How To Wash Workout Clothes According To The Experts

When you think about it, the fabrics on our favorite gym gear are pretty impressive. They can wick sweat and stretch with any squat and down dog. “We’ve been machine weaving cotton for hundreds of years, but this high-tech, performance fabric, a polyester-lycra combo, is relatively new,” says the Minnesota-based lingerie expert and author of Love of laundry: finding joy in a common task Patrick Richardson. “It’s an incredibly sophisticated fabric.”

And as anyone who’s ever forgotten to empty their gym bag knows, this nifty fabric can get a little smelly. “Even though it wicks sweat away from your skin, it has to go somewhere to sit in the fabric,” says Jennifer Lau, Nike master trainer in Canada and co-owner of FITSQUAD training facility in Toronto.

How do you fight the stench? First, you can actually throw your workout clothes in the washing machine, says Richardson. In terms of the settings and soaps to use, the two pros explain the best way to get your gear sparkling clean.

Which detergent is best for sportswear?

“What everyone notices about performance apparel is that even after washing it, it often still smells awful,” says Richardson. This is because the fabric is hydrophobic (it repels water) and oleophilic (it absorbs oil). Fun Fact: “The sweat under our arms, between our legs and behind our knees is oilier than anywhere else on the body,” says Richardson.

It takes a double whammy to get this oil out. Start with 1 to 2 tablespoons of laundry detergent — a small amount because you want to minimize residue, says Richardson. He recommends opting for one that’s labeled for athletic wear, baby clothes, hosiery, or swimwear, as all of these formulas are designed to be completely rinsed out.

To attempt Granger’s Active Wash$17, mec.ca, or Ivory Snow Fragrance-free baby detergent$12, amazon.approx.

Next, add a tablespoon of Richardson’s magic ingredient: oxygen bleach, an enzyme that dissolves oil. And before you panic, unlike chlorine bleach, oxygen bleach is completely colorfast. You can usually find it as a powder, and you can look for “sodium percarbonate” (AKA “sodium carbonate peroxide”) on the ingredients list.

To attempt Aspen Clean Oxygen Bleach Stain Remover$20, aspenclean.com.

Thinking about adding some fabric softener? Richardson cautions against this when it comes to workout gear. “You don’t want anything that coats the fabric because it affects its performance.” And as Lau points out, “I don’t need my performance clothes to soften.”

What washing machine settings should I use?

You might think cold water is the way to go, but you need a little heat to activate the detergent and oxygen bleach to fight the stink. Richardson recommends the “warm” setting and sticking to an express program. “Polyester sheds dirt very quickly, so there’s no need to soak it and beat it to death,” he says. A quick cycle also means you don’t have to worry about washing everything inside out to avoid damage and pile-up from the machine’s repetitive motion, says Richardson, because it’s such a quick exposure.

To protect delicate items like sports bras with lots of intricate details, Lau likes to pack them in a mesh laundry bag. “They’re particularly good for cup liners in bras,” she says. “I take them out of the bra so they don’t wrinkle and wrinkle because sometimes the foam doesn’t recede [to its original shape].”

And while a gentle cycle might be tempting, Richardson prefers the Express setting because it involves a quick twist so your workout gear doesn’t come out soaking wet. And that leads us to the next crucial tip…

Can I put my workout gear in the dryer?

“Lycra should never be put in the dryer,” says Richardson. “It will lose some of this great track.” Instead, you should hang your gear on a line or drying rack. “It dries very quickly,” adds Richardson. And, following the same no-heat rule, you should never iron your workout clothes. If necessary, you can give them a quick vape.

How often should I wash my workout clothes?

Both Richardson and Lau agree that you should wash your performance clothing every time you wear it. “The intent of a lot of performance gear is that you’re going to be wearing it a lot, so it should be durable and easy to clean,” says Lau.

It’s more about taking care of the skin than the clothes, Richardson says: “The truth is, it holds onto all the sweat and bacteria and you put it on your skin. When the bacteria get wet from sweat, they come back to life.”

The good news is that you can mix and match your performance clothing with any other clothing that can handle oxygen bleach, which is pretty much anything but wool or silk.

Do I need to let my gear air dry before washing it?

“If something really stinks, I try to wash it that day and not put it at the bottom of the hamper because it’ll just stink the rest of the laundry,” says Lau, who prioritizes washing sports bras and baseball admits layers from winter running — the stuff that gets extra sweaty. But if you don’t have a place to air dry, that’s fine too, Richardson says. “Once you start using this oxygen bleach, it will take everything out,” he says.

Hate that gym bag smell? “If you’re traveling back and forth from the gym, keep a separate laundry bag so your sweaty clothes don’t soil the rest of your clothes,” says Lau, who also recommends a loose dryer sheet in your gym bag to mask odors.

To attempt Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day Lemon Verbena Dryer Sheets$13, good.approx.

What if my sportswear still smells after washing?

A warm express cycle with oxygen bleach should do the trick for all your clothes, but if there’s something that shouldn’t go in the wash, Richardson has an unexpected trick: “You can actually spray it with vodka — it kills the odor on everything.” He recommends finding the cheapest vodka, then pouring it into a mist bottle and using it for your sneakers, gym bag, and yoga mat. And don’t worry, you won’t smell a hangover, says Richardson. “When it dries, vodka is odorless and colorless.”