It seems a bit unusual to wear a coat but still have the capacity to sweat when it’s cool enough for outerwear. There are two types of sweat glands in the body. The ones that are triggered in the heat are eccrine glands, and those are all over the skin. The ones in your armpits are called apocrine glands, and they’re associated with the hair follicles. These glands are triggered during moments of stress and physical activity as well as heat. Sweat is usually odorless until it’s combined with the bacteria found on your skin. While you can wash your underarms and apply deodorant, there can still be a problem with odor. That odor can seep into your outerwear, which can be an issue. You can stick your shirts in the washer to rid them of smells, but coats are a little more difficult and often require dry cleaning.
Odors in Your Coat’s Underarms can be Removed Without Washing
There are ways to clean the armpits of your coat without ruining the coat with water or sending it to a expensive dry cleaner.
Baking Soda Sprinkle
The first step in removing odors from the armpits of your coat is to use baking soda. It’s likely that you have some already in your refrigerator. It’ll absorb the sweat odor without causing a weird discoloration on the fabric. Turn the coat inside-out and sprinkle baking soda into the armpit area. Rub the baking soda into the material for a few minutes. Leave on for 30 to 45 minutes. Over a garbage can, shake off the baking soda. Use a vacuum cleaner with the hose attachment to suck the rest of the baking soda from the material. If the odor is lingering, repeat the process.
Hang the Coat Outdoors
If you try the baking soda method and don’t see results, hang the coat outdoors for a few hours. You can leave the baking soda in the material for the first hour and remove it for the second hour. Fresh, cool air can work wonders on clearing out bad smells in many materials.
Fabric Refresher
If you don’t have baking soda, you can try a fabric refresher on the material. You can purchase fabric freshener from the store, but make sure you find one that won’t mix with the odor when it’s supposed to be removing it. Some of these fresheners are only masking the odors they’re supposed to remove.
Vinegar and Water
The best fabric freshener is one that you can make yourself. Mix a cup of water with a cup of vinegar in a spray bottle along with a few drops of a favorite oil like lavender or vanilla. Spray the underarms of the jacket’s interior and exterior. You’ll need to leave it to soak for a little bit. If you don’t like the smell of the vinegar, you can leave it outside again to remove that smell too.
When you have an odor embedded in the fabric of your coat, it can be tough to rid yourself of the smell. It’s always best to remove your jacket if you find yourself sweating profusely. Always wear deodorant even in the winter since underarm sweat can be triggered by stress as well as physical exertion or warmth. At the end of coat season, take the coat to be laundered professionally.
Here are some home remedies for underarm odor:
