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Scientists Discover Why Your Dirty Laundry Stinks (discovery.com)
HughPickens.com writes: Discovery News reports that dirty laundry smells bad because of certain chemicals called volatile organic compounds, which can't always be washed out on an eco-friendly 20C cycle. Researchers identified six volatile organic compounds (VOCs) on dirty t-shirts and socks. "The need to conserve the environment by reducing the wash temperature and the use of biodegradable washing products have grown in importance in the new millennium, making this type of research more high profile," says Professor John Dean. The researchers gave 6 men and two women a new pair of socks. They asked the volunteers to wash their feet with tap water and dry them before wearing the socks for at least 10 hours in a specified type of shoe. They then put each sock into a separate sample bag and stored them in the dark overnight. The researchers graded each sock and t-shirt on a scale of 0 (no malodor) to 10 (malodorous) by smelling them. To determine the chemicals present, samples were taken from each one. Items were then washed on a cold cycle using unscented detergent, and resampled before they were dried, at which point researchers took one final series of specimens. Following a method called static headspace-multi-capillary column-gas chromatography-ion mobility spectrometry (SHS-MCC-GC-IMS), six main VOCs were identified as the main culprits behind smelly clothing. Each one left its own scented signature. Butyric acid, for example, produced a rancid butter-like odor, while 2-heptanone created a banana-like fruity smell. "The work is fascinating as it links an everyday event -- the washing of clothes -- with cutting-edge research," says Dean. "In this particular research project we applied a new and innovative analytical technique for the detection of volatile compounds found in laundry items. We hope this provides a way of analyzing the effectiveness of different washing techniques."
This has nothing to do with anything, but I love the fact that I came across this story while, for the first time in months, listening to Don Henley's song "Dirty Laundry."
That is all.
Black Socks
Hey don't blame me. I just keep handy by the bed banana- butter sandwich handy for a midnight snack.
So the standard greener way doesn't work. We really don't want to start (re)using toxic chemicals just for a slight improvement in smell. We don't want to dissolve our clothings.
If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
But why does my gut wrench everytime I read "new and innovative"? To me it's like linguistic butyric acid!
(Captcha was "propane". Go figure)
>> laundry smells bad because of...chemicals...which can't...be washed out on an eco-friendly 20C cycle
>> conserve the environment by reducing the wash temperature and the use of biodegradable washing products
Long story short, they seem to be telling us at least one of two things:
- you shouldn't bother with "environment friendly" detergents and washing techniques if you have kids, dogs or ever work out
- we now know why filthy hippies smell that way
I'm pretty sure if it came to "family smelling bad" or "saving the twin-tuffed arselizard" my wife would be on the side of "nuke them from orbit - it's the only way to be sure." Personally, I can't see washing temperatures dropping at all, but I would expect the equivalent of a "detergent catalytic converter" to become part of our washing machine wastewater system in twenty years - there aren't many good reasons to keep flushing that stuff into our sewers and septic tanks.
The only thing you should smell is a lucrative commercial arrangement.
This is the kind of research that is engineered for an advertiser.
I can hardly wait.
- we now know why filthy hippies smell that way
I think additional research is needed before you can justifiably make such generalized claim.
Now, would someone please create detergent that actually cleans something? It doesn't actually remove stains. Sometimes it actually cleans something if your water is COMPLETELY soft.
This includes dishwashers, which are only capable of rinsing off your dishes after you've completely washed them.
Gamingmuseum.com: Give your 3D accelerator a rest.
I give your troll attempt a 2/10.... please do try harder next time.
Flushing what stuff? We removed the phosphates years ago, which were the substances that actually got the detergent to work without basically distilling your wash water.
Gamingmuseum.com: Give your 3D accelerator a rest.
me l0v3 y00 l0ng t1m3!
Those guys from the old ST:TOS thought of everything, even laundry in outer space. He mentioned something along the lines of beam the dirty clothes somewhere, beam them back, minus the dirt Voila! Clean uniforms, and "Very funny, Scotty. Now beam up my clothes!"
Provocateur
Wear all brown so no running colors. We solved this centuries ago. Leave it to stupid humans to have to re-invent shit every 50 years.
I would have gone with soaking the socks in a solvent, liquid to liquid extraction, LC (or GC) MS/MS.
But I guess they chose head-space sampling because the whole point of the study was smell. MEH.
We use the detergent packs in the dishwasher and the dishes get really clean, with no residue and minimal pre-rinsing involved (usually just to get the vegetable residue off, as the more fibrous stuff doesn't disolve and gets trapped in the filter).
I've read that the packs have an advantage in that they're the right amount and combination of detergents to work effectively, which is important now that they've removed the truly effective phosphates from detergents.
For clothes washing, we just use unscented Costco liquid detergent in our front-loader and I don't notice any odors or cleaning issues. But the default wash setting is for 'warm' water, not cold.
