Walmart Ponchos - Non-Disposable & Odor Questions

[champ.49er]

We're getting ready for our early August trip this year (10 days trip). Last year, we bought the disposable ponchos at Walmart for $.88. They worked great and we actually used them for several days. However, around the 3rd day, there was bad odor coming from the ponchos. I wasn't sure if it was our sweat and/or sun screen that caused the bad odor. We ended up using another set since we did purchase a few more.

This year, I'm thinking about purchasing the non-disposable $5.88 ponchos from Walmart based on the fact that I could (a) use the ponchos back home, (b) doing my part to help the environment, and (c) the price is about the same or cheaper for the duration of the trip (depending if I use a disposable for 2 days).

My questions are:
1. How is the quality of the non-disoposable $5.88 Walmart ponchos compared to the $.88 disposable ponchos?

2. Did anyone else experience this odor problem when using a poncho more than one day? Will the non-disposable poncho also experience this odor problem? If so, I'll probably just deal with the disposable ones rather than deal with that bad odor.

Thanks in advance!

 

[chipndales]

We bought those once, the .88 ones, and if memory serves me right, they didn't smell. But you might have gotten a bad batch of plastic too. We also have the ones in the reusable pouch (the 6 dollar ones maybe?) and those are the ones we've had two years now and will be bringing back this year!

 

[MineMail]

The 88¢ ones are very thin plastic, so they are hard to handle, esp. if the downpour catches you off-guard. (My brother uses them.) I'm too cheap to buy the Disney ponchos, plus our bright orange-colored ones make it easier to stay together in the sea of yellow at the parks. I'm a little environmentally-conscious, so I'd rather reuse the ponchos.

We've been using the same ponchos for years (purchased from CVS) and never had a problem with them smelling bad, even after a few days' continuous use. However, it could have been from sweat - I was at WDW during the May Monsoon and I was really uncomfortably warm - the ponchos don't let air circulate. Flapping it helps but makes you look silly, lol.

If you leave it bunched up, the moisture will cause mold/mildew. After you use it, give it a good shake to get most of the water off and then hang/spread it out to dry thoroughly before you put it away.

If you want to salvage them, wipe them down with anti-bacterial stuff or swish them in a tub of bleach-and-water. Just be sure to rinse and dry them well afterwards.

 

[lilandvisma]

we bought both but after inspecting the cheap ones I really couldnt understand how it would stop us from getting wet in a downpour which FL is so well known for I feel safer with the reusable ones. Since I am pretty scrawny I was also able to get a kids one for myself Dollar general had some really cute tinkerbell and princess ones for kids too! Now if I were shorter (Im 5'7) I'd probably sport one too

I hope we dont end up smelling...though in humid and hot weather its almost inevidable. Maybe some lysol wipes after use then hang to dry??? Or febreeze em?

Back in the day while dancing at a professional level our instructor had us wear these "slim ez" shorts and pants that were made from material like ponchos and we would spray them down with febreeze after use~just a thought!

 

[CathieArms]

I have the more expensive panchos from Wal-Mart that I thin you're talking about, but I thought I paid around $4 for them. they come with their own mesh-ish bag?

I've had these for several years and I was planning to go back for 2 more since I seem to have lost 2 of them. I've found that they hold up quite well and I've never noticed any odor coming from them.

 

[champ.49er]

If you leave it bunched up, the moisture will cause mold/mildew. After you use it, give it a good shake to get most of the water off and then hang/spread it out to dry thoroughly before you put it away.

Now that I think about, I do believe we left them bunched up for a few days until we needed to use them again. I'll have to make sure to air them out when we get back to the hotel that same evening. Thanks!

 

[dd50]

I've have some from Disney that are about 15 years old. You should hang them up after you wear them to make sure they dry. If not they will get the mildew smell just like a shower curtain liner that isn't opened to dry.

 

[SOnotLayuh]

DF and I love the 5.88 ones at WalMart! We used them last year and they are still in perfect condition for this year! We haven't had any odor problems at all... the only issue was trying to fold them back in to those little bags... so take gallon sized zip lock ones instead!

 

[HolidayRose]

We've been there during rainy season several times and have noticed the odor after a few days and we hang the ponchos up to dry every night. To me, it smelled like sweat. We've gone to replacing cheap ponchos after a couple of days. I'm not sure if the more expensive ponchos are immune from this problem.

 

[Atchley]

We purchased ours at WDW several years ago and reuse them every trip. I am too cheap to purchase new ones. We even still have the yellow ones from many years past.
I carry them with me to the parks everyday. They do get heavy, but as I said, I am cheap and refuse to purchase something again that I would already have back at the resort.