The Correct Way to Wash Your Workout Clothes

From your pricey sports bra to your fitness wears, I present you some of the best tips and products to get your sweaty stuff spanking clean in no time 

Your workout clothes need more care in the wash than your socks and tees. You sweat in them, and they also absorb all the oils and dead skin cells that come out of your body when you exercise. But while your workout duds dirty more than your normal wear, they’re also more delicate. In particular, the expensive fabrics used to make your wear stretchy and supportive react badly to two stuffs: fabric softener and detergent.

(These 10 Fitness Fabrics Explained could help you choose which type is best for you.)

Some people add more detergent to their smelly workout clothes, but adding more is really worse. Why? The washing machine has a standard cycle that is set to function to a certain amount of detergent. Any excess does not get washed out. It just silts on your clothing, trapping dead skin and forming an ideal environment for fungus. If you notice a funky smell, that is possibly mould. It feeds off detergent as well as dead skin remains.

The actual villain—as much as your workout clothes are concerned— is fabric softener. It damages anything that stretches. Fabric softener also leaves behind a coating that will lock in odours, and can be difficult to clean out. Sometimes workout attires come out of the wash and you perceive a whiff of something that doesn’t smell fresh and clean, this is due to fabric softener trapping in odours. To ward off this smell, add half a cup of white vinegar to your wash cycle. It acts as both fabric softener and odour killer. Bonus: it’s very cheap, virtually eco-friendly. 

Step-by-Step Guide

Here is how to wash your active wear to keep them clean, undamaged, and odour-free:

• Turn the attire inside-out to protect colours.  Furthermore, most of the body secretion tends to build up inside the workout wears, not outside.
• Before washing, soak your clothing in a mixture of half a cup of white vinegar and cold water for 15 to 30 minutes. This helps remove odours and same time breaks down any gunk that may have accumulated during and after workout.
• Use a small amount of detergent; a little less than what the detergent brand recommends for load size.
• Wash the exercise clothing in cold water as hot water can break down fabrics and causes shrinkage.
• If you’re very particular about eliminating odours, add another half-cup of white vinegar to your wash- rinse cycle.
• Use the lowest heat setting on dryer or spin only and air dry the clothes. Once more, high heat can lead to damage or shrinkage.

Want to try something different? You can also look for detergent made for active wears if you sweat profusely.