Anti-odor technology is right under your nose

Odors

We all sweat. Welcome to the human race. Even on the coldest days, if you move around enough you’ll start to perspire. And forget those hot summer days when everyone has armpit stains!

We’ve all heard of moisture-wicking materials that lift the sweat, magically cooling you off and taking care of those tell-tale sweat marks. But what about the smell? Is there a way to stop the stink?

Thankfully, not all athletic apparel technology upgrades focused only on sweat removal. Designers also recognized the need to make locker rooms smell less offensive and realized that not everyone showered before they left the gym to run errands on the way home. Gross, but true. Plus, who likes to stink anyway? Do you really want the folks around you to turn up their noses when you walk into the store? Of course not.

So along came anti-stink fabric, designed to remove the offensive odor and make clothes last longer. Was it voodoo magic, a miracle, or simple science? How exactly does it work?

Apparel

A little known fact is that sweat by itself doesn’t stink. The water we excrete through our pores has no smell. We start to stink when odor-causing bacteria and fungi begin growing in our clothing and on our skin.

There are two ways to get rid of odor in clothing. One is to mask it with chemical scents that overpower the sweaty stink. There are two drawbacks to this method. First, the stink doesn’t really go away; it’s just disguised by a stronger odor, similar to overpowering a smell with too much perfume. That never works well. Second, the odor-covering chemicals eventually wash out, rendering the anti-stink smell ineffective.

The second way is by chemically removing the source of the stink. That’s where anti-stink material kicks in. One popular anti-stink material is Polygiene. Instead of masking the odor, Polygiene’s patented silver-salt treatment prevents odor-causing bacteria and fungi from growing in the first place. The silver-salt formula kills any bacteria and fungi that it touches, immediately cutting off the source of the funk by not allowing the odor-causing particles to form. This eliminates the need for masking scents. Take away the source, take away the stink.

Polygeine

The other advantage of a bacteria-killing process is its lasting power. Unlike odor-masking scents that can wash out after repeated laundering, Polygiene is woven into the threads of the apparel and becomes a permanent part of the garment. Repeated washings begin to break down fabric, no matter how tough it is. And that means if you wash your clothes a lot, they wear out faster, and you replace them sooner, which can get expensive. If your clothes don’t stink, you can wash them less often and still smell okay, all the while saving money on water, soap, and replacement clothes.

While anti-stink technology may have started in the athletic industry, it quickly spread to other applications. For example, tactical apparel. Our Midweight Baselayer Top and Bottom feature Polygiene woven into the fabric to keep you smelling better on the range, on duty or on patrol, as well as warmer during those cold shifts.

Boots

Fact of life: feet stink. Which is why boot makers have begun adding anti-stink liners to certain models of hiking, tactical, and even snow boots. Much like apparel tech, boot odor-removing liners can either mask the smell or kill the bacteria that causes it. The same pluses and minuses apply to each. One covers, one removes.

Propper boots are lined with anti-microbial material that prevents odor-causing microorganisms from growing and therefore creating stench. By breaking down the microorganisms, the boot liner not only prevents foul odor, it can also make the liner last longer because the same tiny organisms that cause stink can also break down the fabric inside a boot. So this lining serves two useful purposes: anti-stink and increased material longevity.

Anti-odor tech has come a long way, and while it doesn’t promise you’ll come out smelling like a rose, at least you won’t stink like a walking locker room.