i was wondering if any of you guys ever had your shirt start to stink after you sweat... i wear the same shirts when i play (i wash it everytime of course) and the part where there is the plastiky letters or pictures on the shirt starts to stink after i sweat...
it wasn't like this when i got it new and it's been a couple of months of using these shirts. does anyone else have this problem?

try washing it, dry it. then dipping it into boiling hot water, let it soak for a while and then wash it again...

BTW, do read the washing instruction tags on your shirts before you start washing them. Some material like Coolmax, dri-fit doesn't take well to hot water treatment.

yea i follow the tag instructions and wash them... but still smells after i sweat... but this only happens to shirts i regularly sweat in and shirts with plastic stuffs on them
also, the instruction says wash in cold water... does that mean i can't soak in hot water...?

The stink and smell come from bacterial in your perspiration. Any material that blocks the evaporation of your sweat, like non-ventilated plastic patches, means more bacterial. More bacterial translates into more stink.

The stink and smell come from bacterial in your perspiration. Any material that blocks the evaporation of your sweat, like non-ventilated plastic patches, means more bacterial. More bacterial translates into more stink.

how can i get rid of the smell? antibacterial soap...?

how can i get rid of the smell? antibacterial soap...?

Try lightweight cotton shirts, preferably those without any patch-ons. Choose those with many knots per sq. inch instead of those fluffy towel-like stuff. Swiss cotton has many knots per sq. inch, is expensive, but will last you a lifetime. Cheap shirts will lose their fluff and weight each time they are washed. I have 3 swiss cotton shirts I wear for badminton plus casual use for the last 12 years and they are like new. The club I used to belong to used to hand out free cotton shirts, but they lasted only 3 months before they look threadbare, afterwhich I used them to polish my shoes. Nothing wasted. :D

to get rid of smell, use deoderant, not the smelly kind,but the non scented but strong ones-rightguard I think. Also use not loose or not tight cotton shirts, then you wont worry about your shirt in the way or the shirt sticking to you.

Also, you can pick up several more shirts can change among them regularly. This way, none of them could be repeated beat up, means to be used less often. ;)

I try to use good soap powder for the stinky shirt. Good thing that my sweat is not that stinky.. if not its harder to remove the smell :)

Has anyone tried wearing lightweight silk shirts for badminton? Silk is by far the most absorbent material, better than the best cotton, linen or wool. It is so absorbent that the whole shirt will be wet from your perspiration in an instant. You feel like the shirt is a sheet of water. But you know what? It is a nice feeling, very cool, and best of all it won't smell. Even after your games, you just take it home and hang it up in a well ventilated room, away from direct sun, it will be dry very quickly and it is without any foul bacterial smell that all other materials give out.
If you travel to hot and humid countries, I recommend you bring along some lightweight silk shirts. You can use them over and over again without washing-all you do is hang it up and see for yourself how fast the sweat disappears. The only drawback in not washing is that if your sweat has some colour or stains (from salt?) they will show on the shirts. :D

Has anyone tried wearing lightweight silk shirts for badminton? Silk is by far the most absorbent material, better than the best cotton, linen or wool. It is so absorbent that the whole shirt will be wet from your perspiration in an instant. You feel like the shirt is a sheet of water. But you know what? It is a nice feeling, very cool, and best of all it won't smell. Even after your games, you just take it home and hang it up in a well ventilated room, away from direct sun, it will be dry very quickly and it is without any foul bacterial smell that all other materials give out.
If you travel to hot and humid countries, I recommend you bring along some lightweight silk shirts. You can use them over and over again without washing-all you do is hang it up and see for yourself how fast the sweat disappears. The only drawback in not washing is that if your sweat has some colour or stains (from salt?) they will show on the shirts. :D

Has anyone tried wearing lightweight silk shirts for badminton? Silk is by far the most absorbent material, better than the best cotton, linen or wool. It is so absorbent that the whole shirt will be wet from your perspiration in an instant. You feel like the shirt is a sheet of water.

I remember I read somewhere that silk can absorb as much as 9x its own weight in water/fluids. It is supposed to be alot they say... I really doubt if it really is appropriate for badminton though.

Regarding stinky shirts there are many producers that have some kind of anti-bacteria stuff on the shirts/shorts etc... maybe thats the sollution for those with 'stinky problems'.

