Why polyester traps smelly sweat bacteria better than cotton
A bacterium called Moraxella osloensis causes laundry smell. It feeds on oils in sweat that synthetic fabrics trap.
Damp fabric is a perfect breeding ground for bacteria. Moraxella osloensis was identified in a 2021 Japanese study and produces the compound behind that wet dishcloth smell.
Moraxella osloensis needs food: skin cells, sebum and sweat residues that survive washing. Polyester and nylon are the culprits.
They repel water but absorb oily sweat and body oils. This gives bacteria a feast.
Cotton, by contrast, loves water and sheds those oils more easily. Washing machines themselves hold microbial colonies.
These reintroduce bacteria to clean clothes. Fungi like mould add an earthy smell, called geosmin.
This happens when laundry dries slowly. This is why synthetic sportswear and athleisure keep their smell even after repeated washing.
- Moraxella osloensis
- Bacterium responsible
- 2021 Japanese study
- Study year
- Few hundred parts per trillion
- Geosmin detection sensitivity
Why it mattersUnderstanding why some fabrics trap smells explains why your gym gear reeks. It also helps you choose materials that won't hold odour.
AustraliaAustralians buying activewear and sportswear now know polyester and nylon will trap sweat smells more stubbornly than natural fibres, useful when planning laundry and wardrobe.
Corroborated bytheconversation.com
✓ Claims checked against the source. checked 18 h ago
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