I sat down to pick up my most-loved fitness shirt in the morning and thought, P.U., that isn’t an ideal choice. Many of us who work out have experienced this. Even when you clean your workout clothes frequently, they’ll develop a sweaty smell you cannot eliminate.
Before properly washing my workout clothes, I’d often have to throw away excellent gear because I could not remove the smell. And I’ve learned from speaking to my friends that they’ve done the same thing.
However, as a professional cleaner, I can now remove the smell of gym clothes, and I’m sharing that with you this morning. If you exercise at home or the gym, read my blog posts on cleaning your gym garments and washing your equipment after workouts. If your laundry isn’t fresh enough, Check out Smelly Washing. Here’s How to Easily Fix Stinky Laundry.
Don’t Toss Workout Clothes in the Hamper
You’ve just returned from a run, and all you need to do is shower and sip an energy shake. Or, if you’re like me, the only thing you would like to do is shower and have a bite of the occasional cupcake. Whatever your preference for post-workout nutrition, don’t immediately dump your clothes into the laundry basket.
If you’re feeling a bit determined, you could immediately take your gear to the wash to remove the sweaty sweat from your clothes as fast as possible. However, let’s face it that we won’t wash our clothes after each exercise. The best thing to do is hang your clothes before putting them in the hamper. The clothes should be allowed to air dry and let the sweat dry so you don’t have smell or mold growth.
Turn Them Inside Out
Your clothes aren’t stinky. However, you are! But your body sweat, as well as skin cells, can be. The bacteria that cause odors originate from your work, body oils, and skin cells, which pass from us onto our clothing.
If you put your workout clothes inside out to dry them and then wash them, you’re assisting the water and detergent to reach the cause of smell (your sweat) and clean it up.
Presoak Workout Clothes in Vinegar
Vinegar is my most preferred natural ingredient for cleaning. There are many ways to remove dirt using vinegar. Among them is to clean your exercise clothes. When your clothes are dry and before putting them in the wash, fill the sink with one tablespoon of vinegar and five parts of water.
Soak your gym equipment in this solution for 30 minutes, then put it in the washing machine as soon as possible. Please don’t fret; the vinegar smell won’t be too strong to last long after you’ve cleaned it with detergent.
Laundry Detergent for Workout Clothes
Adding excessive amounts of detergent to a load of washing is simple. Some people will do this when they notice that their clothing smells to put in more laundry detergent. Some even add fabric softener. However, too much detergent and any softener for fabric will create a sticky residue on your sweaty workout clothing without helping to reduce the odor.
A vinegar presoak is enough to eliminate smells, but if you did not do this, add some vinegar to the laundry. Check the instructions on your detergent and adhere to the directions. You can select the detergent designed explicitly for gym equipment, but I’ve found that vinegar and regular laundry detergent is sufficient for me.
Wash After Every Wear
Sometimes, finding an unintentional re-wear from your workout clothes is easier before washing them. Its actual laundry can be a pain! To keep your workout equipment fresh, you must wash your clothes each time you exercise. This is especially important when your workout is highly intense, which means you sweat a lot.
The gear you wear for your workout is abrasive, which means that even if you hang your workout clothes swe, and bacteria are still in the fabric of your clothing. Additionally, not wearing your workout gear is a great reason to get extra sets of leggings!
Wash In Hot Water
If you want to fight bacteria and keep your clothes smelling and feeling clean, you must wash your clothes in hot water. If your workout clothing tags state otherwise, warm water is the ideal method of eliminating bacteria and germs.
Have you ever made boiled water to drink during an outing with your family? Maybe you’ve watched an actor in a film doing it. The science is similar. Hot water kills bacteria; therefore, run your sweaty clothes through a hot shower.
Ditch the Dryer
I know I’ve just said that hot is a bacteria killer, but keep burning for the washer. Have you ever heard that sun’s U.V. radiation can also kill bacteria? Therefore hanging your gym gear for drying naturally under the sunlight can assist in removing bacteria, and fresh air keeps your equipment new and smelling great.
Additionally, air drying can help your workout clothes maintain their shape. This is particularly true for bras, leggings, and other workout clothes. It’s also less rough on clothing which means it lasts longer. In addition, it’s better for our ecosystem, so everyone benefits.
Stink Begone! : How To Wash Workout Clothes
I’m sure that no matter if I’m taking a yoga class or enjoying a cup of coffee with a pal, the smelly stench of my gym attire does not make me feel great. So, I hope my suggestions can help you be the cleanest fitness rat in your fitness center or at home.
Don’t forget; no one is the perfect person. If you slip up and don your workout clothes two times in the same row, don’t worry about your pants over it (literally)! Please give them a soak in vinegar later, and get on with your day.
