Smelly Gym Bag or Backpack? Here are 10 Solutions

Fortunately, there are solutions. Whether you are a regular hiker and worried about your smelly trekking backpack or have a recurring issue with a smelly gym bag, we have you covered.

What causes bad smells in backpacks?

Several factors cause bad smells in backpacks. You will need to eliminate each, in turn, to get rid of those unpleasant odors and return your bag to its original fresh-smelling state. The four main culprits are:

1. Sweat and moisture – Anyone who has worn a backpack on a warm day knows that the back soon gets sticky and sweaty. This moisture soaks into the bag’s fabric, creating the perfect environment for odor-causing bacteria. Damp items like sweaty gym clothes and wet towels add to the humidity, providing more nutrients for the bacteria to feast on.
2. Food and drink – Many people carry their lunches, snacks, and drinks in their bags. While this does not usually cause issues, it can cause problems if leftover food particles or drink spillages are left in or on the bag fabric. These will start to spoil and smell, resulting in some strong odors.
3. Dirty clothing – It is completely normal to finish a gym session and shove your dirty, sweaty gym kit back in your bag. What else are you going to do with it? However, if you do not remove it fairly quickly, your gym bag will start to smell bad. Dirty clothes often harbor the bacteria and fungi responsible for those unwanted odors.
4. Lack of ventilation – As backpacks are not usually designed to be well-ventilated (they need to be water-resistant a lot of the time), smells tend to accumulate and get trapped in the various pockets and pouches, causing a very smelly backpack.

Recognizing these four main causes of smelly gym bags and backpacks can help us prevent and remove odors. That said, it’s also beneficial to understand the science behind these smells.

The science behind gym bag odors

Generally, smelly gym bags acquire unpleasant odors from two main sources – bacteria and the surrounding environment. 

Environmental odors are the product of things like cooking, fire smoke and body odor. These impact your bag when particular odor-causing molecules get trapped in the fabric of your backpack and linger.

Bacterial smells are slightly more complex. Many bacteria produce unpleasant odors as part of their metabolic processes. In other words, when they feed and convert nutrients into energy, they produce byproducts. And those byproducts smell. Bacteria thrive in damp, warm environments where the required nutrients are in ready supply. Unfortunately for us, human sweat and dead skin cells are packed full of them. So when damp, sweaty gear is left unwashed, odor-causing bacteria thrive and multiply, resulting in nasty smells.

Parts of the bag that are vulnerable to smells

With this information in mind, we can also identify the areas where environmental and bacterial odors are most likely to be an issue. For backpacks, these areas include:

• The main compartment – As the area where used clothes, damp towels, drinks, food, and all kinds of other gear are most likely to be stored, it is particularly prone to bad smells.
• The drinks holder – Often positioned on the outside of the bag, leaks or spills make the drinks holder vulnerable to bacterial odors. This is especially true if you use the holder to store beverages that contain sugars, such as sports drinks and soda.
• Any small compartments – Lacking good ventilation, the various small compartments on a bag can trap crumbs, bits of food, and similar items, which begin to rot and smell.
• Zips and seams – Another area that traps moisture and encourages bacterial growth. Effectively cleaning zips and seams can be difficult.

How to get a smell out of a backpack

At Polygiene, we always say prevention is better than cure when it comes to bad-smelling textiles. However, there are several methods for removing unpleasant odors from bags.

1. Bicarbonate soda – Also known as baking soda, you can sprinkle bicarbonate soda inside your bag and let it sit overnight to absorb the smells. Then you simply tip out the baking soda when ready to use your bag in the morning. 
2. Air out your bag – A simple but effective method, all you need to do is turn your bag inside out and hang it in a well-ventilated area. If the sun is shining, it is even better, as this will dry the material and kill any bacteria on the fabric.
3. Hand wash your bag – Rinse your bag thoroughly with mild detergent and warm water, then air dry it by hanging it up in a well-ventilated area.
4. Use odor-eliminating sprays – Odor-eliminating sprays, such as the Storm x Polygiene OdorCrunch spray, make light work of smells, keeping your bag smelling fresh. 
5. Freeze your bag – Bacteria do not enjoy extreme temperatures and freezing your bag is a great way to put them out of action. Wrap your rucksack in a clean plastic bag and leave it in the freezer overnight. Let it thaw out in a well-ventilated space before you use it.
6. Essential oils – Essential oils often contain antibacterial properties and are also fragrant. This means they eliminate some bacteria while also masking any unpleasant odors. Tea tree, lavender, and eucalyptus oils are particularly effective.

