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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.
Add peanut butter and you can die smelling like Elvis.
Pain is merely failure leaving the body
>> 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.
- we now know why filthy hippies smell that way
I think additional research is needed before you can justifiably make such generalized claim.
I've experienced this since I started using unscented laundry detergent. I don't think the "old" soaps worked better, but just the perfumes covered up the fact that they weren't working very well. This is probably why we used to use lye in the laundry. A strong base works all kinds of wonders destroying various waste products of biological processes.
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.
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?)
What about adding some ammonia to the wash?
That's what we do. Works very well and since we have one of the new low-water/low detergent washers it freshens up the washer as well. Hard to imagine such awful smelling stuff like ammonia can make things smell good, but it does.
The shepherds did so well protecting the flock that the sheep no longer believed that wolves existed.
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.
Except, you are not supposed to use TSP if your location is on sewer (as opposed to septic tank). In fact, it might be against the law where you are.
227-3517
"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!"