You empty your gym bag, take a whiff of your hamper, or you just did laundry - and you STILL smell your sweaty gym clothes. Why is that? The short answer is bacteria, which produce a gas from the residue of salts and oils left from salt on your clothes. Luckily, there are tips to keep your workout attire clean and banish the bacteria from forming.
Wash Your Workout Attire ASAP
This is one of the biggest workout mistakes - don't even give bacteria the chance to build-up by either washing or rinsing your workout clothes right away. The sooner you can get your sweaty gear into the laundry, the better. And no matter what you do, do NOT leave your sweaty clothes to "marinate." The longer you leave sweat and bacteria in a dark or damp environment, the greater the chance your clothes may never smell the same again. Even if you can't get your clothes into a washer right away, just give them a quick rinse. This will help wash away some of the oils and salts that are still on the surface of the fabric. Just be sure to hang everything up to dry before tossing the clothes into your hamper.
Separate Your Workout Attire From The Rest
There's two methods of completing this. First, turn each of your workout clothes inside out to get them squeaky clean and ensure they last as long as possible. Sweat, oils, and other substances that your body expels during exercise collect primarily on the side of the fabric closest to your body, so you want to expose that surface to the wash as much as possible. Additionally by doing this, you are protecting it from any snags or abrasions that could occur when garments are colliding in the washing machine. Secondly, you may want to create a complete separate load for your workout clothes to protect them from the rest of your wardrobe. Then if you do this, you can use a dedicated sports detergent to really wipe out the smell.
Avoid Fabric Softener & Dry With No Heat
Whether you wash your workout attire together or separately, avoid fabric softener at all costs. Fabric softeners work by adding a thin layer of chemicals to help them feel softer and smoother. However, these chemicals block the pores in synthetic materials, which reduce the garment’s ability to wick away moisture. So when it comes to washing your workout clothes, just don't use them! Furthermore, when it comes to drying your workout clothes, hang drying is best. Of course you can opt for low-heat or no-heat in the dryer as well, but note that any type of heat can break down your synthetic fibers.
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-Gina
