Gym gear requires special care when you take it to the self-service laundromat. Often made from sweat-wicking materials, exercise gear has a habit of getting a touch stinky. But don’t worry; in this guide on how to clean workout clothes, we have collected our favourite tips to ensure your gym gear stays fresh and ready for the next workout.
1. Let Your Gym Clothes Breathe a Little Before Washing
While your first thought when coming home from the gym may be to bury those smelly clothes at the bottom of your laundry basket, we’d advise against it! Airing out your gym clothes before washing them will make them easier to clean and ensure they smell fresh for longer. After you take your workout gear off, hang them out somewhere breezy.
2. Pre-Soak Your Gym Clothes in White Vinegar
Often the secret ingredient when it comes to laundry, a little vinegar can go a long way when cleaning workout clothes. If you have a particularly potent load of workout gear, soak them in a half cup of white vinegar and cold water for at least an hour before washing. Vinegar is a natural deodoriser; it will eliminate smells and break down sweat stains.
3. Keep it Cold When Washing Gym Clothes
Hot water may be hurting your dirty workout clothes more than you think. Extreme heat can break down the elasticity of stretchy materials used in yoga pants or running shorts, leading to shrinkage and shorter lifespans for your clothing. To avoid any extra wear and tear while washing workout clothes, remember to do a cold wash.
4. Stay Away from Fabric Softener
Workout clothes require a different cleaning process than your regular, everyday clothes. While it can be tempting to use fabric softener when washing your gym gear, it’s best to avoid it. Fabric softener can damage the stretchy fabric of workout clothes and creates a coating over them that traps smell within the fibres.
5. Turn Workout Clothes Inside Out
Knowing how to clean workout clothes properly can come down to one simple trick: turning them inside out. The inside of your gym gear takes the brunt of all that body bacteria that accumulates during a workout. Turning them inside out before washing will give them a more direct clean.
6. More Washing Powder Doesn’t Mean More Clean
If you thought adding a little extra washing powder to a load of well-worn workout gear would help the cleaning process, think again! Too much washing powder makes it tricky for the washing machine to rinse it out of your clothing properly. Washing powder residue can build up on your workout gear and become a magnet for sweat and funky smells.
7. Add an Odour Eliminator to the Wash
When all else fails, you can count on a good deodoriser to keep your workout clothes smelling fresh. While you can get store-bought products that will do the trick, white vinegar is also a great natural odour remover. Add half a cup of white vinegar to your next load of workout clothes, and they’ll come out smelling brand new.
Banish Body Odour from Your Gym Gear for Good
Ensure dirty workout gear isn’t another reason to avoid the gym this year by using our ultimate guide on how to clean workout clothes. Take these tips with you the next time you visit our Gisborne laundromat or any of our other Liquid Laundromat locations nationwide.