# Eeeewwwww What's that smell



## CycleMainiac (Jan 12, 2004)

After about an hour I realized it was me. Or rather, my camelbak. Time to empty it out and throw it in the wash. Gloves too.


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## deanna (Jan 15, 2004)

CycleMainiac said:


> After about an hour I realized it was me. Or rather, my camelbak. Time to empty it out and throw it in the wash. Gloves too.


I've had that happen with the pads in my helmet... It's time to wash them when you can smell the funk at the START of a ride.


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## LadyDi (Apr 17, 2005)

I identify. Despite use of double antiperspirant/deodorants, my camelbak straps gets _STANKY. _Maybe it's because I prefer sleeveless riding tops, but I suspect it's just "me".  I have to wash my camelbak 10x more often than anyone I know, including guys. First I spray the strap area with Oxyclean, then I scrub it in, then presoak in Biz & Oxyclean, then wash the whole thing in Tide, Biz & Oxyclean. Then I'm good for a few rides at best. I own several camelbaks because one is always in the wash.


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## connie (Mar 16, 2004)

I don't think I've ever put my camelback in the washing machine. When it needs a real washing I spray simple green on it and then hit it with the pressure washer. And in-between it just gets Febreezed. (same goes for body armor, helmets and shoes) Gloves I will throw in the washing machine every once in a while.


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## womble (Sep 8, 2006)

I almost never wash my pack- I just make sure that it dries out as soon as possible after use (which usually involves tossing it onto a sunlit window sill). The mix of sunlight and breeze seems to kill of anything that might be growing on it.


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## LadyDi (Apr 17, 2005)

Either you gals are especially sweet or I'm especially rank. Whichever, I'm embarassed.:blush:


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## alaskarider (Aug 31, 2004)

LadyDi said:


> Either you gals are especially sweet or I'm especially rank. Whichever, I'm embarassed.:blush:


I'm sure it's not just you.  The sunnier and drier your climate, the less things tend to stink! Sunlight--natural UV radiation--is great at killing odor-causing bugs in things like camelbaks. Even when I do wash smelly gear in the washing machine (rarely), I always do it on a sunny day so I can dry it in the UV light.


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## PennyRich (Jul 13, 2003)

I don't have a problem with Camelbak odor - it gets a wash (gentle cycle and hang dry) when it looks filthy. My new woman-specific one has light gray straps, which are bad about showing the dirt. The smell of gloves in the summertime, though - yuck.


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## connie (Mar 16, 2004)

LadyDi said:


> Either you gals are especially sweet or I'm especially rank. Whichever, I'm embarassed.:blush:


Well, there's also the possibility that you have a more sensitive nose than the rest of us too and we just aren't noticing it as much.

Honestly my gear gets pretty stinky - I don't know how it couldn't. I just keep spraying it off when we wash bikes or covering it up with Febreeze because I worry it would wear out faster in the washing machine. Well, and it's easier...


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## CycleMainiac (Jan 12, 2004)

Lady Di, I too wonder if you are just more sensitive.


Truth be told....  

Mine has been stinking for a while and I keep forgetting to bring in in. That's probable part of my problem, that I leave my gear in the truck all the time. And I have a higher tolerance. Once you are riding the stink is always behind you downwind, right? At least until it gets really rank. My friends have complained about the smell of my truck too. just call me stinkyD 

I posted just as a reminder to others.

I ran mine through a long soak cycle and included all my sport sandles, all were set out to air dry


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## SinglePivot (Dec 30, 2003)

baking soda is a wonderful invention. 

I usually spray my helmet / camelback down then coat them liberally with baking soda and let it set overnight. Remove as much as possible then rinse off the rest once its dry. Smells good as new...well not really but the funk-tagious is gone. I have ruined 2 of my hydro packs in the washer.

-Sp



CycleMainiac said:


> After about an hour I realized it was me. Or rather, my camelbak. Time to empty it out and throw it in the wash. Gloves too.


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## rocknrollbarbie (Dec 12, 2005)

Oh man... I feel you. I get smelly every time I ride. I'm just a sweaty girl. I seriously sweat more than all my girlfriends. They know it. I know it. And it sucks. I just try to keep the sweating and smelliness to a minimum. That means washing all my gear all the time. I haven't thought of febreeze in between. Thats a good idea. But I do take the camelbacks and scrub them in a soapy bucket outside then put the backside in the sun to dry. Helmet too. The gloves go in the wash about every third ride or so. 

You know the crappy part of it all? My boyfriend doesn't even wear deodorant. He doesn't need too. He just has these amazing non-stinky genes. If I didn't wear deodorant... it would probably asphyxiate anyone riding with me.


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## womble (Sep 8, 2006)

PennyRich said:


> I don't have a problem with Camelbak odor - it gets a wash (gentle cycle and hang dry) when it looks filthy. My new woman-specific one has light gray straps, which are bad about showing the dirt. The smell of gloves in the summertime, though - yuck.


Gloves- yeah, they can get uttery gross. All too easy to leave them wet and wadded up inside a pack. I've found that when the stink becomes really entrenched, a determined washing regimine of coke, lemon juice, dettol and baking soda (not all at the same time, obviously) seems to work for gloves.

