If you’ve ever taken a freshly washed sports bra out of the dryer only to catch a whiff of last week’s spin class, you know that clean clothes sometimes don’t smell quite as clean as they should. There are many reasons why odors linger even in just-washed garments, including using too much detergent or fabric softener.

Odors can also be attributed to something missing in your laundry day routine—a powerful ingredient that breaks down oily residue that leaves a stale or rancid odor, even in clothes you’ve just laundered. The ingredient is an enzyme called lipase, which can be a game-changer for combating odors, leaving your clothes smelling fresh and clean.

What Is Lipase?

Lipase is a water-soluble enzyme that targets fats and oils. In the body, lipase helps the digestive system break down fats, and it performs a similar function in laundry detergents.

Laundry detergents that include lipase are formulated to break down oily residues that can cause malodor, including bio-based oils such as sebum, the naturally occurring oil excreted by our skin. When sebum and other oily residues build up on fabrics, they leave behind a stale, almost rancid smell that can linger even in just-washed clothes.

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When to Use a Lipase-Based Detergent

Using a lipase-based detergent breaks down and washes away the oils that lend a musty, unpleasant odor to clothes. Lipase-based detergents also help to target oil, grease, and fat stains on fabrics.

A lipase-based detergent is recommended for reviving old clothes, including vintage items that have taken on a thrift store smell, as well as for keeping workout gear and garments worn close to the body, such as leggings, clean and odor-free.

Workout gear and tight-fitting clothes in particular absorb sebum, the oil that occurs naturally in our skin. When not fully washed out, sebum residue builds up over time and, like other oils, develops a foul odor as it ages. Synthetic fabrics, especially stretch fabrics, are particularly prone to trapping body oils, making a lipase-based detergent a good choice for washing them. 

Detergents containing lipase are not recommended for washing wool or silk to avoid weakening the fibers.

Buying Lipase-Based Detergents

Given that lipase is such a powerful odor-eliminating ingredient, you would expect to find it in just about every laundry detergent on the market. However, because lipase is more stable in powdered detergent formulas than in liquid detergents, including detergent pods, it can be hard to find brands that include the odor-neutralizing enzyme. The next time you’re in the detergent aisle, take a few extra moments to check the ingredient list to ensure your laundry routine is at its best.