Best ways to wash your Gym Wears Washing your workout innerwear needs more care and timely expertise. Since they are the ones that pull off lots of bacteria into the garment, more than mild washing should be done.
Garment performance and life is dependent on how you care for them or apparel developer at Reebok. Throwing that high-performance ( ahem, and pricy) apparel in with the rest of your laundry can break down its fabric,
wreck antimicrobial properties and clog up the fibres so they’re anything but wicking.
Maintaining Moisture Wicking, Antimicrobial & UPF Gear Performance fabrics, whether sweat wicking, compression, antimicrobial or ultraviolet protection factor (UPF), are high-maintenance. Fortunately, you can follow the same guidelines, no matter the type.
First, get those stinky clothes out of your gym bag and onto the side of your rope (where they can dry) or into the wash ASAP. If you leave
clothes sweaty in a gym bag, the attire could begin to decline quicker than if it they are laundered shortly after use says Whiteside-Mayor.
Next, you’ll either want to machine -wash them on cold or hot— and we know this sucks — hand wash them. If a tag states ‘hand wash,’ it’s
because of the subtle nature of the fabric or the type of treatment that has been applied to the fabric. It’s always best to follow marked care an instruction says Lauren Hall worth, clothing product line manager for Brooks.
Skip fabric softeners and opt for detergents that are free of fragrances or dyes. Those “extras” can get in between and “clog” the fibres of your fabrics to limit their ability to wick sweat and fight odours, she says. If you want bonus points, use detergents or sports washes that are specially formulated to be used on sports fabrics. It’s not very significant, but it can still help your pieces last longer.
Tumble dry your gear on a nominal heat setting. Skip the dryer sheets: They can also clog the fabric.
What’s more, even with appropriate care, it’s important to remember that your pieces’ antimicrobial could tear off sometime after you hit the 50-wash mark, says Whiteside-Mayor. That’s because garments with antimicrobial
properties owe their odour-fighting powers to topical finishes that are applied to the fabric, she says.
As a good rule of thumb, you can anticipate UPF finishes lasting for a good two years with normal wear and tear, says Whiteside-Mayor. If you notice
you’re beginning to get a tan under a piece of UPF wear, it’s time to throw it out.
You’ll want to pay heed to how your garment is wearing over time, too.
Stretched bands and straps, possible chafing spots, faded tags and a lessthan-fresh scent are all signs it might be time to upgrade your running apparel. In other words, time to toss the old and bring in the new.
Sprucing Up Your Kicks
Plunged into a muddy puddle on your last long run? Do again after us: Step away from the washing machine. In its place, get out an old toothbrush and bar of soap to scrub away that gunk, recommends Jena Winger, associate product line manager of footwear at Brooks. Immersing shoes in a spin cycle
can break down the bits and pieces, cushioning included, that are vital to preventing sports injuries, she says. If it’s sneaker stink that’s the problem, try spraying the interiors with OdorEaters or Febreze. You can also stuff them with crumpled up newspaper post-run to soak up excess sweat.
Regardless of the state of your shoes, Winger recommends replacing your
running shoes every 300 to 400 miles. In the case of both running and cross-training shoes, pay attention to any aches and pains that can’t be
endorsed to any changes in your training, she notes. If something aches, it is a sign that you’re ready for a new pair of sneaks.
Soaping Up Sports Bras If you’re just “airing out” your sports bra after the gym, you’re doing it wrong. Just like undergarment, you need to wash your sports bras every time you wear. Doing so will 1) get the fabrics’ fibres back into place for finest fit, and 2) de-clog the fibres of sweat, dirt, salt and bacteria, which can all build up between the fibres to prevent the bras from breathing and wicking sweat.
You should really start hand washing and line-drying bras, too. While it may seem like your sports bra is made of steel, it’s actually very delicate and
rubbing against other pieces of laundry can cause microscopic excoriation that build up over time. In addition, the heat from the dryer, even if you keep it low, can dry out the lyrca, making your bras way less stretchy than you
want them to be. Fortunately, since high-performance sports bras are generally designed to wick sweat, they air dry pretty fast, she says.
We know that life can get in the way of your hand-washing hopes. So, if you
need to throw some sports bras in the washing machine, first place them in
a lingerie bag or pillowcase to reduce
how
much
they
rub
against other clothes. Add them to your load of softies and wash
them on a gentle cycle, using
cold water. (Don’t wash them with
jeans
or
anything
with
metal zippers or clasps that can rough-up the bras’ fabric.) And keep in mind; you won’t want to use
any
detergents
fabric with
softeners,
dyes
or
fragrances, or dryer sheets here, either. Select for “free and clear”
detergents or specialty sports washes.
Do that and even if you wear them on a regular basis, your sports bras will last a good six months to a year. Restore them every time you switch out your running and cross-training shoes.
Cleaning That Jockstrap We hope you’re already washing these after every wear, but it’s also best to either hand wash them or machine wash them on the lowest temperature possible. Hot water can decrease the waistband and straps’ elasticity, and the last thing you want is to have to adjust and pull up your jockstrap when it starts sagging. If you’ve got a protective cup in yours, take it out and wash
it separately. Air-dry your jocks or tumble dry them on low temperature.
Follow those rules and, depending on how often you sport your jockstrap, it should last one to two years.
Now that we’ve revolutionized the way you do laundry, go unload that gym bag full of sweaty things, scrub up your sneakers and prepare to enter the gym looking fresher than ever.