As the weather warms up and the sun bursts through the clouds, many people find themselves breaking out their activewear and heading outside to get moving, stretch their muscles and have some fun. While leggings, tank tops, shorts, and shirts are typically comfortable and stylish, they often end up with one issue: the way they smell. If you’re tired of pulling out freshly washed workout gear that still stinks, check out the tips below to keep your activewear fresh and smelling clean all year round!
Wash your workout gear ASAP
To avoid the bacteria growth that can lead to a strong or musty smell, be sure to wash your workout gear ASAP once you’re done wearing it. If you’re not able to wash your activewear right away, hang it somewhere airey rather than leaving it balled up in your gym bag so that it has the chance to dry out.
Soak it first
Activewear becomes stinky because of a build-up of sweat and dead skin cells (yeah… gross). While the washing machine will do a pretty good job of getting it clean, adding a little soak time before you run the wash cycle will help loosen any yucky bacteria or build up that may be on your clothes.
Be sparing with detergent
While it might seem intuitive to add more detergent to a cycle with really dirty clothes, the truth is that conventional at-home washing machines can only handle so much detergent. If you add more than what is recommended (or even the recommended amount with a smaller load), your clothes will end up less clean, with more detergent built up in the fabric and still holding onto their unpleasant post-workout odor.
Add an odor-busting ingredient
When you want to be sure that your activewear remains stink-free, it can be worth it to add an odor-busting ingredient to your rinse cycle. Instead of adding fabric softener, add a small amount of white vinegar or apple cider vinegar to your stinkiest loads to ensure they smell fresh by the time they cycle is finished.
Hang to dry
While most activewear is pretty resilient, tossing it in the dryer is likely to wear down fabric and make it less likely to resist odors as it ages. Preserve the sweat and odor wicking properties of your activewear by letting it air dry instead of tossing it in the dryer.
This spring, don’t let stinky activewear keep you from your workout. Follow the steps above and your workout gear will smell as good as it looks!
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