Removing sweat from Dry Clean Only suit

[Chich]

Hi guys,

I'm in a bit of a dilemma. I have a few MTM suits which I rotate for work and air out in a poorly (?) ventilated room (standard living room, no open windows) while not in use. Unfortunately it seems as though the woollen patch "sweat guard" sewn into my underarm lining is beginning to smell a bit funky from perspiration although apart from that my jackets are clean. the problem is that these suits are obviously dry clean only and realistically I need to remove this odour on a weekly basis, so dry cleaning them all this regularly will obviously kill the suits. speaking to my tailor this evening, he recommends not washing the jacket as he says doing so will damage the canvas, however spot cleaning just the sweat guards i can "give it a shot".

now the problem is that i've spent close to the whole week reading up on everything i could find regarding how to remove underarm odours from jackets however it seems as though whatever one person suggests or recommends (water/vinegar, water/vodka, baking soda paste, baking soda powder, steamer) another person recommends against or advisors not to do. i've tried airing out the worst of the jackets in an 'inside out, arms pegged up' position in my living room that gets a bit of draft however after 2 days the smell hasn't subsided in the slightest.

i suppose my question is, would getting the canvas wet really damage it and what do you guys do to remove this odour? i can't be the only person on the planet that sweats right? what do you guys do and does it work? suggestions please, how do you guys manage this problem?

thanks

 

[CousinDonuts]

So a steamer and some deoderant doesn't work? Those 2 plus Febreeze plus steam it again in the shower?

 

[CousinDonuts]

as in, you wear better deoderant..

 

[GothamRed]

as in, you wear better deoderant..

CD is 100% right. Prevention is the best medicine.

However, for the currently smelly jackets (and the below applies only to the interior of the jacket, particularly the pads)...​

spray lightly (don't saturate), brush with a medium stiffness brush, air out

​

spray lightly (don't saturate), brush with a stiff-ish brush, air out​

​

dilute in a small bowl of cold water according to the directions, use a smaller brush, avoid saturation

​

i use #1 as part of my daily routine (brush with clothing brush after wearing, lightly spray, air out on valet, then put away)​

 

[HansderHund]

]Is the smell confined to the underarm patch? If that's the case, why not have your tailor replace it rather than clean it?

How often are you wearing the suits and are you wearing them back to back days?

I'm fairly confident that the OP is wearing deodorant or he wouldn't be asking the question, so a better deodorant seems to be a silly suggestion.

 

[GothamRed]

I fairly confident that the OP is wearing deodorant or he wouldn't be asking the question, so a better deodorant seems to be a silly suggestion.

I am as well, which is why I seconded the "better" comment. It took me a little while to find the right one.

 

[GBR]

Shave your pits every week and use deodorant/anti perspirant. Prevention is better than cure.

As for the suits, try some of these remedies but it is likely that they may not work so get ready to burn them and start again.

 

[msulinski]

Some people who never wash their raw denim say that putting the garment in the freezer for a few days kills the odor. Obviously seal it in a bag.

 

[Chich]

Wow thanks for all the replies guys, I'll try address them one at a time...

So a steamer and some deoderant doesn't work? Those 2 plus Febreeze plus steam it again in the shower?

To be honest I haven't tried steaming yet, it seems as though most people say that they're steaming their suits (either in the shower or with an actual steamer), however there is the odd poster who claims doing so will destroy the fabric. I figured I'll get more opinions on steaming before I go out and buy one. I have no problem with doing so, however buying a cheap one I'm guessing will be pointless and spending a few hundred dollars just to test out whether it'll work or not seems a bit risky to me. So thoughts on steamers?

Febreze I haven't tried yet as there seems to be more people saying not to use it rather than those saying to. From my understanding it contains undesirable chemicals which harm the fabric, so I suppose it'll be my last resort prior to dry cleaning.

CD is 100% right. Prevention is the best medicine.

However, for the currently smelly jackets (and the below applies only to the interior of the jacket, particularly the pads)...

i use #1 as part of my daily routine (brush with clothing brush after wearing, lightly spray, air out on valet, then put away)​

Totally agree that prevention is the best plan however unfortunately I'm one of those people who naturally just run a few degree's too hot and my body compensates by perspiring rather quickly. My current deodorant scheme is a 'natural crystal deodorant' spray followed up by either a CK One or Aqua Di Gio roll on, this seems to be working out the best for me and normal deodorants do next to nothing for me and anti-perspirant's cause funky reactions. I've ordered some bottles of Dr.Mist to see if this helps any better, saw the recommendation elsewhere on this forum.

Thanks for the recommendation on that spray, I've had a quick look and it seems as though importing it will cost me about 3 times the actual price of the product, so I'll have to hunt around for a reseller in Australia. I'm assuming since you use this spray each time you wear your suit that it doesn't cause any/much damage to the wool?

]Is the smell confined to the underarm patch? If that's the case, why not have your tailor replace it rather than clean it?

How often are you wearing the suits and are you wearing them back to back days?

I'm fairly confident that the OP is wearing deodorant or he wouldn't be asking the question, so a better deodorant seems to be a silly suggestion.

