Tips on How to Wash Gym Wear the Right Way

Tips on How to Wash Gym Wear the Right Way

Your workout clothes require special cleaning and care because they endure sweat, grime and even armpit stains. Whether you are working out in a gym or training in a field it’s important to stay fresh and clean. Nobody wants to start their day with offensive odour or sweat stains. If not cleaned properly, your activewear might turn out to be odour magnets! Thus you need to know how to wash gym wear the right way. In this post, we’ll share 10 tips on how to clean gym wear the right way so that you never lose their shape nor worry about odour or stains!

Why are there odour and stains on Gym Wear?

 

Most of your gym wear is made of sweat-wicking materials like Lycra, polyester, spandex or nylon. These are special materials that are designed to absorb sweat and dry out quickly. You will find your gym wear often has channels and grooves that lets sweat come to the surface so that it can evaporate quickly, and this lets you stay cool and comfortable. These grooves in gym wear can also trap sebum, and dirt that may cause odour problems.

If you pile up used active wear, the growth of bacteria can cause the odour to linger around longer. The longer you wait to wash your gym wear, the harder it will become to remove sweat stains. So you must follow these tips on how to wash gym wear the right way to keep them fresh for you longer so you can train comfortably in them.

 

10 Tips on How to Wash Gym Wear

Your gym wear includes your activewear t-shirts, shorts, socks, gym gloves and even your sports shoes. While you might be washing your shorts and t-shirts regularly sometimes you want to skip washing socks and cleaning your shoes. But wait, don’t do that! No one wants smelly feet! If you want to learn how to clean gym wear, you must know socks and sneakers can get stinky very soon and most likely the stink is going to linger on if you do not air your sneakers regularly. In this post, we’ll share various ways you can identify how to wash gym wear.

#1 Dry your clothes before Washing

Air your sweat-soaked active wear and let them become dry before doing the laundry. You can hang it outside and let it sit under a fan so that the gym wear gets dry and all moisture evaporates. This will make it much easier to clean.

 

#2 Use cold water to wash your activewear

A hot water shower might be the best thing for you to wash away dirt, sweat and grime after a workout; it might be the opposite when it comes to your gym wear. Materials for your gym wear like Lycra, polyester, and spandex give you the flexibility to move around because they are stretchy textiles and have good elasticity. However, hot water can actually break down the elasticity of these sweat-wicking materials.

So it’s always better to wash your running shorts, yoga pants and gym t-shirts in cold water so that it doesn’t lead to any shrinkage and can last long.

 

#3 Pre-soak active wear in vinegar

Humble vinegar can be very useful when you are trying to figure out how to clean sports clothing. If you are trying to clean foul-smelling active wear, pre-soaking them in the vinegar helps immensely.

Take half a cup of white vinegar ad mix it with cold water, soak your sweaty gym wear in this water for at least half an hour before washing. This is one of the best ways to wash sports clothes. This will help you to get rid of unpleasant odours and also help to break down sweat and dirt build up.

Vinegar soaking is a budget-friendly tip on how to wash gym wear and is easily found in every kitchen.

 

#4 Do not Dry your gym wear in the machine

Gym wear and activewear are made of special stretchy materials and they are safe to be washed both by hand and machine. But extreme heat can damage the fibres of your clothing. Never dry your washed active wear in a machine or drier. Let them air dry or drip dry outside or on a clothes rack.

 

#5 Say no to Fabric Softeners

Fabric softeners are not meant for your gym wear. They can in fact damage the fabric of your activewear by creating a coating on your clothes and trapping odour. This goes even for liquid fabric conditioners.

 

#6 Wash your gym wear inside out

One of the best ways to wash sports clothes is to wash them inside out. This will not only keep the colours safe but also allow deep cleaning for the insides that are usually sweat-soaked. Turn the clothes inside out before washing to thoroughly clean armpit stains and sweat stains.

 

#7 Sports Detergents Works like a magic

Sports laundry detergents are specially formulated to deep clean moisture-wicking fabric and fight odour without forming any layer. If you want to know how to wash gym wear the right way, you can make friends with sports detergents that will attack odour-causing bacteria built up and remove sweat stains.

 

#8 Don’t mix sports detergent with regular detergent

Sports detergent and regular detergent powder or liquid have different formulations altogether. Don’t mix sports detergent and regular detergent while washing your gym wear. And too much detergent is an absolute no-no. You don’t want a layer of detergent on your activewear.

 

#9 Don’t wash activewear with Jeans, Fleece or towels

One of the most important tips on how to wash gym wear if you are washing in a machine is to not mix fabrics like denim, towels or fleece along with activewear. Particles from these fabrics will get attached to your activewear and that would be a mess.

 

#10 Washing socks and shoes are a must

Don’t neglect your gym shoes and socks. They can be odour magnets. Are you wondering how to clean dirty gym shoes? You will be surprised to know you can actually wash your sneakers in the machine. Here’re the steps to follow on how to clean your gym wear specially gym shoes.

  • Remove laces, and brush off excess dirt
  • Put them in a laundry mesh bag to avoid them getting trapped in the drum
  • Place a mesh bag in the machine along with a few old clothes to provide cushioning
  • Add liquid detergent to the detergent tray
  • Wash in a gentle cycle
  • Air dry your trainers with newspaper stuffed inside

Takeaway

Now you know the importance of taking gentle care of your sweat-wicking activewear and how to wash gym wear the right way. Do not forget to clean your gym socks and gym gloves regularly because your feet and palm sweat the most. These cleaning tips will ensure you clean your activewear the right way and they will last longer ad help you perform better when you train. Just like your fancy clothes, your gym wear needs some TLC too. When you feel better and comfortable you perform better. Happy training!

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