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Damp Clothes in Summer Smell Bad and may Cause Allergies

By: MerxWire

May 27, 2024 at 17:01 PM EDT

The changeable climate in spring and summer, sometimes sunny, sometimes humid and rainy, makes it impossible for sun-dried clothes to dry completely. Wet clothes always feel damp to the touch and uncomfortable to wear, and they also carry an odor that is difficult to remove, which is very disturbing.

Damp clothes combined with residual sebum and bacteria can easily produce unpleasant odors.
(Photo via unsplash.com)

TAIPEI, TAIWAN (Merxwire) – The changeable climate in spring and summer, sometimes sunny, sometimes humid and rainy, makes the skin and respiratory tract more unstable and prevents clothes from drying cleanly. It is especially annoying when the rainy season comes. Clothes always feel damp to the touch and uncomfortable to wear. They also have an unexplainable odor that is not easy to remove. Why is there such an unpleasant odor? Mainly because bacteria and sebum on clothes multiply in a humid environment.

When there is insufficient sunlight, the clothes cannot be completely dried. If the fabric is kept damp for a long time, it will create a good growth environment for bacteria, allowing them to survive and multiply. In addition, there are always dander, sebum, bacteria, and fungi left on washed clothes, making them the best fertilizer and helper. Under the appropriate temperature and humidity, these microorganisms will grow in large numbers, causing the clothes to have an indescribable odor.

Some people think that washed clothes should be very clean and free of dandruff and bacteria. How can they cause odor? That’s because even if you use the most powerful detergent, you still can’t wash the clothes 100%, and there will still be trace amounts of bacteria and dandruff remaining. They will multiply rapidly when they encounter a moist environment suitable for growth. Among them, Moraxella osloensis is the most troublesome strain. It is not only resistant to drying but also resistant to ultraviolet radiation, so it has a high survival rate and produces an unpleasant odor.

Generally speaking, most of Staphylococcus aureus or Escherichia coli that we often hear will be destroyed as long as they are exposed to the sun. However, Moraxella osloensis is more resistant to drought and ultraviolet rays, allowing it to survive longer when exposed to sunlight. When the humidity of clothes decreases, most fungi will not be able to grow, but it is still full of vitality and produce unpleasant odors such as unsaturated fatty acids and aldehydes, which are difficult to remove and make people annoyed.

If you want to get rid of this annoying problem, you need to start by changing your daily laundry habits. First of all, you should pay attention to not washing the clothes you change every day for more than two days. It is best if you can wash them on the same day to avoid piling up dirty clothes for a long time without cleaning them. Choose a laundry detergent with sufficient cleaning and bactericidal power, especially one with added antibacterial ingredients. This can reduce sebum and bacteria remaining on the clothes, and also make the clothes less likely to breed bacteria. In this way, even if the sun is not strong enough, the chance of producing a stuffy odor will be reduced.

When drying clothes, choose a place that is ventilated and has enough sunlight so that the clothes can dry more completely.
(Photo via unsplash.com)

Remember to dry the washed clothes as soon as possible to avoid leaving them in the washing machine for a long time, creating a damp and stuffy environment that bacteria like. When drying clothes, choose a place that is ventilated, gets enough sunlight, and has low humidity so that the clothes can dry more completely. When there is insufficient sunshine, drying equipment can be used promptly to sterilize with high temperatures and at the same time allow the clothes to be completely dry. Regular cleaning of the inner tank of the washing machine is also a must, which can reduce the amount of bacteria remaining in the washing tank.

If the smell of clothes is left alone, not only will the smell be unpleasant, but it will also affect the health of the skin, causing eczema that is not easy to heal or sudden urticaria. Inhaling fungi or bacteria on clothing may also lead to respiratory allergies or infections, asthma, or other complications, so this issue must not be ignored.

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Damp Clothes in Summer Smell Bad and may Cause Allergies

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