Sucks when you can't smell it. It is apparently annoying enough for my mom to mention it, even still noticeable on once-washed clothes. Her suggestions:

• Drop the peanuts, maybe even nuts in general. See how that goes.
• Wash twice with maybe 1/2 full. Add smelly detergent, some oxiclean (for smells?!), and dish detergent.
  • Try washing soda?

What is frustrating about all this….

• I don't really want to add a bunch of “this might fix it” stuff to my washing routine if there's no double-blind impact.
  • Mom interprets my asking about the above as trying to prove that she's wrong about the whole thing
• What is frustrating to Mom is when she suggests something, I try it and then don't do the suggestion.

Can test for bacteria reduction methods using an agar plate. Easy to DIY with gelatin + beef broth recipe online + cupcake tin sterilized in oven.

• Or make agar by boiling potatoes?

Not the good kind of smell.

So apparently I have some base smell that's “manly” but not pleasant.

• Scrub with scrubby thing to shed skin/oils? Maybe just microfiber.

And then on top of that biking to work and warm sweat provides a good bacterial growth spot.

• Can't keep clothes at work cube. Leave jacket, reflector, and pants at bike. Hang clothes in locked locker? Or put them outside in locker.
  • De water the locker using a fan + battery (12V battery…used? or 8Ah $20 at Cabela's or $30 at Interstate). On humid rainy days keep vents closed and use super desiccant (damprid / ice melt / calcium chloride?) or rechargeable desiccant (less able to absorb, but rechargeable)?

Gym clothes are particularly bad. It's from bacteria letting out amino acids.

• Sterilize bacteria by getting hot water from water heater (130F for me) but supplement with boiling water.
  • USDA for milk High Temperature Short time is 160F for 15 seconds. Low Temperature Long Time is 145F for 30 minutes. Doug Baldwin is confusing me now. http://www.douglasbaldwin.com/sous-vide.html#Government_Pasteurization_Tables
• Or use a surfactant and detergent to wash away all the bacteria? Not so sure about this.
  • One DIY recipe that of course never explains itself (https://www.everydaycheapskate.com/home-and-family/a-fantastic-new-recipe-for-laundry-detergent), and http://bmorebungalow.blogspot.com/2014/02/diy-how-to-make-quick-homemade-laundry.html uses:
    • Washing soda / soda ash / sodium carbonate, seems like a more concentrated version (ph 11) of baking soda, sodium bicarbonate (ph 8 + CO2 + heat). Can get from pool supply stores cheaply. Why???
      • Main ingredient in oxyclean, along with sodium percarbonate, which breaks down into hydrogen peroxide and sodium carbonate. Argh…https://cleaning.lovetoknow.com/Chemistry_of_Oxy_Clean
    • Borax. Why???
      • Breaks down into hydrogen peroxide, especially in hotter water.
    • Dawn dish detergent / Fels-naptha bar soap.

Higher temperatures (above 130F) kill more bacteria, but tend to fade fabrics because they let the fibers open up? Not sure about polyester…