The above list probably sounds a bit weird. I put it together from internet advice out of desperation- I was about to throw out those gloves


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## formica (Jul 4, 2004)

I must be weird. That or its my textile science back ground. I wash everything pretty regularly: gloves, pack, arm & leg pads. Smell is one thing, but when things start to get crusty and you can see encrusted salt.... yuck. Cold water wash, line dry, put things with straps and velcro in a pillow case.

formica


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## jodyams (Jul 7, 2005)

CycleManiac - I know it's been a long time since I've ridden with you, but I don't think I've ever noticed you or your camelback smelling bad. 

But, maybe that just means I smell worse! 

I wash my stuff fairly often in the summertime - I sweat - A LOT.


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## PennyRich (Jul 13, 2003)

womble said:


> Gloves- yeah, they can get uttery gross. All too easy to leave them wet and wadded up inside a pack. I've found that when the stink becomes really entrenched, a determined washing regimine of coke, lemon juice, dettol and baking soda (not all at the same time, obviously) seems to work for gloves.
> 
> The above list probably sounds a bit weird. I put it together from internet advice out of desperation- I was about to throw out those gloves


I don't think I could stand my gloves smelling like dettol. There's too many painful childhood memories associated with that smell! haha. BTW, I haven't seen dettol in the US.


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## *rt* (Jan 15, 2004)

CycleMainiac said:


> After about an hour I realized it was me. Or rather, my camelbak. Time to empty it out and throw it in the wash. Gloves too.


i have to admit i've never noticed a foul odor eminating from my camelbak. my gloves, on the other hand, are an entirely different matter. words cannot describe the utter STINKINESS of my full finger mtb gloves. yikes. who knew hands could smell so bad???

as for washing, it all goes into the washer and into the dryer: gloves after every single ride and hydration pack when it gets solidly crusty with salt (i am a human salt lick. seriously - in the winter deer wait for me on the trail!)

helmet gets in the shower with me when i remember or when the straps get too stiff with salt for comfortable wearing.

the gloves, despite regular runs through the wash are a lost cause. i just replace on a yearly basis. speaking of which, i need to get new gloves..... 

r(stinky hands)t


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## k.buz (Feb 10, 2005)

I finally replaced my favorite gloves after 7 years!!! They had no padding left, holes in the fingers, and held the form of my hands even after washing! I loved those gloves. My husband demanded I get new ones after I left them in his truck overnight. When he opened the door in the morning, he was knocked over by the smell!!! Geez, I washed them at least once a week, what more does he want...


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## womble (Sep 8, 2006)

PennyRich said:


> I don't think I could stand my gloves smelling like dettol. There's too many painful childhood memories associated with that smell! haha. BTW, I haven't seen dettol in the US.


Dettol is the first thing I used- the lemon juice and soda get rid of the antiseptic smell.

Funny- I always assumed that Dettol was yet another of those pervasive American brands. Then again, I used to think the same of Ribena


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## deanna (Jan 15, 2004)

SinglePivot said:


> baking soda is a wonderful invention.


x2. I've found that Tide w/ Baking Soda does the best job of getting the funk out of my exercise (bike/running/whatever) gear in just one wash.


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## Yazzle Dazzle (Jun 27, 2007)

*Hunters' soap*

One thing I've found that works is the soap hunters use to remove human scent from their clothes so the deer don't smell them. It leaves your gear smelling like nothing at all, no floweriness but no stank. Some of them are even targeted for performance fabrics so it's pretty gentle on gear. I also recently tried a product called D-molish. It is used by janitorial companies for cleaning all sorts of stuff and smells like orange creamsicles. It works biologically so no harsh chemicals. It is powerful enough though to remove the stink of smoke damage in a house (heard this feedback from a trustworthy source). The D-molish is not as simple to use as the hunters soap, you have to spray in on and activate it with water and let it sit, then rinse. It doesn't penetrate deep into foam padding of armor well.


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## 29 Single & Pink! (Jun 18, 2007)

You are definately not alone!I am a heavy sweater too! I wash all my gear after each ride. My gloves get crusty because I wipe my nose so much while I'm riding. I wear a sweatband under my helmet so I haven't had much problem with my helmet being too smelly but the straps have to be soaked every few months just to remove the crusty salt. My camelback gets run through the washer every 2-3 months. I scrub the straps down with oxyclean and they come out smelling much better. The crazy thing is that one strap is always worse than the other and it doesn't come as clean, gross! I must sweat heavier on one side. I hang anything with lycra or elastic out to air dry along with my camelback. I dry my gloves and they do wear out quicker, but I only replace but once a year. My last pair fell apart to shreds, could have been from excessive washing?!?!? I love the febreeze idea and also the powerwasher. That would work very well with the straps. If you don't come home from a ride soaked in sweat, you aren't riding hard enough!


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## LadyDi (Apr 17, 2005)

29 Single & Pink! said:


> If you don't come home from a ride soaked in sweat, you aren't riding hard enough!


 ~So True~


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