Tara and I are both busy moms who have houses full of sweaty, testosterone emitting guys who are prone toward stinky-ness. If you have similar tough odor problems, try these tips for a sweet smelling HAPPILY EVER AFTER! (Tara's comments in italics)
- Air. Keep everything aired out. Make sure it's not left in the trunk or the gym bag. (boys are so forgetful about this!)
- Sunlight. Stinky cleats or sports equipment that can't be washed easily? Spray it down with some rubbing alcohol in a spray bottle and set it out in the sun. Bleach is hard on the synthetics in the gear, so alcohol or vinegar is preferred. (my boys cringe at sunlight in the morning, might have some vampire blood)
- Alcohol. Rub chin straps and helmets with alcohol too. Helps keep bacteria from building up and cuts down on acne. (acne is embarrassing for boys too - but a part of growing up - stop picking at it!!)
- Mouthwash. Soak mouth pieces in Listerine to keep them fresh. (I need to do this with my youngest boy's retainer! love it!)
- Soap. Wash uniforms daily. Wearing soiled clothes not only increases the risk of skin infection, but it also increases the risk of the skin becoming galded since the salt in the sweat builds up in the material. (to keep the numbers from peeling, hang dry jerseys - they usually dry quick)
- Dry. Get a boot dryer. Wet athletic shoes are a bacterial breeding ground. Stick them on a boot dryer and they are good to go in hours. (I thought she said "booty" dryer, hahahahaha)
- Washing Machine. For that washer that starts to build up a smell (like our HE, high efficiency, washer)...run your washer (empty- without clothes) through a cycle with about a quarter cup of Iron Out. It's cheap and clears out the fatty, laundry soap build up that causes the nasty smell. I also like to run through a cup of vinegar in the next cycle. Keeps it clean and fresh without spending a lot on the pricey washer cleaners. (I hate the new HE washers, but progress forces me to use one. I suggest leaving it open to dry, and I leave a rag hanging on the door to wipe it out after loads and prop it open)
DEFYING REASON by Elizabeth Seckman
Jo Leigh Harper comes from a long line of trouble-making, white trash stock.
Tanner Coulter comes from a longer line of wealth-creating, blue blood stock.
Jo graduated college top of her class, moving toward a future full of possibilities.
Tanner dropped out of college, trading a law degree for drinking games and one night stands.
A family crisis throws the rich party boy and the poor genius girl together. The attraction is immediate, though neither one is a heart-in-the-sand-drawing believer in true love. But as the summer sun heats up along the shores of the Outer Banks, so does the connection between them. Maybe, just maybe, they can win at love by defying reason.
Jo Leigh Harper comes from a long line of trouble-making, white trash stock.
Tanner Coulter comes from a longer line of wealth-creating, blue blood stock.
Jo graduated college top of her class, moving toward a future full of possibilities.
Tanner dropped out of college, trading a law degree for drinking games and one night stands.
A family crisis throws the rich party boy and the poor genius girl together. The attraction is immediate, though neither one is a heart-in-the-sand-drawing believer in true love. But as the summer sun heats up along the shores of the Outer Banks, so does the connection between them. Maybe, just maybe, they can win at love by defying reason.
I almost forgot to mention! T.B. Martinson asked me to tell you all about her giveaway this weekend only! Her awesome twisty thriller CLAUDIA MUST DIE, is FREE right now!! Check it out!Claudia doesn’t feel like herself anymore—she feels like prey. Her husband’s hired goons have stalked her all the way to Boston and will only stop their pursuit once she is dead.
Divorce is not an option. Instead, she has stolen a bunch of her man’s money to disappear into another life.
In order for Claudia to live, someone else must die. A lookalike college student becomes the target capable of freeing her from an awful marriage.
The plan goes horribly awry. Instead of murdering Claudia’s double, the assassins shoot the woman’s lover who is the cousin of a powerful Irish mobster. Claudia becomes hunted by all involved. Can she survive? Should she?
And don't forget to enter my February "Warm up with a Good Book" Giveaway!! (Make sure you scroll thru the prizes - books and a $20 Amazon GC!)
24 comments:
I promise I was not a stinky teen. I didn't play sports and I was very clean and sanitary.
Oh, and tell your boys dousing in Axe does not make them smell better. (Does that stuff reek, or what?)
