Any fitness buff or sports enthusiast will know what I mean when I say moisture-wicking fabrics have a stinky problem. Sure, they're wonderful when you're jogging or working out at the gym; they pull sweat away from your body instead of letting it cling to you like a cotton t-shirt does. But those moisture-wicking shirts and shorts and socks have a downfall... they are the pack rats of sweat.

The same problem holds true for many sports uniforms. I know my son's nylon soccer uniform can come out of the wash with all the grass stains removed, but sometimes there's a lingering aroma quite different than the spring-fresh aroma my laundry detergent touts.

There are plenty of options for getting your workout clothes or sports uniforms looking and smelling perfectly clean. Specialty sports detergents are designed for performance fabrics. And other laundry additives can boost the cleaning ability of your normal detergents. Check out the gallery for some ideas.

Putting on your clean clothes when they are still just a little warm from the dryer is such a guilty pleasure, and the fresh scent evokes all things cozy.

But did you know that scent that you love so much may be toxic? And the chemical residues left on your skin from the detergents can be causing an array of health problems for you, some as serious as cancer.

Gross! There is a negative impact on the environment, as well. Bacterial mutations in fish, unbalanced ecosystems and other toxic effects on fish and mammals are caused by the chemicals you use to clean your clothes.

Seems a bit counterproductive, doesn't it? Clean the clothing, poison the environment and your self.

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While camping carries a mystique of healthy rigor about it, the very dishes we eat off of while vacationing in the wilderness may be teeming with tiny sick-making bugs. And it's our own fault.

The food blog Brownie Points pointed me toward the Science News article How to Wash Up in the Wilderness. A microbiologist, Joanna Hargreaves, conducted a study regarding dish-cleaning practices among backpackers and expedition companies and found that their methods were not removing all harmful bacteria. She hazards a guess that individual campers may have even poorer habits than the large expedition providers she followed.

The piece in Science News recalls a related 2004 study that found that 56% of backpackers studied on the Appalachian Trail developed diarrhea, and the risk was much higher among those who did not always treat their water before drinking it. But nearly half of the Appalachian hikers who did consistently treat their drinking water still got diarrhea. "So other hygiene lapses-including inadequate washing of hands, dishes, and eating utensils-are apparently major threats to health in the wilderness," concludes microbiologist Hargreaves.

I have to admit my own camp dish-washing methods pale in comparison to the three-bowl scientific approach she prescribes. If I recall our last camping trip correctly, we rinsed with boiling water...or swished...or something. Umm, maybe I'll mend my ways next time we camp thanks to this article.

[Photo by kwankwan.]

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