If you are a ski enthusiast, you have probably experienced that situation at the end of a long day (or week) on skis, when your expensive ski clothes have acquired tedious sweat marks and an ugly smell of sweat.
Here are some good tips for getting rid of sweat stains and odours. So, all you have to think about is enjoying your holiday, the hopefully good weather and making it down the slopes safely…
Sweating is natural – especially when you are physically active. But an ugly smell of sweat can be annoying both for yourself and the people around you. So, when you go out on the slopes, it doesn’t really matter what you choose to wear to neither freeze nor sweat.
Here a few good tips for a skiing holiday free of the smell of sweat:
When it comes to assembling your ski clothes, dressing according to the layer-on-layer principle is a really good idea. The innermost layer is the ski underwear, which will transport the heat and sweat away from the body. Therefore, it must sit tight and be made of sweat-transporting material. Cotton binds moisture, so choose either wool or synthetic ski underwear. Wool warms best and smells least of sweat, while synthetics dry faster and are the best when it comes to transporting moisture away from the body.
- The middle layer of clothing must provide heat and transport the heat that the body itself forms away: a microfleece top and fleece trousers, for example.
- The outer layer must be wind and waterproof. It can be difficult to move freely in a thick jacket, so we recommend shell pants and jacket. It is important to check the water column pressure of the jacket i.e. how much water the jacket can withstand. A good tip is to go for a jacket where the water column pressure is 15,000 – 20,000. It is also important for the jacket to be able to provide good ventilation.
- It is a good idea to wear both thin and thick gloves. The inner gloves should be wool or synthetic to direct the sweat away, so you won’t freeze because you have sweaty hands. And when you take off the outer gloves, you don’t just have fingers.
- Take care of your expensive ski boots! Put your footwear to dry when you come home after a day of skiing. Most ski resorts have drying rooms. Maybe you also have some old newspaper to stuff your boots with. It absorbs moisture.
- Choose real ski socks instead of old, Nordic rag socks. Buy them long and soft, for optimal fit and comfort. A good tip to keep the bacteria down to a minimum in your ski socks is to scald them.
If your clothes are already stained or smell unpleasant, there is an age-old belief that smell dispels smell. When you come home from your ski holiday, you can remedy the ugly smell clear, uncoloured vinegar. Soak the clothes for a few hours in a mixture of half vinegar and half water. Then wash them as usual in the machine, which will also take away the vinegar smell.
If you follow these simple tips, the chance of a dry skiing holiday is far greater. If you need extra help, you can use Perspirex, which is developed for people in need of an ultra-effective antiperspirant. A single application can keep you dry for up to five days and is available for both under the arms and for the feet and hands. You can buy the products in Matas and at pharmacies.
Have a great skiing holiday!