You guys make a great team!!! I've only had experience with girls--my stepdaughter. Girls have a BAD habit of wearing shoes without socks and MAN do those things stink?! I've tried telling her to put baking soda in them but she won't...and we only have her occasionally now (she's 15), so I don't have control of the shoes enough to sneak some in there!
Thankfully i wasn't too stinky at my sea, just a bit with sports.
Great tips! Believe it or not, girls stink, too - even if my mom likes to call it "glowing" - um, yeah, right. :) My oldest daughter actually likes the smell of her tap shoes . . . but agrees that her ballet shoes are rather rank - they have to be aired between wearings. I might try that sunlight and vinegar tip.
And the kayaking and canoeing gear that gets sweat and salt-water gets washed every outing . . . so I need to take your how to wash the clothes washer thing into account. Thanks!
BTW - I agree with Alex about the Axe - my daughters tried that with perfume but then they smelled the way their guy friends stink with the Axe cover-up and were convinced it doesn't work.
Thanks for having me over Tara! I'll be seeing you in a few months- once we have a thawing out!
@Alex, so glad you weren't smelly! You're totally right about the Axe. When my guys were in junior high, they would try the Axe baths after practice. It would make your eyes burn!
@Stephanie, I'm guilty of the no socks thing. Sunlight works for those too. I had those squishy flip flops, the kind with super soft soles? Awful in the summer. I tried washing, Lysol spray...none worked better than a day in the sun. And after wearing them to the pool, I'd set them outside to get a good drying out. (for a quick, temporary fix- try Febreze.)
@Pat, I suppose it's not nice to say all men are smelly- but have you ever smelled a guy's dorm vs girl's?
@Tyrean, I have to disagree. Glowing is far less smelly. LOL. Just joking. But seriously, group a bunch of guys together and you'll get way more obnoxious smells than when you have a bunch of girls. Totally basing that on personal experience...not fact.
Tara, you are a comedian.
I'm on board with Elizabeth's tour. Thanks for helping out and spreading the word. It has a conflict-laden plot.
LOL - I am glad I have girls :)
Well, living in a house full of girls, I can verify it's not just a boy thing! No sports equipment, but the main problem is letting food go stale in their rooms (they don't mean to, but half-eaten sandwiches have turned up in various bags in advanced state of decay) and never opening the window - yeesh!
Love the tips! And congrats to Elizabeth!
Yvonne
Good tips, Tara and Elizabeth. Congrats to Elizabeth!!
ha love this! been loving Elizabeth's stops through the blog-o-sphere :)
These are some great tips, even when you have no athletes. Thank you.
Boys stink. I don't know how it is that they attract such lovely girls. I never noticed the smell until I had my own sons. Wow, true love certainly conquers all, lol.
Gosh, I wish my mom soaked my retainer in mouthwash. That would have made that experience much more enjoyable, well easier to live with.
The boys in my sixth grade class were ordered to use foot powder because they smelt so bad in gym class, and the girls were ordered to use deodorant. I've long wanted to have an all-boy lineup, if I have kids before I'm too old, but never considered the idea that they might smell bad.
And for the non-athletes in the crowd we have...band practice. Oh yeah - plenty stinky.
I will have to keep these tips in mind when I have kids someday :)
@Peaches- Tara is the best!
@Nick- I was guilty of the rotting food myself.
@Yvonne, Cathrina, & Beth Ellyn- Thanks!
@Dixie- true- everyone gets stinky :)
@Dolorah- yep- girls may get stinky, but I think boys enjoy being stinky.
@TBM- It would work great as a retainer cleaner.
@LD- That's true. My youngest thought of switching from football to band- until he saw all the work and practice the neighbor kid had to do. Conner heard band camp and was out.
@Optimistic- maybe a few with stick with you.
Great tips on fighting the stink! I've never heard of a booty, I mean, boot dryer. Hehehe! Have a great weekend and stay warm. :)
@Christine- LOL. They could make a booty dryer. I'm sure soemone would buy it ;)
Tara and Liz, do the boys know they're under discussion and that you ladies are "airing the family linen" in this post... LOL
Great tips though!
This was fun and good to know! I'm not a mom, but I worked with preteens for years, and both boys' and girls' sneakers sure can reek! I used to be able to smell stinky shoes from several feet away in the classroom.
I hear what you're saying about Stinky! Had that with two boys. Gym bags were always the worst, and never put your hand into their jean pockets before you wash. Always carefully turn them out over the trash bin. Learned that the hard way.
Loved reading Healing Summer.
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