Merino Wool Smell

[Mule3006Elk]

Normal IMO. When I take my FL base layers out of the wash and hang dry them the laundry room has a definite funk smell.
Once they dry they smell normal.

 

[henz08]

Sometimes when I take them out of the washer, if I had let them sit for a little while in there, they are little musky with that wool smell, but honestly, once they are dry the smell goes away. I've never experienced the smell while hunting even when I've been soaked by a rain storm or sweated a bunch. I have a lot of merino wool, but just have never experienced what you are dealing with.

Try washing with a little baking soda and some scentless detergent maybe? All my hunting clothes get washed that way, and like I said I don't have any stinky wool issues for the most part.

I have no issues following this advice/method.

 

[307ArrowSlinger]

Glad I found this thread, I had no idea why my merino smelled funny when wet. I have about 6 SG merino pieces and they all have that smell when I sweat a lot or get rained on and right after a wash. Ive heard the grangers helps with it so I plan on trying that out next. Oddly enough I have never had any of that smell from my SG merino boxers

 

[Wolfshead]

All my merino wool is Kuiu.
I’ve got some from 2012 and I have never had a problem with smell.
Not on any piece do what I have. There will be a musty smell if I forget and leave it in the washer over night, but that rarely ever happens and if it does I wash them again anyways.
I wash them in Atsko sports wash on gentle cycle - no problems.

 

[307ArrowSlinger]

All my merino wool is Kuiu.
I’ve got some from 2012 and I have never had a problem with smell.
Not on any piece do what I have. There will be a musty smell if I forget and leave it in the washer over night, but that rarely ever happens and if it does I wash them again anyways.
I wash them in Atsko sports wash on gentle cycle - no problems.

I’ll have to look into that wash, thank you!

 

[Erebor]

I've seen others complain about the smell merino sometimes gets after being wet, but never when brand new. Hopefully you figure that out. Maybe run thru an ozone for 15 minutes and then hang outside for a bit.

That being said, I can attest to FLs merino bases not stinking after wearing them many days in the woods without washing. I wore the fuse and/or kiln and furnaces every day of the season for 8 weeks and washed them 2 maybe three times. Not once did I notice a smell. I used ozone a few times for good measure, but probably didnt need to.

 

[BBob]

My Kuiu merino has never smelled wet or otherwise. I use Atsko sports wash and have for 35-40 years? They don’t smell when I dunk them in a creek to rinse them during a hunt either.

 

[Wolfshead]

My Kuiu merino has never smelled wet or otherwise. I use Atsko sports wash and have for 35-40 years? They don’t smell when I dunk them in a creek to rinse them during a hunt either.

I agree.
I’ve had nothing but good experiences with Atsko as well.
Not only does it help with Odor but it also has no UV brighteners.

 

[BBob]

Not only does it help with Odor but it also has no UV brighteners.

Which was the main reason I first started using it. It’s the only thing in the house for washing clothes.

 

[5MilesBack]

I agree.
I’ve had nothing but good experiences with Atsko as well.
Not only does it help with Odor but it also has no UV brighteners.

All I use on my hunting clothes is Atsko, and a lot of the merino's still stink to high heaven when wet. I have a very strong sense of smell, but my goodness....to not smell it at all would be difficult. Like I've said before, the KUIU was so bad just hiking in on an elk hunt was too much to take for me. The combination of sewer and chemical smell all put together, even coming out of the laundry, just bad. I haven't found any other brand that was that bad. But when dry, they're fine.

 

[jtivat]

I have tons of Kuiu and Ridge Merino and its best quality is that it never smells.

 

[BBob]

Yeah my Kuiu merino was bought here and there over time and its all good. I have some of the new light weight stuff and while it feels a little different (softer) it still doesn’t stink wet or dry. I wonder if they had a batch or batches that did? I would have to think so if others say theirs stink.

 

[SMOKYMTN]

It’s been 4 years since I started this thread and I’ve come to the conclusion that noticing the smell is like asparagus piss, half of all people can smell it and the other half can’t. Haha! But in all seriousness there’s never an in between, people either notice it strongly or not at all. There’s definitely merit to it, I just ended up switching to modern synthetics with odor treatment and I don’t smell anything anymore.

 

[Wolfshead]

All I use on my hunting clothes is Atsko, and a lot of the merino's still stink to high heaven when wet. I have a very strong sense of smell, but my goodness....to not smell it at all would be difficult. Like I've said before, the KUIU was so bad just hiking in on an elk hunt was too much to take for me. The combination of sewer and chemical smell all put together, even coming out of the laundry, just bad. I haven't found any other brand that was that bad. But when dry, they're fine.

I’m sorry for your experience. It just has not been mine.
I hope you’re able to find something that works for you.

 

[5MilesBack]

I’m sorry for your experience. It just has not been mine.
I hope you’re able to find something that works for you.

Ya, even my lightweight polyester camo gets a chemical smell to it when it gets wet. And I've had this camo for almost two decades now. So it doesn't wash out. I'm thinking it's the dyes for the camo, because most of my solid merino and poly stuff doesn't smell when wet.

 

[SMOKYMTN]

I’m sorry for your experience. It just has not been mine.
I hope you’re able to find something that works for you.

I know this is random, but I read a study a while back that people's ability to smell certain things comes down to genetics. It's funny that certain folks have sensitivities to certain smells while others can't smell them at all. I just know that when I started this thread 4 years ago, I had just switched to merino because everyone said "merino was odor resistant", yet low and behold after just a little moisture or sweat I smelled like a wet dog nearly every time. Funny thing is my wife couldn't smell it. Go figure, haha!

I think this thread just kind of proves that, some people can smell it while others can't. Like you said, just gotta find what works for you!