Originally Posted by
acidfast7
As a microbiologist, I find that hard to believe. Most of the "stink" is from bacterial metabolism rather than anything else. That's why freezing clothes is often better than a hot wash ... better in terms of maintaining the fabric, not requiring and water and eliminating the odour-producing bacteria. As an extension, the sweat produced by one's body doesn't have any smell on it's own. However, one could argue for washing out "salt stains," which would be produced by the body.
When I lived in Stockholm, Levi's ran a huge campaign about freezing denim instead of washing, which made a lot of sense to conserve washer and almost no individual owned their own washer/dryer, so it limited having to register for the communal system.
Which part is hard to believe? That my synthetics do not stink after laundering? I have tops in my closet that have been laundered and they have been sitting in there for years and seldom worn. They don't stink. If they did, they wouldn't be sitting in my closet. That's my anecdotal experience. They do stink after mild to moderate exertion. This is from the highly unscientific whiff test.