How to prevent bad odors in gym bags and backpacks

As mentioned previously, prevention is much more effective than taking remedial action. Ensuring your backpack never starts smelling means you do not have to spend time and money sorting the problem out. To prevent unpleasant odors, consider the following:

1. Polygiene anti-odor technology – Polygiene has developed two powerful anti-odor textile solutions that are integrated into materials during manufacturing, providing 24/7 protection for a bag’s entire expected lifespan and keeping your bag fresher and smell-free for longer. Polygiene StayFresh is a highly effective antibacterial solution, while Polygiene OdorCrunch tackles environmental odors.
2. Air the bag after every use – Whenever you are finished using your bag for the day, open all the compartments and ensure they are well-ventilated. If possible and practical, turn it inside out and hang it up.
3. Don’t leave things in your bag – Leaving items in our bag limits airflow and encourages bacterial growth. These both lead to unpleasant odors getting trapped in the fabric.
4. Wash your backpack frequently – You can also wash your backpack regularly to prevent bad smells from accumulating in the seams and hard-to-reach areas. Make sure you follow the manufacturers’ instructions when doing so.

Understanding Polygiene anti-odor technologies

Antibacterial additive technologies, such as Polygiene StayFresh, are arguably the most effective means of preventing unpleasant odors in a bag. Based on silver chloride, a skin-safe salt that you will find in soil and water, the solution works to prevent bacterial growth in three distinct ways. 

1. It interferes with the cell membrane, hindering growth.
2. It inhibits enzyme activity and affects cellular energy production.
3. It disrupts cellular DNA, preventing replication.

On the other hand, Polygiene OdorCrunch uses an entirely safe silica-based solution to attract, capture, and crunch the molecules responsible for bad smells, releasing and neutralizing them in the process.

Both technologies are integrated into the textiles during manufacture, so they guarantee around-the-clock protection for as long as the product lasts.

Benefits of integrated Polygiene technology

As well as anti-odor protection, Polygiene technologies boast a host of other benefits. 

• Less washing – Polygiene-treated bags stay fresher for longer, so you don’t need to wash them as frequently. This results in considerable money and time savings, as you use less detergent, electricity and water, and don’t have to do as much laundry.
• More environmentally friendly – Less frequent washing also has significant environmental benefits, as you reduce the amount of water and electricity you are using to maintain your belongings.
• Enhanced durability – Because you don’t need to wash items as frequently, they last longer. Washing machines can be harsh on fabrics and are responsible for premature wear. Fewer washes means more durable products. 

Polygiene anti-odor technology in bags and backpacks

Several highly respected brands already utilize Polygiene anti-odor technology in their bags and backpacks.

Airinum Tote Bag Pro

A convenient everyday tote bag that looks amazing and boasts the technology to match, the Airinium Tote Bag Pro utilizes Polygiene StayFresh technology to excellent effect. The solution is incorporated into the inner lining, where it is highly effective and targets a traditional problem area.

Gregory Border Traveler 30

A 30-liter backpack with a practical split-case design, the Border Traveler 30 incorporates Polygiene StayFresh technology to prevent bacterial growth and keep the bag smelling fresh. 

Keep the bad bag smells at bay with Polygiene technology

Polygiene anti-odor technology is changing the way bag manufacturers, clothing brands and other producers of textile-based products think about odor control. Easy to incorporate into manufacturing processes, accredited by bluesign® and OEKO-TEX®, and designed to protect products for their entire lifecycle, it is a sustainable and eco-friendly means of distinguishing your brand and delivering extra value to end users.

To learn more about our solutions head to our dedicated Polygiene StayFresh and Polygiene OdorCrunch product pages or visit our homepage to explore a wider range of Polygiene-treated products.