We quit using paper towels several years ago and now keep a huge supply of white terry cloths to use instead. We wash these in bulk about once a week, so they sit in their own hamper, damp and filthy with all kinds of nasty organic residue but always seem clean and odor free. But I also bleach them, which may be partly why.
http://www.homedepot.com/p/SAVOGRAN-1-lb-Box-TSP-Heavy-Duty-Cleaner-10621/202935861
Long story short, they seem to be telling us at least one of two things:
- you shouldn't bother with "environment friendly" detergents and washing techniques if you have kids, dogs or ever work out
- we now know why filthy hippies smell that way
I couldn't find any mention in the articles of eco-friendly washes being unable to clean the smells. Was that an invention of the submitter? (or am I just blind and failed to notice it in the articles?)
After all, Butyric acid is what you Americans think makes good chocolate.
Maybe it would smell better if you fags would actually stop fucking around with Lunix once in awhile and clean your laundry. Stop endlessly searching for unsupported codecs to your massive collection of faggot porn and do the laundry once in awhile. Put the clothes in the washer, turn it on, eat a dick, move the clothes to the dryer, turn it on, eat another dick, remove the clothes from the dryer, and fold them up. Then you can go back to your faggot porn.
We should mod this up to 5 so that people can ridicule you for the lamest troll ever.
Your mother was a Hamster.
The shepherds did so well protecting the flock that the sheep no longer believed that wolves existed.
So my clothes never stop smelling bad because a bunch of eco-terrorists have cajoled the industry into making washing machines that don't work.
Figures.
Scientists Discover Why Your Dirty Laundry Stinks
Yup, gotta stick the word "your" in there. Can't just say "dirty laundry." It has to be "your dirty laundry" because people are idiots and can't infer how a story might apply to them without being specifically told.
systemd is Roko's Basilisk.
Expose your clothes to a good dose after the wash cycle.
Have gnu, will travel.
- we now know why filthy hippies smell that way
I think additional research is needed before you can justifiably make such generalized claim.
Yeah, this research doesn't even mention marujana.
Please tell me they gave EACH of them a new pair of socks, not one pair for all eight? I mean, it's kinky enough to be sniffing people's socks, but that would be just too weird.
I regularly wash my clothes in Dihydrogen Monoxide. It works great, but you have to use it with caution as too much can cause:
Death due to accidental inhalation of DHMO, even in small quantities. Prolonged exposure to solid DHMO causes severe tissue damage. Excessive ingestion produces a number of unpleasant though not typically life-threatening side-effects. DHMO is a major component of acid rain. Gaseous DHMO can cause severe burns. Contributes to soil erosion. Leads to corrosion and oxidation of many metals. Contamination of electrical systems often causes short-circuits. Exposure decreases effectiveness of automobile brakes. Found in biopsies of pre-cancerous tumors and lesions. Given to vicious dogs involved in recent deadly attacks. Often associated with killer cyclones in the U.S. Midwest and elsewhere, and in hurricanes including deadly storms in Florida, New Orleans and other areas of the southeastern U.S. Thermal variations in DHMO are a suspected contributor to the El Nino weather effect. http://www.dhmo.org/facts.html
When I was in high school, I took Chemistry II. Part of that was to do an advanced experiment of some kind. I ended up picking one out of a book the teacher had. It involved butyric acid.
The school chemistry lab was very well stocked, though many of the chemicals were quite old. For example, we had a large brick of sodium in a jar filled with kerosene. First thing, the teacher told us, "Absolutely leave that thing alone." He went on to tell us that it could explode if dropped in water.. He was serious, and we took him seriously.
But I digress. The lab also had the butyric acid I needed. I did the experiment (not very successfully, IIRC) and then proceeded to my next class. It was a computer class, on the original TRS-80 "microcomputers."
Everybody thought the computer teacher was a wonderful teacher and a very nice guy, including me. Just after class started, he said, "What's that smell?" We were all a bit puzzled, but we all started sniffing around, and the teacher ended up honing in on me.
I smelled of rancid butter. Having found the culprit, the teacher told me, "Get out - just get out."
I meakly protested, "Don't I need a hall pass?"
"I'll bring you one, just go."
It turned out that some of the butyric acid had vaporized and adhered to my clothes. I somehow managed to make it through the rest of the day by issuing various warnings and apologies in my remaining classes. I think we had to throw the clothes away.
You can't tell me that the grad student research assistants who conducted this experiment aren't some of the most dedicated and courageous people on the planet. The unsung heroes of science.
You are welcome on my lawn.
I want to take our 2016 advanced scientific knowledge, build a time-travel device, and tell someone who lived a thousand years ago that hot water cleans better than cold water.
Maybe it would smell better if you fags would actually stop fucking around with Lunix once in awhile and clean your laundry. Stop endlessly searching for unsupported codecs to your massive collection of faggot porn and do the laundry once in awhile. Put the clothes in the washer, turn it on, eat a dick, move the clothes to the dryer, turn it on, eat another dick, remove the clothes from the dryer, and fold them up. Then you can go back to your faggot porn.
We should mod this up to 5 so that people can ridicule you for the lamest troll ever.
Your mother was a Hamster.
I resent the "Turn on washer" part.
