How to Get Rid of Ammonia Smell in Tennis Clothes

Ever had your sweat smell like ammonia? One of the major causes is dehydration. Not eating enough carbs can also result in that. Don’t worry, though, the smell’s not permanent. Here’s how you can get rid of it from your tennis clothes.

How to Remove Ammonia Smells From Your Tennis Clothes

The easiest way to get rid of the ammonia smell is to use vinegar. A weak acid, it will effectively neutralize the ammonia that’s on the fabric. Basically, just put your tennis clothes into the washer as normal. Instead of using detergent, however, add one cup of white vinegar—directly onto the items. Run a cycle with cold water. By the time it’s done washing, the smell should be gone. If necessary, you can soak it in the machine for 20-30 minutes before running the cycle.

Another thing that you can use that you probably have lying around the house is baking soda. Simply add 1/2 to 1 cup to the washer. Run the cycle with hot water and that should be enough to eliminate the ammonia smell from your tennis clothes. If the odor persists, you can add another 1/2 cup. Washing by hand? If so, create a baking soda solution by dissolving it in water and let your clothes soak for half an hour.

The third option is to use borax. It’s a natural cleaning agent that you can use to remove smells and stains. Similar to baking soda, you want to sprinkle it onto your clothes in the washing machine. It’s important that you use hot water—that will help it dissolve. Run the cycle as normal and that should be enough to get rid of the ammonia scent. Of course, you can always soak it as well. That is, dissolve the borax in a bucket of hot water and put your clothes in. Allow it to sit for 30 minutes before laundering as normal. Chances are, the smell will be gone by then.