Stinky gym clothes

Bump for the great cleaning tips!

bump to keep on file for tips!

for me since I work out 5 days a week I have 5 different sets of workout clothes and everything gets washed on Saturday and I have not had any issues

Love this thread! Great tips!

bump

I never use fabric softener on workout clothes. Most of mine are wicking material and it is not good for that type of material. It stops the wicking ability.

WAIT WHAT!?

Everything I have that is UnderArmour brand says not to use fabric softener on it, I never really thought about the reason though.

Fabric softner coats the fibers of your fabrics with a waxy coating, which then repels moisture. As a result, the fabric ends up losing its absorbency. Therefore, any fabric you intend to absorb moisture (bath towels, dish towels, workout clothes, socks, etc) will lose its effectiveness over time. Look at your fabric softner dispenser--see that film of ick? That's on your clothes.

I have quit using fabric softner altogether--just put white vinegar in the rinse cycle. My towels no longer get that musty odor, my gym clothes don't smell, and everything is soft and absorbs moisture as it should. And nothing smells like vinegar once they are dried.

(another benefit: vinegar costs pennies per load. Much cheaper than commercial fabric softner)

OK but what if you just soak a sponge in fabric softner and throw it in the dryer with your gym clothes? You know, as a dryer sheet. This way I can get the fresh smell, but will it coat my fabric and harm its wickability?

Don't use fabric softener AT ALL on anything that you want to absorb moisture.

Also not a good idea for any waterproof-but-breathable outerwear. It won't make it less waterproof but it will very quickly kill the "breathable" property!

I never use fabric softener on workout clothes. Most of mine are wicking material and it is not good for that type of material. It stops the wicking ability.

WAIT WHAT!?

Everything I have that is UnderArmour brand says not to use fabric softener on it, I never really thought about the reason though.

Fabric softner coats the fibers of your fabrics with a waxy coating, which then repels moisture. As a result, the fabric ends up losing its absorbency. Therefore, any fabric you intend to absorb moisture (bath towels, dish towels, workout clothes, socks, etc) will lose its effectiveness over time. Look at your fabric softner dispenser--see that film of ick? That's on your clothes.

I have quit using fabric softner altogether--just put white vinegar in the rinse cycle. My towels no longer get that musty odor, my gym clothes don't smell, and everything is soft and absorbs moisture as it should. And nothing smells like vinegar once they are dried.

(another benefit: vinegar costs pennies per load. Much cheaper than commercial fabric softner)

OK but what if you just soak a sponge in fabric softner and throw it in the dryer with your gym clothes? You know, as a dryer sheet. This way I can get the fresh smell, but will it coat my fabric and harm its wickability?

Not the same ingredients in general. The "rinsable" softeners are different from the "heat-in" fabric softeners.

Essentially, odour in clothes are from bacteria and material build up - remove them and you're good. Many ways to do this: mild acids (vinegar), mild bases and oxygenating/bleaching agents (bleach, or oxygen bleach like oxy, or sodium bicarbonate), or like my old, M.D. great grandparent did: boil the white sheets. No kidding there.

Ideally, sports clothes get washed on their own with a low-buildup detergent. No fabric softener (that thing is actually designed to build up). Good cold water detergent works well. I am then partial to oxy-clean for tough cases. In "total loss" scenarios with uber-stinky clothes, I'll buy an actual sports wash. They usually work, but are expensive (Assos rehabilitated some horrible cycling polyester jerseys with sentimental value, if bad quality).

I used to work for a major detergent / consumer product manufacturer. Actually the largest detergent plant in the western hemisphere. You learn a lot on what works and what doesn't.

I'm amazed at the funk that Tide Sport has been able to kill. Sometimes my naughty cat will pee on my dirty clothes, and it even gets THAT stench out.

I also like line drying, especially for moisture wicking fabrics.

tide makes a sport kind that works on stinky workout and restaurant job clothes. it works great. you can add in baking soda and/or vinegar to the wash for a more natural way.

I know you said you tried putting them in the sun but that's my trick. It does wonders for my kids diapers, NO smells or stains! And my workout clothes as well. I'd also try the sanitize cycle on my machine but be careful because extreme heat can ruin the elasticity of athletic clothing, that's why you should never put them in the dryer.... hang dry only like the label says!