Ok guys and gals, I know you have all read post that talk about scent elimination and what not. Many of us in here use scent free detergent in conjunction with baking soda to wash our clothes in. Well, let me tell you I witnessed first hand this morning it working. Morning started off good. Got out o bed on time ate breakfast and then showered. I use ivory unscented bar soap. Then pulled my freshly washed clothes out of the bag that I had sprinkled baking soda in after drying them. I dressed and went to put my coveralls on and no go! K hadn't put them on since mid December 2011. Not good. So I broke out a ton of hot hands and headed for the stand. That's why I am back home already but, that's a different thread. I got over half way to the stand and realized I didn't spray down with my Dead Down Wind. Great! I thought but the wind was good and I kept on. As I sag freezing my butt off I was expecting deer to come in from 2 different areas. Around 8:00 I heard what I thought was a squirrel behind me. They had been playing all morning and I just started ignoring them. After a couple seconds, I turned to see a doe coming in from down wind. She had no clue I was there which tells me she didn't smell me at all. I am now convinced more than ever that baking soda really works. Just thought I would share with everyone for future reference for anyone else looking for an alternative to the expensive brands l.
I would have to agree with stick on this one. I have been using baking soda to wash my hunting clothes for a several years now. It is very inexpensive and it seems to work as well if not better than the other products on the market used for this purpose. I store the clothes in my bag and I spray down with a scent killer spray before going the stand, no problems so far.
I havent washed my clothes with baking soda but i do put it on my boots and in the boots. Dont know if it actually works but i believe it does!
I am a big believer in using backing soda to wash my hunting clothes. Not only do I like the fact that it is scent free, but I also like the fact that it won't fade my camo out.
Baking soda works well. That being said, nothing completely eliminates one's scent. More than likely the deer didn't perceive your scent as a threat or the combination of the thermals/wind were carrying your scent over and above the deer if she was downhill from you.
I haven't tried baking soda but think I will give it a shot. When I store my hunting clothes I add some activated carbon, for my fish tank filter, to my container. Seems to help absorb any leftover smell that the scent free detergent and the spray didn't take care of.
I use baking soda all the time. I wash my clothes in scent free detergent and then when I toss them in the dryer I add some baking soda to them. I put them in my tub and inside my tube i have a small tupperware container with holes poked in them full of baking soda. Have had deer come in down wind and never knew I was there. I rarely use any cover scent. What I do make sure I do is always dress out at the parking lot of the hunting area. I don't wear anything that I plan on wearinging in the woods in my vehicle. Works for me
^^^ This. The wind was probably carrying the scent over the deer. The baking soda might have helped a little though.
Deer know the difference between live scent and old scent. I don't care how scent free your clothes are, you (and I) still smell. That is what deer are afraid of, your "live" scent. They are not afraid of your smelly clothes. To prove it I put the stinkiest shirt, underwear, and socks, that I could manage to funkify, out in the woods in front of a trail camera. The deer could not care less about my stinky duds, they walked right past them as if they were not even there, and boy did they stink! You would be better served to concentrate your efforts on making your body, and breath, as scent free as possible. In that regard baking soda on your skin, and as a mouthwash, does not hurt. It absorbs odor and more importantly makes the PH on your skin unfriendly to odor producing bacteria.
Bret, I have to agree it may have had some to do with thermal or something of that nature. I do believe in this stuff now though. I don't think it kills all scent. If my OP sounded that way I would like to apologize. I don't want any new hunters thinking that is the case. It's not and nothing will completely eliminate it. I use it in the wash. Then sprinkle a little in the dryer. I also sprinkle some in a scent free trash bag to store them.
Well, I do shower before I go out as I did this morning and hunt down wind of trails I hunt. This is a major concentration of mine as I usually brush with baking soda before a hunt.
