This study investigates the microbial growth and odor development in cotton and synthetic clothing fabrics. The researchers collected t-shirts from 26 healthy individuals after an intense bicycle spinning session and incubated them for 28 hours before analysis. They found that polyester t-shirts smelled significantly less pleasant and more intense compared to cotton t-shirts. A dissimilar bacterial growth was found in cotton versus synthetic clothing textiles, with micrococci isolated in almost all synthetic shirts. Staphylococci were abundant on both cotton and synthetic fabrics. This research shows that the composition of clothing fibers promotes differential growth of textile microbes and determines possible malodor generation.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4249026/