How to Manage Armpit Odour?

Pasted below is a question I read on Yahoo Canada Answers.

The Question: How can I clean my armpits really good?

These are additional details given by the person who asked this question.

Ok so you may have figured but my armpits are really dirty.
I think its because i sweat so much.
So is there anyways i could clean my armpits really good?
Because i don’t know how girls do it but they have SUPER clean armpits.
With nothing at all.
And i cannot wear tank tops.
And those are my favorite type of clothing.
So do you know how i could clean my armpits?
what should i do? what should i use?

The Answer: This is a very good question and this is a very frequent problem in our society.

You state that your armpits are really dirty. I do not feel your armpits are really dirty. I feel that they may be “smelly” because you sweat more than other people. Yes, there are many ways to really clean the armpits bit I feel that all you need is ordinary soap and running water. At shower time or when bathing apply water to both your armpits. Then apply a liberal amount of soap. Rub the soap in and then rinse it out with running water. Dry yourself and your armpits.

If you shave your armpits then please shave them before this soap and water wash. Once your armpits are dry you have three choices to make.

First Choice: Some people use deodorants to mask the armpit smell. Armpit smell is due to excessive bacteria which live and thrive there. People who are more sweaty are generally more smelly. The deodorant masks the smell. It does not stop the smell from being produced. So people who come near you will get a smell of the perfume and NOT the decaying smell from the armpit.

Deodorants: Mask smell only. They do not reduce underlying problem of excessive sweat production and high bacterial count. Armpits will remain sweaty and the sweat will be visible to others.  

Second Choice: Apply an antiperspirant to your armpits. Antiperspirants shut down the sweat glands in your armpit. The end result is very little sweat, if any, is produced. The bacteria that produce the decaying smell die from lack of sweat and the problem is solved. However, you have to apply antiperspirant each day after a bath or shower.

Antiperspirants: These work by temporarily shutting down the sweat glands. This dries the armpit or wherever the antiperspirant is applied to. If you have a sweaty neck, it will work on the neck too.

Third Choice: This is really the best method and it will work effectively and immediately. After having a shower or bath, apply an antiperspirant and a deodorant to your both your armpits. This combination has two modes of action. The antiperspirant shuts down sweat glands this reduces bacterial count and the amount of decaying smell. The deodorant masks any residual smell which may be present.

Combination treatments: Deodorants and antiperspirants. For the person who has real odour problems this is the best option because these reduce the amount of sweat produced (therefore the decaying meat smell) and then mask the little smell that may be present.

Shaving the armpit may be helpful in the initial stages. But once the normal flora in your armpit is normal you should be able to be close to others without offending them.

Deodorants and antiperspirants can usually be purchased from most chemists. If you do not know where to look, all you have to do is to ask the chemist or sales assistant.

If you do all that is recommended here you will have super armpits, they will be dry, not smelly and you will be able to wear tank tops, your favourite ones.

This is a deoderant rollon. Image via Wikipedia

This is a stick of anti perspirant and antideoderantImage via Wikipedia