to stop that

*Wear good absorbent and breathable running socks, which you wash after each wear, and try washing them in the same load as your tops above

*Take out your innersoles and wash them in the machine as well and then dry them in direct sunlight

*You shoes should be dried in sun as well, or better still fresh air. Place them in front of a fan, this will circulate the air and remove smells

*Wet shoes are a real problem, the best tip (thanks Darren) I have had for drying wet running shoes, is to stuff them with dry newspapers over night, and you can place them in the sun as well. The newspaper absorbs all the water and they really do dry out well.

*Another way to dry out the soles of your shoes and remove odour is to sprinkle baking soda inside

* Always have two good pair of running shoes on the go, they will last longer and it will mean you wont have to wear wet shoes if they havn't dried out in time for your next run

Not only do wet shoes stink, but they can cause all manner of problems to your feet. Things like tinea, blisters and black toenails are caused and aggravated by wet shoes and socks