I remember I read somewhere that silk can absorb as much as 9x its own weight in water/fluids. It is supposed to be alot they say... I really doubt if it really is appropriate for badminton though.

Regarding stinky shirts there are many producers that have some kind of anti-bacteria stuff on the shirts/shorts etc... maybe thats the sollution for those with 'stinky problems'.

Silk is expensive. If they could make silk badminton shirts like those net/mesh polyester/cotton wicking shirts, you will be really wearing true air-conditioned shirts. Also silk is delicate and requires special care in washing and ironing. Whenever I visit Malaysia I bring my silk shirts along. I wear the same shirt day and night and it saves me the washing.

Actually any combed cotton polo shirts will do. Of course, the use of Eyptian or US Supima Cotton to spin knitting yarns produces the best result.

Try lightweight cotton shirts, preferably those without any patch-ons. Choose those with many knots per sq. inch instead of those fluffy towel-like stuff. Swiss cotton has many knots per sq. inch, is expensive, but will last you a lifetime. Cheap shirts will lose their fluff and weight each time they are washed. I have 3 swiss cotton shirts I wear for badminton plus casual use for the last 12 years and they are like new. The club I used to belong to used to hand out free cotton shirts, but they lasted only 3 months before they look threadbare, afterwhich I used them to polish my shoes. Nothing wasted. :D

Silk is such a pain to care for. I do not think it's a good material for badminton polo shirts - the cost and maintenance far outweigh the benefits.

Has anyone tried wearing lightweight silk shirts for badminton? Silk is by far the most absorbent material, better than the best cotton, linen or wool. It is so absorbent that the whole shirt will be wet from your perspiration in an instant. You feel like the shirt is a sheet of water. But you know what? It is a nice feeling, very cool, and best of all it won't smell. Even after your games, you just take it home and hang it up in a well ventilated room, away from direct sun, it will be dry very quickly and it is without any foul bacterial smell that all other materials give out.
If you travel to hot and humid countries, I recommend you bring along some lightweight silk shirts. You can use them over and over again without washing-all you do is hang it up and see for yourself how fast the sweat disappears. The only drawback in not washing is that if your sweat has some colour or stains (from salt?) they will show on the shirts. :D

Polyester shirts are becoming very popular as sports shirts and shorts. However, do you know that polyester is made from non-renewable resources? Polyester, like nylon, acrylic and olefin are made from petrochemicals, which use petroleum cuts and gas as raw materials. Each polyester shirt or shorts that you buy contributes to sky-rocketing oil prices! Here is another very good reason why you should say no to clothings made from petrochemicals. :D

So, what do you suggest? Wear cotton polo shirts that are made from heavily sprayed cotton crops? Herbicide, pesticide and feeds also use petrochemcials. :D :D

Polyester shirts are becoming very popular as sports shirts and shorts. However, do you know that polyester is made from non-renewable resources? Polyester, like nylon, acrylic and olefin are made from petrochemicals, which use petroleum cuts and gas as raw materials. Each polyester shirt or shorts that you buy contributes to sky-rocketing oil prices! Here is another very good reason why you should say no to clothings made from petrochemicals. :D

As PeterLSD have said, almost everything has been touched by petrochemical process and products. You wanna go totally organic and environmentally friendly? Play in the nude:p. Not everybody can afford or maintain a silk polo shirt:rolleyes:.

Polyester shirts are becoming very popular as sports shirts and shorts. However, do you know that polyester is made from non-renewable resources? Polyester, like nylon, acrylic and olefin are made from petrochemicals, which use petroleum cuts and gas as raw materials. Each polyester shirt or shorts that you buy contributes to sky-rocketing oil prices! Here is another very good reason why you should say no to clothings made from petrochemicals. :D

Unfortunately sports co's doesnt have products made from silk.. if they do , i dont mind trying them on.

Yes, there are some small petrochemicals input to make a cotton shirt. But let us put this in perspective. The quantity of petrochemicals used and their adverse impact on the environment to produce one polyester shirt is good enough to produce 100 cotton shirts. Just like paper bags (made from timber) using petrochemicals vs plastic bags that also use petrochemicals as inputs. Do you know that Americans who live near petrochemical complexes have higher overall cancer rates? For less developed countries it is even worse.

And do you know that cotton fields are so salty and toxic that nothing else can be grown?

