In a year, gym traffic increases twice a year, in January and late Spring. Whatever reason you have for going to the gym, you have to keep your attention on your workout clothes. Workout clothes may have an unpleasant odor after your work. Although you may say it’s an indicator of your hard-earned perspiration, sweat is not only the real culprit for the odor– including sebum and bacteria too!
Now, you’re conscious of your sweaty workout clothes. Well, no one wants to have smelly clothes. You can quickly get rid of this embarrassing odor by taking proper care of your workout clothes. Besides that, activewear is your investment. These expensive types of garments have to be cleaned and washed carefully.
Take these strategies in cleaning your workout clothes.
Tips to Remember in Washing Workout Clothes
Workout clothes are comfortable, breathable clothes, but they can trap sweat, sebum, and bacteria that cause an unpleasant odor. If you let your workout clothes pile on the laundry hamper, it will allow bacteria to grow and linger. It would not be surprising if it will develop an offensive odor and mold if it’s left unwashed long enough.
1. Laundry your workout clothes immediately.
Workout clothes after gym sessions will always be soaked with sweat, or even if you did not sweat that much, you still have to wash your workout clothes immediately. It is recommended to wash or bring your workout clothes to a laundry service near your area immediately to avoid sweat and bacteria turning into an unpleasant odor.
If other responsibilities hinder you from washing your workout clothes immediately, you can dry them on a rack to prevent the odor-causing bacteria from growing. It’s known that gym clothes are dirtier than the regular clothes you wear.
Workout clothes have delicate materials, appropriately cleaned. Thus, if you do not have enough time to pay attention to washing your workout clothes, it is best to drop them off at the nearest laundry service.
2. Soak your sweaty workout clothes with white distilled vinegar.
Before you soak your sweaty workout clothes, turn them inside out. The odor-causing bacteria, sebum, and sweat are primarily trapped in the seams inside the clothes because they are rubbed off. Turning your workout clothes inside out gives better access to the water and detergent to access the source and make the clothes cleaner.
Now, it’s time to soak the workout clothes with white distilled vinegar. Prepare 1:4 of white distilled vinegar and water in a wash bin or inside your washing machine. Let your workout clothes soak for 30 minutes before the wash cycle. After 30 minutes, rinse them with water.
If you are wondering, white distilled vinegar is a budget-friendly and natural product for deodorizing and cleaning your workout clothes. It cuts through body oil and releases soil and bacteria that cause odors in fabrics.
3. Wash like fabrics together in cold water.
Do not wash your workout clothes with regular clothes. It’s best to wash clothes with the like fabric to avoid pilling and damage. Sorting your clothes before laundry is the most efficient and effective way to keep them in good condition.
Now, if you think washing your workout clothes with warm water to kill the accumulated bacteria, that’s a myth that you should correct. Hot water will break down the synthetic fabric of your gym clothes resulting in shrinking. You have to use cold water to wash your delicate clothes. Coldwater will help your clothes maintain their shape, breathability, and durability.
4. Watch the amount of laundry detergent you use.
It’s time to debunk the idea of using a generous amount of laundry detergent to make your workout clothes look cleaner. Using excessive laundry detergent in washing your dirty and smelly gym clothes will only make the situation worse.
Excessive use of detergent will only create a layer of buildup in the garment. Moreover, it will trap more dirt, dead skin, and body oil, making it an ideal environment for bacteria. The excessive detergent will make it harder to clean and rinse. Thus, only use half of the amount you regularly use in regular clothes.
5. Do not even dare using fabric softeners.
The worst “technique” in making your workout clothes remove their unpleasant odor is using a fabric softener. Fabric softeners damage your workout clothes’ flexible synthetic fabrics, which reduces fabric performance, making it difficult to clean. Using the distilled vinegar to soften the fabric and eliminate bacteria is already an effective method.
6. Air drying is the best method to dry out workout clothes.
It’s time to dry your workout clothes. Do not use your dryer machine; it will break down the fabric and alter the shape of your activewear. They will weaken the elastic fiber resulting in tears and holes in your workout clothes. You can keep your workout clothes in their optimal performance by air drying.
7. Do not forget your workout sneakers!
We have only focused on how to clean your workout clothes, but your workout sneakers are not an exception. Those sweaty shoes need cleaning and attention too, but how? You have to remind yourself that your cross-trainer shoes are made of durable and delicate materials that washing machines can easily damage.
If you wash your workout sneakers in a traditional method, it will damage the foam pad, synthetic fibers, stitches, and glue, reducing their performance. You can maintain its condition while making it smell fresh by:
- Remove its shoelaces, place them in the wash.
- Use an old toothbrush to remove the dirt accumulated on its sneakers.
- Create a baking soda paste with detergent. Use the toothbrush to scrub the dirty marks on the sneakers gently.
- Use a clean and damp sponge to remove the paste residue. Wipe your sneakers with a dry cloth.
- Sprinkle baking soda inside your workout shoes and let them air dry.
- When it’s dry, shake out the baking soda and put back the clean laces on your sneakers.
There’s nothing more refreshing than hitting the gym or running on the outdoors for a bit of sweat with your fresh-smelling workout clothes and sneakers! Follow these cleaning tips to make your activewear in good condition. If you are not confident doing it alone, always ask for a laundry expert’s advice.
