How to Take Better Care of Your Sportswear
When you take off your sweaty workout clothes, you might be tempted to just toss them in the wash along with everything else. But for quality fabrics and any stretch materials, more attention needs to be paid. Try these tips to make them smell long and last longer.
Rinse synthetics if you cannot wash them right away.
Do you have a shirt or sports bra that just … smells when you put it on, even if it’s clean? This is because the odor-causing bacteria sticks to the synthetic fabric, and once they do, it’s nearly impossible to completely rinse them off.
The bacteria eat up your sweat and body oils and create unpleasant odors at the same time, so an easy way to keep them from growing is to cut off their food source. Don’t let the smelly shirt fester in your underwear, wash it, or at least wash it off immediately after your workout .
Turn your clothes inside out
The dirtiest part of any workout clothing is the surface that touches your body. Turning the garment inside out makes it easier to wash from the inside, and the outside can be protected (for example, if there are logos or reflective details).
Close all zippers or fasteners to avoid snagging during washing. Hook-on sports bras especially benefit from underwear bags, which protect them during laundering and prevent the hooks from snagging on other clothing.
Use a detergent made for active clothes.
If you are happy with the way your clothes came out after washing, you can continue to use your regular detergent. Follow label directions and use the appropriate amount.
But if you need an extra boost, look for a detergent made for high performance fabrics. They are often better at killing or removing these odor-causing bacteria and doing their job with less potential tissue damage than using something like bleach.
Do not use bleach or fabric softener.
Bleach can damage some fabrics. Check the tag on your clothes; bleaching is not recommended in many workout items.
Conditioner coats the fibers of the fabric, which makes them smoother to the touch, but also reduces their ability to absorb moisture. Clothes that wick sweat should be washed without conditioner , and wool items such as Smartwool socks .
Hang them up to dry
The tumble dryer does not handle clothes well, especially stretch fabrics or spandex fabrics. If you need to dry your training equipment, use the lowest possible temperature.
However, it is best to hang them up to air dry. Luckily, work fabrics don’t take up a lot of water, so you can take them out of the wash, perhaps squeeze them out a little and hang them up to dry in the laundry or in the shower. Add a second curtain rail and hooks inside the shower and you always have a comfortable place to hang your clothes to dry.