
Unlike your everyday wear, workout apparel requires some extra care to remain fresh and effective. Sportswear is made of synthetic fibers which is fantastic in keeping moisture off your body but it also makes you smelly if you do not clean it properly. Here, we tell you how to wash sports clothes in the machine and help them smell fresher for longer.
Why You Need to Wash Your Workout Clothes Correctly
Your workout gear is built to hold up against sweat and stretching and crazy moves but not all sportswear-equipment fabrics are alike, or warrant the same type of treatment. While regular washing methods remove surface dirt, they aren't going to reach the bacteria and odors that may have gotten deep into your blanket. If you want to use your gym clothes for longer and in better condition, you will have to adopt a few extra measures when it comes the time to do the laundry.
Washing Sportswear in the Washing Machine
1. Pre-Rinse Your Gym Clothes: Swirl your workout clothes in cold water directly after a sweat session. This will remove sweat and body oils before they soak into the fabric. If you are unable to launder right away, air dry them to prevent mildew from growing in your hamper.
2. Wash Sports Clothes Separately from Regular Ones: When you do the laundry of sportswear, take care not to mix it with ordinary clothes. Gym clothes are typically designed as moisture-wicking fabrics that draw sweat away from the body, but that means they do not absorb bacteria and odors. Put soiled nappies through a separate wash in the washing machine, using the gentle cycle to ensure they are as clean as possible without damaging the fibers.
3. Choose the Correct Detergent: The easiest way to wash fitness center garments is by utilizing a sport-specific detergent. These detergents are designed to penetrate oils and germs that are locked into the moisture wicking material, leaving you with a filthy garment. You might also be able to add white vinegar or baking soda to the wash cycle, which can help in extracting difficult odors as well. Learn more to remove odor from clothes without washing.
How to Care for Your Workout Clothes
1. Wash Right Away from the Gym: To avoid having sweat and bacteria settle into your clothes, rinse them with cold water and then you can wash them after your workout. This allows to get rid of excess steam and mildew. If you cannot wash them right away, then allow those to dry by air before putting it directly into your laundry basket.
2. Turn Clothes Inside Out: Sweat and oils mainly accumulate on the inside of your workout clothes so turning you gym clothe inside out before washing allows the detergent to reach the areas that need cleaning most. It also prevents the outside designs and patterns of the fabric from wearing down.
3. Wash with a sports-specific detergent: Regular detergents may not be able to completely kill the stink-producing bacteria in synthetic fabrics. This sport-specific detergent is proprietary for use in moisture-wicking fabric, as it breaks down oils, sweat and bacteria trapped within the material so to give it a through cleaning.
4. Cold Water Wash: Hot water can destroy synthetic fibers as with polyester and spandex; it will cause lose elasticity of these fibers. Wash workout clothes in cold water to protect the fabric; they will also shrink a little. Cool water will still help get the smell and bacteria out of your garments without harming them.
5. Stay away from Fabric Softeners: Fabric softener works as an opponent of moisture-wicking fabrics leaving a residue, which worries smell and evening reduces their perspiration-wiping capability. Avoid the softener and just use mild detergent.
6. Washer Overload is a no-no: Workout clothes should have enough room in the machine to get correctly cleaned. Putting too much into one load may result in zero cycle and allow mixtures to accumulate on your clothes after just a few months. Make smaller loads that allows each piece of clothes to be freshly laundered. Check our laundry symbols explained.
The Correct Way to Wash Sportswear for long use
Wash in Cold Water: Hot water will break down the elasticity of spandex and polyester, which are usually used in workout gear. Simply washing gym clothes in cold water helps retain its shape and stretch. Using cold water is just as efficient at getting bacteria and dirt out, with the added benefit of not wrecking your fabrics.
Put Them In A Mesh Laundry Bag: Put your gym clothes in the mesh laundry bag. Placing fragile clothing items such as sports bras and leggings in the mesh laundry bag minimizes upheaval and maintains the material’s quality.
Do not use fabric softener: Fabric softeners leave a film on your workout clothes that trap bacteria and odors. Instead, utilize a sports-specific detergent and desist from softeners. Click here to Learn about the difference between wet cleaning and dry cleaning here
Dry Your Workout Clothes with Care
Hang To Dry When You Can: As tempting as it may be to toss your clothes in the dryer, high heat breaks down the fibers that give workout wear their quality. If you can, air-drying is the safest option. After exercising, you just hang your sweaty gym clothes up to air dry on a drying rack.
Quick Drying on Low Heat: If you're in a hurry, throw it into the dryer on a no-heat or low setting. And when you do wash your fitness fashion, use gently rinse on warm instead of hot; high heat can degrade the moisture-wicking properties of your clothes. Tips on how you should use your Washing machine are available to read here. Read our guide on washing machine usage
How Often Do You Need To Wash Sports Clothes
You should wash workout clothes after each use, because otherwise bacteria will build up and odor. Some articles of clothing may not be overly sweaty, especially if they are an outer layer and you can get two to three wears out of one wash. However, to get the best results frequent washing is essential. Check out here to remove odor from clothes without washing.
Tips for Washing Gym Clothes
Turn Clothes Inside Out: Make sure you are cleaning all the sweat and bacteria off of your active wear.
Pre-Soak in Vinegar: Water and vinegar help break down oils and bacteria, thus eliminating odors from your gym clothes.
You should not Overload the Washing Machine: Be mindful not to stuff too many items into the washing machine so that you give more space for your workout clothes to be swished around and get their clean on. Check out how dry cleaning services work.
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