Washing sportswear: how to keep it fresh and intact
The best way to wash sportswear is straight after exercising, inside out and at 30 degrees at most with a mild detergent. Skip the fabric softener, because it leaves a thin coating on the fibres that actually makes odours stick. Afterwards, simply let your clothes air dry.
Why sportswear needs special attention
Technical sportswear is made from synthetic fibres such as polyester and elastane. These fibres wick moisture away quickly, but at the same time trap sweat and bacteria in the tiny pockets of the fabric. As a result, the smell of perspiration lingers more stubbornly than in ordinary cotton clothing.
Those same fibres are also more sensitive to heat and harsh detergents. A wrong wash not only harms the odour control, but also the elasticity and moisture-wicking ability of the fabric. That's why sportswear deserves a slightly different approach from the rest of your laundry.
Do you recognise that familiar, slightly sour smell in your training shorts even straight after washing? It comes from bacteria that settle in tiny cracks in the synthetic fibres and stay there if your wash isn't thorough enough. A good combination of temperature, dosage and drying method then makes the difference.
At what temperature should you wash sportswear?
Did you know?
The sports or delicates programme on your washing machine is designed for clothing with elastane and other stretchy fibres. It combines a lower temperature with a gentler drum movement and a lower spin speed, so the fibre structure stays intact.
Wash sportswear at 30 degrees, and at 40 degrees at most if the care label allows it. Washing too hot actually bakes sweat odour deeper into the fibres instead of removing it, and also damages the elastane. Choose the sports or delicates programme and set the spin one notch lower than usual.
Does your washing machine not have a separate sports or delicates programme? Then the normal programme at 30 degrees will do too, as long as you manually lower the spin speed to around 800 to 1000 rpm.
Step by step: how to wash sportswear correctly
- Wash as soon as possible. The longer sweat has to set in, the harder it is to get the smell out later.
- Turn inside out. This lets the detergent reach the sweat and skin cells on the inside more easily.
- Close zips and Velcro. This prevents snagging and damage to other garments.
- Wash separately or with other synthetic fabrics. This stops cotton lint ending up on your technical fabrics.
- Dose your detergent gently. Too much detergent is harder to rinse out and can actually trap moisture in the fibres.
- Skip the fabric softener. More on that below.
- Let it air dry. The tumble dryer is not a good idea for sportswear.
If you follow these steps, you'll prevent most odour problems before your clothes even land in the laundry basket.
Why you shouldn't use fabric softener on sportswear
Fabric softener works by leaving a thin coating on the fibres. On cotton that feels softer, but on technical sports fabrics it blocks the tiny channels that are meant to wick away moisture and sweat. The result: your sportswear feels less breathable and odours are actually more likely to linger.
That's why for sportswear you're better off choosing laundry strips, which dose gently and don't need a separate fabric softener. Still wondering whether you ever need fabric softener with laundry strips? Read more in this article about fabric softener with laundry strips.
Handy, right? One strip per wash, no fuss with dosing cups, and your sportswear stays breathable and fresh.
POWR laundry strips also dissolve completely from 15 degrees, are biodegradable and come without a plastic bottle. That way you're not only washing smarter for your sportswear, but for the planet too.
Removing stubborn sweat odour
Does the smell still linger after washing? Then soak your sportswear for 30 minutes in lukewarm water with a splash of white vinegar or a spoonful of baking soda. Afterwards, do your normal wash at 30 degrees. For a long-lasting fresh scent, you can also add a scent booster while washing, such as the POWR Geurbooster, which keeps your laundry smelling fresh for extra long.
Never combine vinegar and baking soda with bleach or chlorine products, because that combination can produce harmful fumes. For sportswear that's unnecessary anyway: vinegar and baking soda alone do most of the work.
Does the smell stay stubborn even after soaking? Then check the care label: some technical fabrics can handle a slightly longer wash on the same temperature programme, which tackles bacteria more thoroughly without stressing the fibres.
Drying and storing sportswear
Sportswear should never go in the tumble dryer. The heat of a dryer drum damages the elastane and can affect the fabric's odour-fighting properties. So let your clothes air dry, lying flat or hanging.
Also never store sweaty sportswear in your gym bag until the next workout. Moisture and warmth in a closed bag speed up odour formation and bacterial growth. Hang wet clothes out to air straight after exercising, even before you get home.
Can't wait until your clothes are air dry? Then choose a short programme on the lowest temperature setting, and only if the care label expressly allows tumble drying.