Yes its (for now) just confined to the underarm "sweat guard" patch. Having my tailor replace it on a weekly basis is unpractical so I'm hoping for a more efficient solution. I rotate my 4 suits on a daily basis, never wearing the same one back to back. When not wearing a particular suit a hang it up for 'airing out' however not having a breeze in the room probably isn't helping much at all. Unfortunately though as stated above, I tend to perspire a bit more then the average guy so I need to figure something out asap.

Shave your pits every week and use deodorant/anti perspirant. Prevention is better than cure.

As for the suits, try some of these remedies but it is likely that they may not work so get ready to burn them and start again.

Yeah I trim my pits down to #2 (barely noticable hair), it helps but unfortunately the problem still persist. Burning the jackets doesn't seem like my wallet would still want to be friends with me

Some people who never wash their raw denim say that putting the garment in the freezer for a few days kills the odor. Obviously seal it in a bag.

Interesting, I've also heard of other using the fridge/freezer. I suppose it couldn't hurt and I'll give it a go if nothing else works.



....wow so does really no one else have this issue of sweating a lot? Surely I can't be that unhygienic, I shower on a daily/bi-daily basis :S

thanks for the help guys

 

[HansderHund]



Yes its (for now) just confined to the underarm "sweat guard" patch. Having my tailor replace it on a weekly basis is unpractical so I'm hoping for a more efficient solution. I rotate my 4 suits on a daily basis, never wearing the same one back to back. When not wearing a particular suit a hang it up for 'airing out' however not having a breeze in the room probably isn't helping much at all. Unfortunately though as stated above, I tend to perspire a bit more then the average guy so I need to figure something out asap.

Well, I suggested having it replaced for now as it's the current source. I wouldn't think you'd have to do it every time you wear the suit. Febreeze can discolor some synthetic fabrics, it did so on the straps of my rucksack. Keep that in mind if you spray the lining.

 

[Flyswatter]

Are you wearing an undershirt? Unless you work outside all day in 110 degree heat (in which case, why would you be wearing a suit?), I find it hard to believe that you sweat so significantly through trimmed pits+deodorant+undershirt+dress shirt through to your suit enough for it to leave a lingering stench. If this is the case, then damn, what a problem to have. Seems like all potential solutions have already been mentioned, so I got nothin'.

 

[OzzyJones]

I too run hot and gave up on traditional spray on antiperspirant a years ago. I would suggest tho that using a scented roll on over the natural product will reduce its efficacy. I use pit-rok solid crystal and while it doesn't stop me sweating the smell never develops I suppose as the bacteria don't grow. Try cutting the roll on out. Plus if you're gonna burn anything, burn the CK One! That stuff's just rank! IMO of course

 

[Chich]

Well, I suggested having it replaced for now as it's the current source. I wouldn't think you'd have to do it every time you wear the suit. Febreeze can discolor some synthetic fabrics, it did so on the straps of my rucksack. Keep that in mind if you spray the lining.

My suits are allegedly Caesar Romeo 150's wool with silk linings...not sure what effect febreeze would have on the fabrics, not courageous enough to find out until its a last resort. Just out of curiosity, has anyone even heard of Caesar Romeo? Any ideas on the quality?

Are you wearing an undershirt? Unless you work outside all day in 110 degree heat (in which case, why would you be wearing a suit?), I find it hard to believe that you sweat so significantly through trimmed pits+deodorant+undershirt+dress shirt through to your suit enough for it to leave a lingering stench. If this is the case, then damn, what a problem to have.

Seems like all potential solutions have already been mentioned, so I got nothin'.

No I wasn't wearing an undershirt however it would have only been maybe 3 four hour sessions of generally 'low impact' activities...seems as though it was enough to make it carry a funky smell

I too run hot and gave up on traditional spray on antiperspirant a years ago. I would suggest tho that using a scented roll on over the natural product will reduce its efficacy. I use pit-rok solid crystal and while it doesn't stop me sweating the smell never develops I suppose as the bacteria don't grow. Try cutting the roll on out. Plus if you're gonna burn anything, burn the CK One! That stuff's just rank! IMO of course

I feel for you man. I've already ordered a few Dr.Mist's that I'm waiting to arrive, if that doesn't work out I'll get my hands on Pit-Rok. Just out of curiosity do you use the roll on or spray? I don't care much about the sweating, as long as it doesn't smell that fine, I can live with that. I've gone through phases where I've cut out the scented roll on's however I seem to funk up more quickly without them...and I definitely agree that CK One perfume smells like total junk..the roll on deodorant though is a completely different smell

 

[OzzyJones]



I feel for you man. I've already ordered a few Dr.Mist's that I'm waiting to arrive, if that doesn't work out I'll get my hands on Pit-Rok. Just out of curiosity do you use the roll on or spray? I don't care much about the sweating, as long as it doesn't smell that fine, I can live with that. I've gone through phases where I've cut out the scented roll on's however I seem to funk up more quickly without them...and I definitely agree that CK One perfume smells like total junk..the roll on deodorant though is a completely different smell

Pit-rok is a solid crystal. You apply it like a roll on straight after showering while you're still wet. It's bacteriostatic and I've found one application lasts all day. No sweat smell at all. We're actually having a summer in Scotland just now so its getting put thru its paces!

 

[Chich]

Yeah I've just been looking at reviews, sounds like a quality product. Will definitely be getting some shipped over from the UK if Dr.Mist fails. Thanks for the heads up