Best detergent for stinky black workout clothes available in Europe? What temperature?

Hello laundry community!

I’ve been reading through the sub but I must admit I am still a bit confused. I think if I was still living in the US it would be pretty straightforward for me to solve this problem but since moving to Spain, it’s harder for me to read labels and also source products.

The issue: I have a couple black sports bras that seem fine after washing but after they heat up on my body, start to smell like stale sweat. I can tell it’s the clothing and not my body. Occasionally I have this problem with my darks in general, and sometimes smells don’t come out in the wash at all.

I typically use Norit Bebe on darks because I get eczema from many fragrances in detergents, but not all.

I was considering using Vanish pink label on my darks but my mom said it will lighten my blacks overtime. Her laundry always smells great… but she lives in the US. I use vanish white label on whites and those tend to smell fine, but I also don’t have any white workout clothes, they’re almost all black.

I’m also unsure on what settings to use on my machine. I have an LG machine bought in 2021 brand new and I usually put it on “cotton” between 20-40* (is hotter better? Isn’t that bad for the longevity of my workout clothes? Do I need that heat to kill the smell?) and I add a pre wash which I think it’s a pre soak? I should probably investigate the machine options more there’s just so many settings.

I also have a dress I just got that has a distinctive old lady smell I can’t seem to get out. I’ve only washed it once but seems to be in the same category of problems as the sports bras. How to get the smell out without damaging the fabric.

The bras are mostly nylon and a little spandex. Maybe 85/15 or around there.

Posted Jul 5, 2026, 12:23 PM UTC

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