The best way to wash workout clothes
Just finished a vigorous workout session? Here's how to wash your exercise clothing so they smell fresh for next time.
- First things first, change out of your exercise clothes right away after a workout. They should be washed after every use.
- Next, hang up the dirty clothes and let them air out to help prevent bacteria growth. Never shove the clothes in your gym bag, hamper, or that pile of clothes in the corner.
Pro tip: Keeping your gym bag clean can help prevent your workout clothes from retaining bad odors.
- If your gym clothes are extra foul-smelling, let them soak in white vinegar before washing them. You can make a mixture of one part white vinegar and four parts cold water. Place the clothes in the vinegar solution for 30 minutes, rinse them with regular water, and then let them air dry afterward.
- To help remove sweat stains or deodorant buildup from the clothes, take an old toothbrush, dip it in detergent, and then scrub the affected areas with the toothbrush until you’ve removed as much as you can.
- Turn the clothes inside out before throwing them in the washer. Why? Because odor-causing bacteria will be on the inside of your clothes. Also, make sure to zip up any zippers to prevent snags in the washer.
- Now you’re finally ready to put those clothes in the wash! Don’t overload the washer; it’s better to have a small load so the detergent can properly reach all the funky parts of your clothes.
- Begin pouring detergent into the washer's detergent compartment. Make sure not to add too much because the cycle will get too sudsy. Having leftover soap can make it easier for bacteria to form on the fabric. If you’re worried a normal amount of detergent won’t be enough to get rid of extra-strong odors, you can try using a specially formulated sports detergent or laundry booster to get the job done.
Note: Do not add fabric softener to the washing machine. Like residual soap, fabric softener can trap bacteria and retain bad odors.
- When you're ready to begin the load, select the washer's Active Wear cycle, which is designed to clean exercise clothing. If your washer doesn't have this cycle, use the Delicate cycle with cold water instead. An aggressive cleaning cycle and hot water can damage the stretchy material of gym clothes.
- After the cycle ends, give your clothes a whiff to make sure any bad odors are gone. If they are, place them in another wash cycle to completely remove residual smells.
- Once your exercise clothes are fresh and clean, hang them up and let them air dry. Heat from the dryer can damage the elastics in the clothes. However, if you’re in a rush, you can put them in the dryer using a setting that does not use heat (like Air Fluff). If your dryer doesn't have a heat-free cycle, use the one with the lowest heat setting. Any higher setting could ruin your favorite muscle tee or yoga pants.
- When the load is nice and dry, it will be time to hit the gym again! Just repeat the steps in this article to always have the freshest workout clothes in your fitness class or among your workout buddies.