Yes, there are some small petrochemicals input to make a cotton shirt. But let us put this in perspective. The quantity of petrochemicals used and their adverse impact on the environment to produce one polyester shirt is good enough to produce 100 cotton shirts. Just like paper bags (made from timber) using petrochemicals vs plastic bags that also use petrochemicals as inputs. Do you know that Americans who live near petrochemical complexes have higher overall cancer rates? For less developed countries it is even worse.

And do you know that cotton fields are so salty and toxic that nothing else can be grown?

Only where poor soil management is employed. Cotton is not harvested just for the fibers. Cotton also produces edible oil for making margarine, salad oil, shortening, and a frozen dessert called mellorine. It is also used to make soap, linoleum, and at one time phonograph records. The cotton feedmeal is used as food for farm animals. The hull of the cotton seed is used for cattle feed, chemicals (non-petroleum), and as mulching material. Some of the meal is made into a high-protein flour for human consumption. Cotton can also be used to make cotton-linters products, including those made for medical use, called medical cotton. Cotton stalks and leaves are used by farmers as humus to improve soil structure.

Although not a large supply, if you want natural - hemp clothing are quite nice.

I like silk best. I think it is exceptionally nice on your skin, really beyond compare. I wear lightweight silk shorts and singlet as pyjamas, and they are heavenly. :)

Cotton fiber and cotton seeds and anything within the cotton field are heavily contaminated with chemcials. You are talking about the use of different parts of the cotton seeds that go into the food chain. I think it's a crime to contaminate the food chain, but the rich government in cotton growing regions continue to subsidize and support cotton farmers in name of employment and industry lobby. Furthermore, the soil itself is toxic and can not be used to grow anything else. The agricultural run-offs in down-tream processing of cotton fibre and seeds pollute rivers and streams. The field can not even be developed unless the developer spends enormous amount of money to clean up the soil.

I like silk best. I think it is exceptionally nice on your skin, really beyond compare. I wear lightweight silk shorts and singlet as pyjamas, and they are heavenly. :)

Actually, there is a large supply of flax, ramie and hemp related garments from China but consumers generally prefer cotton and synthetics.

Although not a large supply, if you want natural - hemp clothing are quite nice.

Oh man.. both of you Pete And TaneePak.. I salute you guys. I learn alot from you post about petrochemicals and polyester etc... i mean where did u guys learn or researched them from?

I am a textile dude ;) and learned the trade on the job. Tan was a petro-chemical sales rep.

Oh man.. both of you Pete And TaneePak.. I salute you guys. I learn alot from you post about petrochemicals and polyester etc... i mean where did u guys learn or researched them from?

I am a textile dude ;) and learned the trade on the job. Tan was a petro-chemical sales rep.

No Pete, I never said I was a petrochemicals sales rep. per se. The nearest I ever came to being one was when they asked me to switch job from financial controller to marketing manager. It lasted only two years before they kicked me upstairs to head the board of Exxon Chemicals Malaysia, That was many moons ago. And now I am stranded in Hong Kong with nowhere to go but having fun with people like jug8man and Cooler. Reminds me of the days of old when I had management meetings on monday mornings. It was different then, as I had the "Big Stick" which I could use if any dept. managers didn't deliver.
However, I did try to pioneer the use of petrochemical resins into batik printing, use of epoxy to repair airport runways and jetties, and managed to get some on-specs chemicals from various cuts from the Port Dickson refinery which had never been done before.
I am therefore well aware of the pros and cons of increasing the use of petrochemicals. Go for renewable resources, always.

Do we know how many silkworms die in order to produce one silk shirt?

It's barbaric I say! We should all switch to wool shirts if the sheep have sufficient pride in their bodies.

Do we know how many silkworms die in order to produce one silk shirt?

It's barbaric I say! We should all switch to wool shirts if the sheep have sufficient pride in their bodies.

Good one. But sheep also ends up in the slaughter house. Sheep and silkworms all have the same fate. At least you can say they are not threatened with extinction. Same with the chicken, cattle, pig, fish. The more you eat the more the supply. they call this self-sustainable. Very different from eating wildlife. :D

look where this topic is going - countless deaths of silkworms :D :p

those poor silkworms...
but do silkworms necessarily die after giving their silk...?

