Garfield Cat

I suppose if I already have the stinky clothes and just want to get it out, I would go to the beach. I am near the Pacific ocean, beach town. I would go to the beach with those stinky clothes with the Home Depot bucket. Fill the bucket with wet sand and sea water and then toss in the stinky clothes. Let the sea salt kill the odor. Then rinse and sun dry.

Surfers don't stink.

Looigi

IMO, you should not use chlorine bleach. It works, but can degrade the fibers because it is too basic. Oxiclean (and borax) works the same way but is much safer for the fabric. Try it. Take a something stinky like a mildewed rag or sponge and soak it for a few minutes is a solution of oxiclean. The odor will be completely gone and won't come back until the item gets contaminated again and the mildew is allowed to grow. If you leave sponge in a bleach solution overnight it will disintegrate, but it won't if left in the oxiclean solution.

Altair 4

I haven't had the stinky bike clothes problem, maybe because I launder my riding clothes immediately after de-biking (is that even a word?).

However, I will sing the praises of Oxi-Clean. The stuff is a fantastic stain remover and seems safe for fabrics. My kid enjoys all kinds of arts and crafts, not to mention all kinds of outdoor activities. Her clothes present challenges every laundry day - stains, paint, egg dye, grass stains, mud, grease, bike lube, etc. I never know what I'll find. As a result, I have found soaking clothing in Oxi-Clean will take out stains that laundry detergent alone won't budge. In extreme cases, I have left some of her stuff soaking in Oxi-Clean for a week, sometimes changing out the mixture half way through. The clothing is undamaged and usually the stain is gone even before I throw the item in with the regular wash.