Now, scented clothing that masks the stench of body odour

Washington, July 1 : Sick of telling your boyfriend to do something about that stench of sweat and dirt that puts you off even before sharing an intimate moments in his arms? Well, then you can now gift him a perfumed shirt that will ensure that your man always smelling as fresh as ever.

Portuguese researchers have developed a method in which "microcapsules, which are small shells measuring between 1 and 100 micrometers, are inserted into fabrics, reports Live Science.

And it is possible to inject various fragrances into the shells, which can then be used in products from scratch-and-sniff stickers to peel-apart perfume samples in magazines.

Right now, researchers make these microcapsules with formaldehyde, a known cancer-causing agent that is also an environmental hazard. But, there is a need for a safer material for putting microcapsules into textiles.

This made the scientists to opt for polyurethane-urea, a more environmentally-friendly plastic that is compatible with fabrics.

The researchers developed microcapsules filled with limonene (which is found in the rinds of lemons and gives them their citrus smell), and applied them to samples of wool and polyester.

Later, they tested the scent-infused fabrics and discovered that the scent was long-lasting and resisted drying cleaning and other wear.

According to the researchers, such lemony-fresh fabrics can be put to use for making BO-neutralizing, suits, socks and even underwear.

The results of the study are detailed in the latest issue of the journal Industrial and Engineering Chemistry Research.

ANI