The human body constantly produces heat, which is emitted as sweat. This evaporates, acting as a cooling system.
The quantities produced quickly increase with physical effort and correspondingly high temperatures. A person secretes at least half a litre of sweat per day. This amount can exceed fi ve litres in high temperatures and when playing sport.

As a rule, sweat is odour-free. The typical odour only occurs when it is contaminated by bacteria.

Functional sports clothes can generally only be washed at 30°C or 40°C. Some fabrics only by hand. The laundry can be washed but cannot be washed completely clean: the unpleasant odour often remains after laundering.

HOLMENKOL TextileWash with its built-in hygiene effect can be used even when laundering at the lowest temperatures – even hand washables – for a hygienically clean effect.

Breathability is one of the most bemusing and at the same time fascinating aspects of functional clothing – and extremely important for our comfort and well-being. Strictly speaking, the concept is misleading. Only a living being is able to breathe, and not some inanimate material. So what does this highly acclaimed concept of
breathability really mean? Breathability is the term used for moisture transportation and therefore stands for the water vapour permeability of a material from inside to out. The skin remains dry.



How exactly does it work?
Humans are active and produce energy. To prevent the body from overheating, it must emit heat. Ten percent of this takes places through breathing and the rest through perspiration. To avoid the build-up of heat in the body, clothing must also be able to emit heat and transport the perspiration. In addition to this, clothing should be windproof. Clothing manufacturers are always searching for new technologies and have used these in new types of fabrics. In the case of all fabrics, it is important that the outer fabric remains water repellent so that the water vapour molecules* are actually released into the outside world.