Things like formaldehyde, dyes, and other chemicals used for sizing. That's why almost all new clothing has a weird smell to it.
TFA mentioned that the participants were given "new socks" - if these weren't washed thoroughly several times before the test started, I wonder how much of those VOCs were from the chemicals that came on the socks from the factory.
Because poopy pants.
If you've been in a muddy area such as a farm that may have any kind of animal poo mixed in with it then you really need a hot wash to make sure most/all pathogens are dead.
The dropping temps are presumably referring to the newer model washers which take longer, and use lower temp water to save electricity on each wash.
Here's a list of "other stuff" found in there.
http://www.washwise.org.au/_documents/Laundry%20detergent%20ingredients%20info%20sheet.pdf
See the Science Direct link: http://www.sciencedirect.com/s...
Typical "Oxi-clean" (hydrogen peroxide) additives often work well.
Also you can use an ozone generator and pump your closet full of ozone for a similar effect.
Ozonating your whole house can get rid of some stubborn odors.
(Be aware though that excessive use of either method will cause some rubber products to break down faster than with normal exposure. Also, if you ozonate your house, don't be in it at the time.)
Didn't see but what were the socks ,made of? i had very bad foot oder way back in the day and that was all because of not using cotton socks and used the fake materials,plastic socks have you. That makes a huge difference in absorption, air flow and cotton just cleans better if not bleach top the rescue lol
Jack of all trades,master of none
What a beautiful smell you've discovered!
Now you mind telling me how we get out of here?
- we now know why filthy hippies smell that way
I think additional research is needed before you can justifiably make such generalized claim.
Additional inside research will probably tell you that hippies smell a strangely moving pattern of yellow, green and blue.
You made sense. No need to be an AC.
If you're scared of your govt then you need to further restrict its powers
Vote 3rd Party in 2016 and beyond
and his father smells of elderberries?
Ozone and hydrogen peroxide also bleaches your clothes
also known as the characteristic odor of vomit.
Since these are volatile organics, why aren't they gone after a run through the drier... or even air drying?
What the heck is a "20C cycle", I've never heard that term before. Are washing machines being made with motorcycle engines now? How is that supposed to be "Eco-friendly"?
So keep all underwear and socks and ozone them when dumped in the laundry basket should do the trick right?
I'd rather have a homosexual website, which talks about Linux, than the slashdot of 2016. It could have a rainbow Tux as its mascot, and have fabulous homosexual innuendo headlines.
"Control to Static Headspace-Multicapillary Column-Gas Chromatography-Ion Mobility Spectrometry, please respond..."
"Control to Static Headspace-Multicapillary Column-Gas Chromatography-Ion Mobility Spectrometry, please respond..."
"Control to Static Spacehead-Multitipperary Column-Godammit I quit!"
Scientists Discover Why Your Dirty Laundry Stinks
Because it's dirty. Duh.
The wash temperatures in different models of washing machine are not created equal.
Old school washers in the US offered three wash temperatures (if that many): hot, warm, and cold. None of them were temperature regulated. Hot is whatever comes out of your hot water tap (usually somewhere in the range of 120F to 140F), cold is whatever comes out of your cold water tap (which may be anywhere from 35F to 80F depending on location and season), and warm is a 50/50 mix in theory. (If the water pressure of your two taps differs substantially the mix will be changed.) If you have a washer like that, cold water washing is likely to work poorly, especially in the winter in northern states; detergents simply don't work very well in 40F degree water, and under those circumstances the warm wash will be safe for cold water washables because the actual water temperature will only be 80F or so.
Newer washers also offer the same three settings, and perhaps some additional ones. But they are usually temperature regulated (really low end machines may be an exception) so the wash water is never as cold as it would have been in one of those older machines. A properly designed machine adheres to the standards that are used on clothing labels: cold is 30C (86F), warm is 40C (104F), and hot is 50C (122F). (My washer has an additional super-hot 60C setting.) The machine achieves those by mixing from the hot and cold taps as needed, and may also have an electric heater to get the water hotter if necessary. Cold washing in a new machine is far more effective than it was in those older washers where the water was far too cold.
No matter which wash temperature you choose, the rinse water is whatever comes out of the cold water tap. Some old washers had a warm rinse setting, which there is never any good reason to use.
use ozonated, cold water. Ozone is very effective at neutralizing VOC's.
I dont care what kind of detergent you use, you always use the hottest water available on underwear and socks.
N-butyric acid is about the nastiest stuff I've ever smelled, and it's amazing how fast that stench can travel from one end of a large room to another. We had this stoner that started hanging around the chemistry lab a lot. One day I took him to the back room with a conspiratory air, and convinced him that this stuff was "soooo rad", and would "make you higher than a kite". I pumped him up enough that when I uncapped it he sniffed deeply without testing it first. He cried out, coughed, and vomited. Fortunately he was feeling too bad to catch me and do what he wanted, as I escaped back into the safety of the main room, laughing my head off. It didn't take long for the story to get around.
Rather get a washing machine that is more effective and makes stuff cleaner (european style, sideways drum instead of upright).