The nightmare that northerners don’t understand: clothes drying in winter smell like feet

As the temperature drops, people who live in the south, or friends who have lived in the south, are reminded of a sense of fear.

The clothes that were never dried after washing gradually became smelly on the balcony. If you smelled them closely, the smell was like stinky feet, or stinky feet that had stepped into the kitchen waste that had fermented into sewage .

Such clothes must not be worn, so they are thrown back into the washing machine to be washed again, hung up to dry, and allowed to stink again...until a rare sunny day comes, and then the smelly clothes can be given a new lease of life.

Please, there are several months of winter every year, what should I do with my stinky clothes?

The source of the stench was actually me

The reason why clothes that don’t dry give off a sour smell is because of bacteria .

This odor, which is extremely similar to that of feet, comes from a substance called "4-methyl-3-hexenoic acid", which is produced by Moraxella osloensis.

Moraxella Oslo original image | microbe-canvas

It can be understood that Moraxella osloensis has settled on wet clothes and pooped. This poop is the smelly 4-methyl-3-hexenoic acid .

So where did Moraxella osloensis come from?

Well, it comes from the surface of your skin and mine, and is a common resident of our skin . It is just because we take a shower, change clothes, use perfume, and there are other bacteria on our bodies to fight with them, so there is no obvious body odor (but I dare not say it, in case my body odors one day).

But as long as you wear clothes, these bacteria will move from you to your clothes. When you wash your clothes and then leave them to dry for a long time, the continuous humid environment provides a particularly good growth environment for Moraxella osloensis, and they begin to grow and develop.

Moreover, M. osloensis is relatively resistant to dry environments and ultraviolet rays . Even if you dry your smelly clothes in the sun or in an air dryer, it may still remain on your clothes and continue to produce a faint odor[2].

In addition to M. osloensis, other common bacteria on the human skin, such as Micrococcus luteus, Staphylococcus hominis, and Corynebacterium jeikeium, can also produce odor[1].

It’s really a headache!

Save the stinky clothes

Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated. To keep the clothes alive, continue to watch.

We live in a vast ocean of bacteria. Over time, bacteria will always grow on your clothes.

So, this is our overall idea.

Control the number of original bacteria

This can be done during the laundry step.

Wash with hot water . Most bacteria will die at a temperature between 40℃ and 60℃.

Use a germ-free detergent . If you can only wash your clothes in cold water, it is best to use a germ-free detergent, such as laundry detergent with a germ-free function, or a special clothing disinfectant. Detergents containing enzymes are also useful, as they can "digest" bacteria.[3]

Dry cleaning is also very good, no need to contact water directly.

Picture丨wikimedia commons/Simon Law

Don't forget to clean your washing machine every few months! The cracks in your washing machine can also be a happy home for bacteria.

Prevent bacterial growth and reproduction

Control the source and also control the process.

Wash and change your clothes frequently to prevent the bacteria on your clothes from growing and growing. This is something elementary school students learn in common sense classes!

Although the south is very cold and wet in winter, we should try to keep the environment dry when drying clothes . For example, wash and dry clothes quickly at noon on a sunny day, spread out the clothes as much as possible when drying, turn the clothes over after a few hours, etc.

If conditions permit, please consider a clothes dryer , which can definitely effectively improve the happiness of our friends in the south.

In addition, wardrobes are easily forgotten. To keep the wardrobe dry , you can throw a few packets of desiccant in it, and when the weather is humid, don't always leave the wardrobe door open.

I put the desiccant in the closet for two months and saved half a box of water丨Li Xiaokui

Finally, I wish everyone can stay stinky in this cold and wet winter.

References

[1]Zinn MK, Singer M, Bockmühl D. Smells Like Teen Spirit-A Model to Generate Laundry-Associated Malodour In Vitro. Microorganisms. 2021;9(5):974.

[2]Kubota H, Mitani A, Niwano Y, et al. Moraxella species are primarily responsible for generating malodor in laundry. Appl Environ Microbiol. 2012;78(9):3317-3324.

[3]Abney SE, Ijaz MK, McKinney J, Gerba CP. Laundry Hygiene and Odor Control: State of the Science. Appl Environ Microbiol. 2021;87(14):e0300220.

Author: Li Meng

Editor: Li Xiaokui

Title image source: Tuchong Creative

Guokr ( ID : Guokr42 )

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