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.

They really hit a home run with this story! To all the ladies out there: Since today is Valentine's Day, wouldn't it be nice if your man rolled up his sleeves and helped you with things like washing dishes and doing laundry? How about if he did that for you every day?

That's what this MSNBC article explores thanks to the feedback their readers gave when an article was published talking about the turn-on effect that helping with the chores can have on wives and girlfriends. Apparently women love a dishy man: "I would much rather prefer dishpan hands than six-pack abs! My husband and I do all our chores together. I wash the dishes, he puts them away," says one reader.

When referencing cooking, cleaning, and other household chores followed by "Plus it's such a turn on!" -- you know these ladies are serious. Of course, the flip side has implications as well. One commenter has been married for 30 years and her husband has never lifted a finger to help with the bills, yard, dishes or anything. It's her cautionary tale to would-be-wives to choose carefully. Read on for more great comments regarding men and their domesticated habits. Any female readers out there share this craving for a dishpan man?

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In the recent quest to find an eco-friendly alternative to what I consider to be toxic, fragrance-strewn clothing detergents, I discovered the "soap berry." Yes, this is indeed a plant husk that contains saponins for natural, chemical-free cleaning of all those laundry clothes.

I've used these soap berries for a few weeks now and have been nothing but impressed. My clothes have come out smelling fresh (without smelling like a fake spring day) and being very, very clean. Although there are many earth-friendly detergents out there, this one takes the cake.

Although my family looks at me like I'm nuts, I just hand them their clean clothes after washing them in soap berries and those question marks turn to belief pretty fast. 200 loads for about $30 is not that bad, either.

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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 it's nice outside, why don't you do something that will save you money, help the environment and leave your clothes smelling oh-so-fresh -- give the dryer the rest of the summer off and hang your clothes on the clothesline outside. Don't have a clothesline? They're super cheap and you can tie them to the trees in your yard. Or you can invest in a drying rack. To be honest, it's something that never occurred to me, growing up in the city surrounded by such modern technology, but at Jon's urging, I started hanging my clothes outside recently to avoid heating up the house and I've got to say, I love the smell and the crispness of my clothes when I bring them in. And in the summer heat, my shirts are usually dry in a couple of hours so it's not really inconvenient either.

Need more incentive? Not using your dryer can save you $45 a month.

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Using an electric dryer to do your laundry can account for as much as 10% of your home's energy needs, but believe it or not many Homeowner's Associations across the country don't allow the line-drying of clothes outside. They put clotheslines in the same category as many other commonly regulated items like rusted or non-working vehicles sitting in driveways or on lawns. Alex Beam, of The International Herald Tribune, reports that hanging laundry outside can supposedly drop a property's value by as much as 15 percent. Seriously? Well so many Homeowner's Associations think so that such a thing as a "right to dry" laws exist in Florida and Utah -- protecting people's right to dry their clothes outside.

The most commonly sited reason for why line-drying is so objectionable seems to be the idea of underwear hanging out in public for everyone to see. But still, regulating something so basic, simple, and energy-saving seems a bit ridiculous to me. What's next? Rules on what kind of clothes you can wear while walking your dog on the community sidewalk? Let's not get carried away -- this is still America, after all.

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