The more you sweat the better your workout sessions are. Sweating hard at the gym can help you in extracting the best of your training but how does this affect your workout gear? Well, stinky workout clothes are the indicator of how hard you were at the gym but that makes the cleaning of your gear harder. Does that mean you should go easy to the gym? Not. Here is your guide on how to clean your workout clothes after an intense training session.
Experts recommend that you should get your workout clothes washed after every session regardless of how sweaty it was. Well before we start here is a quick explanation of why your gym clothes stink. Certainly, that odor tells you that you have hit the gym right, that odor doesn’t just come from your sweat but your skin cells, sebum & salt are the main culprits, and bacteria as well. Sebum is the sticky, fat wax that settles down on the fabric of your gym clothes. Well, warm water melts it away, but athletic clothes are mostly made up of synthetic fibers which are suggested to be washed with cold water. Here are a few tips on how you should get workout gear clean and fresh again.
Wash the workout gear soon after exercising
Make sure you get your workout clothes washed soon after you train. Because pulling your sweat-soaked gear can cause bacteria to grow which can cause even more offensive odor & mold. So immediate washing is a good way of getting rid of bacteria. If you have a busy schedule and are usually caught up in household & work responsibilities that keep you away from washing them immediately, hanging them and letting them dry will prevent the stink-causing bacteria. The gym clothes are dirtier compared to regular clothes and are more delicate thus they require a different washing approach.
Must Read: Boxing Fan? Check out why the pre-warm-up and post-workout cool-down is important.
1) Soak and Rinse
To get rid of body soil absorbed in the fabric wash them with white distilled vinegar. It is an inexpensive acid that breaks the body oil & causes soil & bacteria to wash away. Mix a part of white distilled vinegar in the four parts of cold water. Soak your workout gear & soak them up to 15-30 minutes before washing. Then rinse them in plain water & allow them to drip dry before you put them in the hamper.
2) Turn the workout clothes inside out
Most of the Odor-causing bacteria come from our bodies thus the odor is accumulated from inside, not outside. Turning them inside-out will give the water & detergent efficient access to the primary source and will get clothes cleaner. Plus, clothes that are washed inside-out give a newer look for longer.
3) Wash in cold water
Warm water can break the synthetic fabrics of which most of the workout clothes are made up while creating a shrinkage. So, wash them with cold water to maintain their form, breathability & overall longevity.
4) Use the right dose of detergent
Regardless of the fact how stinky your clothes smell, always add laundry detergent in a specified amount. Adding too much washing detergent can be the biggest mistake you could do while laundering. Adding more amount will not get them cleaner but leaves soap residue which will trap the odors even after wash. Consider using sports detergent for washing your workout gear. Also, too much agitation will cause damage & shorten their lifespan.
5) Wash same fabrics together
Do not wash athletic gear, particularly if they have stretch in them, with other gym gear such as towels, fleece jackets & linty items, or heavy clothes. Gym clothes will more likely stretch in during the wash, & heavy garments will lead to pilling & damage the delicate performance-wear. Washing the same fabrics together is an efficient & effective way for keeping your athletic wear.
6) Skip the fabric softener
The worst thing one can do with their performance wear is washing them with fabric softener. It damages flexible fabrics & can trap more odors causing difficulty in cleaning. For having the same benefits as fabric softeners, consider adding half a cup of white vinegar. It will soften your clothes naturally.
7) Air dry the performance wear for better performance
The heat of your dryer can damage the performance of your fabric & alter its shape, flexibility & fit. Exposing the athletic-wear to warmness & friction will break its delicate fabrics. For better performance & long-wear, air dries them.