Don't get the wrong ideas about silkworms. Silk worms are reared in farms all over the world. You can even order a starter silkworm kit in the U.S. and rear probably millions of them as food for some of your smaller pets.
I make my own youghurt. Youghurt has live bacterial (the good ones) which I eat. From a tablespoon of youghurt (and its bacterial) as a starter kit 15 years ago, I must have grown or cultivated tons of them. I have never felt guilty eating those bacterial. The same with silkworms. They grow and grow. All they need are mulberry leaves as food. :D

Buy a silkworm farm starter kit and eventually make your own shirts for badminton. :D

Too bad silk is a little expensive.. Taneepak.. what is the different between cheap silk and expensive silk?

do silk shirts absorb any sweat? :confused: Just being light doesn't do you any good if the light shirt has stuck to your body like a glove.

actually i am really interested in the stinky shirt issue...

many of my mesh shirts, nike dri-fit, climalite etc shirts, stink after some time... after i wash it, it smells good again, but then after just a little bit of sweat, it stinks!

right now my only solution is to soak it in boiling water... it makes the smell go away, but then the shirt creases and no amount of ironing can straighten it...

any way to make the stink go away? does using fabric softener against the writing of the label make any difference?

actually i am really interested in the stinky shirt issue...

many of my mesh shirts, nike dri-fit, climalite etc shirts, stink after some time... after i wash it, it smells good again, but then after just a little bit of sweat, it stinks!

right now my only solution is to soak it in boiling water... it makes the smell go away, but then the shirt creases and no amount of ironing can straighten it...

any way to make the stink go away? does using fabric softener against the writing of the label make any difference?

finally someone with the same problem!! hahaha

In the past, there is wild silk and domesticated version. Wild silk is used as part of suiting materia while domesticated silk is for the finer things in life like handkerchiefs.

Too bad silk is a little expensive.. Taneepak.. what is the different between cheap silk and expensive silk?

Starting from 2004 companies such as Giordano, Bossini, 2U, and Samuel & Kevin in Hong Kong flooded the Hong Kong market with so-called high-tech dry polo and sleeveless shirts during summer. The principle is the same in which sweat is being wicked away by the special polyester material away from your skin. I bought close to 25 of them. But what a disaster when the environment is hot (32 degrees C) and humid (98% RH). I remember one day when I was visiting Ocean Park in Hong Kong on a hot and humid day, wearing a Samuel & Kevin high-tech polo dry shirt that was supposed to wick all my sweat away. Yes, it did an excellent job, so much so that my polo shirt became very heavy and smelled so much that fellow passengers on the escalator-by the way its the world's longest-commented that there was a terrible and foul smell. Needless to say I had never felt so small in all my life. You see, the rate of evaporation was not fast enough to rid my shirt of the fast accumulating sweat.
A good light cotton polo shirt, preferably with the words "combed" or super-combed", would be much more comfortable and probaby would have no smell.
My wife will always wear a silk shirt in summer. With silk shirts, there is absolutely no smell, even if the shirt is completely wet with your sweat.
Silk shirts are quite cheap in Hong Kong. Thai silk is inferior to Chinese silk, although the Thai Police uses Thai silk for their bullet-proof vests.

Hmmm silk for bullet proof vest huh?...

In terms of stinking t-shirts.. does this happen to only polyester type or it does stink also with cotton shirts?
From Health point of view.. diet also play a part in terms of sweat and stinkin shirt. Those who eat meat more tends to have foul smell compare to others who also take more vegetables and fruits.

Hmmm silk for bullet proof vest huh?...

In terms of stinking t-shirts.. does this happen to only polyester type or it does stink also with cotton shirts?
From Health point of view.. diet also play a part in terms of sweat and stinkin shirt. Those who eat meat more tends to have foul smell compare to others who also take more vegetables and fruits.

Yes, heavier and cheaper cotton shirts also smell. When the rate of evaporation cannot catch up with the rate of sweat production, excess sweat accumulates, which gives rise to bacterial breeding, hence the smell. The smell from different food intake is a different kind of smell, not half as bad as rotting bacterial from sweat.
Any shirt you put on your skin should give you the best skin comfort. Shirts that have high absorbency gives good skin comfort. How come the textile industry does not use this "skin comfort" grading for the shirts they produce? A system like from 1 to 10 could be used. For example, handkerchiefs give you better skin comfort than most shirts.

Hankerchiefs is much more thinner than normal shirts. And i dont think it will look good. Even the wearer might feel comfortable physically.. he/she might not feel comfortable mentally. :D

Do you know that a silk filament is stronger than steel? Using silk to make bullet-proof vests is a piece of cake. As Thailand produces quite a lot of silk cost may not be a problem. You wouldn't want to do this in other countries.

