How to Wash Activewear?
Activewear can have bad smell because of the build-up of sweat and body soils produced by your body. As your perspiration seeps into the fabric of your trendy, polyester-based activewear, the acids, hormones, and sulfur compounds found in those tiny, salty, liquid droplets start to break down into a stew of pure unpleasantness.
Most high-performance workout clothes like Wiskii activewear are made up of synthetic fibers, which act as magnets for greasy body soils. Some also have moisture-wicking technology or “moisture tunnels” that can trap sweat and body odors deep within the fabrics, which lead to bad smells that immediately happen as you begin to sweat. And, cotton workout gear can act as a sponge for sweat and soils, trapping the odors as they dry only to release them when they get wet again!
Here are six tips for you to clean your activewear properly:
1: Turn activewear inside out
Odor-causing bacteria, because they come from body soils like sweat and dead skin cells that rub off us form on the inside of clothes. Turning activewear inside out before washing allows water and detergent better access to the source of the smells, leaving the clothes cleaner.
2: Wash them as soon as possible
Wet activewear can become a breeding ground for stink when left on the floor or in your laundry basket after wearing them. So try to wash them as soon as possible. If it's not possible to wash them immediately after your workout, then give them a breather, let your sweaty clothes air dry before throwing them into your hamper.
3: Use a laundry booster or sports detergent
Boosters are used in laundry in addition to regular detergent. For eliminating odor, try adding a quarter-cup to a half-cup, depending on load size — of white vinegar or baking soda to the wash. Do not overload your washing machine to help ensure the proper circulation of water and cleaning agents through the wash and a more optimal clean.
4: Wash like fabrics together
Avoid washing athletic gear, especially if it has stretch in it, with activewear. Athletic clothes with stretch in them will pick up stray lint in the wash, and heavy items can lead to pilling and damage to more delicate activewear.
5: No fabric softener
Fabric softener leaves a coating on clothing that can lead to odor retention, even in clean laundry. That coating, especially when it builds up, makes it harder for water and detergent to fully penetrate the fibers, trapping odor-causing bacteria.
Tip 6: Avoid heat
Elastic clothing doesn’t love being exposed to high heat, and that heat will also amplify odors. Wash workout clothes in cold water, stick with the low- or no-heat dryer setting or, better yet, allow exercise clothes to air dry.
Follow these six tips, keep your activewear looking and smelling fresh!
