Association of Staphylococcus_hominis and Odor Production on Sweaty Polyester Sportswear

Unpleasant odors on worn clothing reduce the comfort of the wearer and shorten the lifespan of textiles. Sweat-soaked polyester sportswear could promote specific bacterial growth and produce more odor, but the exact odor-related bacteria are still unclear. In this study, we aim to identify bacteria associated with odor production in polyester sportswear. 16S rRNA full-length sequencing was used to identify bacteria at the species level, while a digital nose was employed to objectively quantify odor intensity. We investigated the association between bacteria and odor intensity in polyester sportswear worn in both short-term (one-time wearing) and long-term (8-week wearing) conditions. We found that under the short-term wearing condition, α diversity decreased and β diversity increased, but no significant differences were observed under the long-term wearing condition. Importantly, Staphylococcus_hominis was strongly associated with odor intensity on clothing. The absolute abundance of Staphylococcus_hominis was correlated with the intensity of odor (r = 0.706), and this association was further confirmed by qPCR assay. Staphylococcus_hominis is associated with odor intensity in polyester sportswear.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12088-025-01520-w.