Do you know that a silk filament is stronger than steel? Using silk to make bullet-proof vests is a piece of cake. As Thailand produces quite a lot of silk cost may not be a problem. You wouldn't want to do this in other countries.

Never knew that.. all i know is kevlar :). Thanks for the info Taneepak.. i learn alot from you.

Hankerchiefs is much more thinner than normal shirts. And i dont think it will look good. Even the wearer might feel comfortable physically.. he/she might not feel comfortable mentally. :D

Most ordinary cotton shirts, if they are made as thin as a cotton handkerchief, would not survive one laundry wash because of cheap grades of cotton. However, if you make a shirt from Sea Island cotton you might have a cotton shirt that is very comfortable on your skin, although not as good as silk.

Just a bit of history, the Mongolians wore silk underneath metal and leather armor to protect against serious arrow injury. In the unfortunate case where the arrow(s) went through the top two layers of protection, the silk fabric acted as a very crude type of puncture resistant vest. The arrow(s) usually didn't go through the silk vest but still penetrated body tissues. Extraction of the arrow head became much easier and less traumatic.

Hmmm silk for bullet proof vest huh?...

In terms of stinking t-shirts.. does this happen to only polyester type or it does stink also with cotton shirts?
From Health point of view.. diet also play a part in terms of sweat and stinkin shirt. Those who eat meat more tends to have foul smell compare to others who also take more vegetables and fruits.

Although having the best-quality of all cotton fibre species, Sea Island cotton is no longer grown on an industrial scale. Hence, textile articles made with this luxurious fibre is harder to come by.

Most ordinary cotton shirts, if they are made as thin as a cotton handkerchief, would not survive one laundry wash because of cheap grades of cotton. However, if you make a shirt from Sea Island cotton you might have a cotton shirt that is very comfortable on your skin, although not as good as silk.

Just a bit of history, the Mongolians wore silk underneath metal and leather armor to protect against serious arrow injury. In the unfortunate case where the arrow(s) went through the top two layers of protection, the silk fabric acted as a very crude type of puncture resistant vest. The arrow(s) usually didn't go through the silk vest but still penetrated body tissues. Extraction of the arrow head became much easier and less traumatic.
Offtopic: This kind of silk shirt protects you from very hard smashes too :D.

We had a very hot spell in Hong Kong recently, with temperatures rising to a high of 37.7 degrees C during the day and 34 degrees C at night, at the place where I live. Most of my wardrobe of cheap cotton and medium price cotton/polyester "wicking" T-shirts were not good enough. So I started looking for better cotton T-shirts or polo shirts to make myself more comfortable. My shopping spree turned out to be quite expensive. I ended up buying four rather expensive cotton polo shirts, 2 Montagut and 2 Goldlion, which cost more than the price of 2 new Yonex Nanospeed 8000 racquets! :crying: I now console myself for this lapse of shopping madness with more skin comfort when wearing these polo shirts with the added bonus of no foul smell on a hot and sweaty day. :)
Maybe Pete LSD can help me with better prices. :D

Sorry, can't help you there. You have to understand the cost of bringing these high-quality garments to market. The machineries used to produce these goods are top-notched European made. Companies who can afford these are usually vertically integrated (raw material procurement - production management - marketing - retailing). They have no incentive to play the commodity market. :D As an example, Central Textiles Ltd. of Hong Kong has very advanced spinning and weaving machineries, but the price one pays for their yarns will seem outrageous compared to Mainland (usually grandpa state corp) companies and Pakistani ones.

Generally, try to get brand-name factory close out items.

We had a very hot spell in Hong Kong recently, with temperatures rising to a high of 37.7 degrees C during the day and 34 degrees C at night, at the place where I live. Most of my wardrobe of cheap cotton and medium price cotton/polyester "wicking" T-shirts were not good enough. So I started looking for better cotton T-shirts or polo shirts to make myself more comfortable. My shopping spree turned out to be quite expensive. I ended up buying four rather expensive cotton polo shirts, 2 Montagut and 2 Goldlion, which cost more than the price of 2 new Yonex Nanospeed 8000 racquets! :crying: I now console myself for this lapse of shopping madness with more skin comfort when wearing these polo shirts with the added bonus of no foul smell on a hot and sweaty day. :)
Maybe Pete LSD can help me with better prices. :D