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Have you ever had this experience: before heading out in the morning, you pick up a piece of clothing, give it a sniff, and it seems fine, so you put it on confidently. But within half an hour, a faint unpleasant odor starts emanating from areas like the underarms or back? This isn’t your imagination—it’s a phenomenon called "odor rebloom."

Why Does "Odor Rebloom" Occur?

Simply put, the culprit behind odor rebloom isn’t you—it’s the bacteria hidden in the fabric fibers. Sweat and sebum are a "delicious feast" for certain bacteria, which produce unpleasant-smelling metabolites after breaking down these substances. When clothes are washed, if these residues aren’t completely removed, the bacteria merely go dormant. Once you wear the clothes, your body temperature slightly heats up the fabric and increases humidity, reactivating the bacteria—and the odor "comes back to life."

For example:
After a workout, you toss your sports T-shirt into the laundry basket. When you wash it the next day, you might not notice some slight sweat stains around the collar and underarms. The next time you wear it, as soon as you start sweating, the odor returns within ten minutes—this is exactly what happens when bacteria find a "breeding ground" and rapidly multiply.

The Fundamental Solution: Cut Off the Bacteria's "Food Source"

To solve the problem, the key is to wash away the sweat and oils that bacteria thrive on, rather than just masking the odor. Here are some practical methods—you can mix and match based on your actual needs:

1. Stop using fabric softener, especially on synthetic fabrics
   Fabric softeners leave a thin film on the surface of clothes. While this makes the fabric feel softer, it prevents cleaning agents from penetrating the fibers and "traps" oils and bacteria inside. For example, quick-dry sports shirts and yoga pants, which many people love to wear, are more prone to retaining odors after using fabric softener.

2. Add laundry booster
   If your regular detergent has weak stain-removing power, consider adding an oxygen-based bleach booster. This is particularly effective for washing items like white socks and towels that easily harbor dirt and bacteria.

3. Use enzyme-based pre-treatment for stubborn areas
   Enzymes can break down protein and oil-based stains. Before washing, spray an enzyme-based cleaner on areas prone to sweat, such as underarms and collars, let it sit for 10 minutes, and then machine wash. This is especially effective for shirts and underwear.

4. Wash at appropriately higher temperatures
   Hot water can better dissolve oils and kill some bacteria. For example, bedding and towels that can withstand high temperatures should be washed at 40°C–60°C for a deeper clean.

5. Add white vinegar or a dedicated rinse agent during the rinse cycle
   Adding half a cup of white vinegar during the final rinse can help neutralize alkaline residues and soften water scale. Alternatively, dedicated rinse products (like Downy Rinse) can achieve similar effects without leaving residues.

6. Use laundry sanitizer
   These products effectively kill bacteria and fungi, making them particularly suitable for households with allergy sufferers or for washing items like cleaning cloths and robot vacuum roller brushes.

7. Switch to a more powerful or odor-focused detergent
   Many brands now offer "odor-resistant" product lines formulated to target sweat and bacteria, such as those containing citric acid or tea tree oil. These are ideal for people who exercise frequently or sweat easily.

Friendly Reminder: You Don’t Need to Do All of These!

Not every piece of clothing requires the "strongest combination." You can choose flexibly based on the type of garment:

• Sports gear → Enzyme pre-treatment + no fabric softener + low-heat drying

• Everyday T-shirts/pajamas → Booster + cold water wash

• Towels/bedding → Hot water wash + white vinegar rinse

Most importantly, focus on washing effectiveness from the root rather than relying on fragrances to mask odors. Sometimes, a small change can make the freshness of your clothes last much longer.