S/O Laundry: tips for workout clothes

[sugarbear]

My workout clothes are nasty. I’ve tried pre-soaking in special detergents, spraying stain remover on the crotch and pits, and washing with extra soap. Nothing works.

Please tell me how to get the funk out!

[pixy0stix]

I'd strip (aka remove the buildup of soap and other gunk from the fibers) with this - www.grovia.com/products/grovia-mighty-bubbles-html

Then throw a scoop of this in every wash - www.amazon.com/Bambino-Mio-Miofresh-Laundry-Cleanser/dp/B001HJTTWS

Basically, I treat anything that can get organically stinky like cloth diapers and it seems to work.

[icedcoffee]

Have you tried hanging in the sun?

[bears]

When things start to stink, I presoak in a solution of vinegar and water.

I have an HE washer and I make sure to put workout clothes on the bottom of the load, which seems to help.

[sunshineluv]

I put white vinegar in the spot for bleach in my washer (although I am out and it is sold out everywhere...)

[steph96]

I bought some odor blasting version of oxy clean and it seemed to help!

[pumpkin]

I tend to wash my workout clothes with a scoop of baking soda tossed into the wash and vinegar in the bleach and fabric softener spots. This seems to help.

[mountaingirl]

Baking soda and vinegar. Put the BS right in with the laundry and soap. Vinegar goes where liquid fabric softener usually goes. I do this for towels as well.

[sugarbear]

Apr 14, 2020 10:08:18 GMT -5 icedcoffee said:

Have you tried hanging in the sun?

No, I haven’t. I’m in Seattle, so that’s really hit or miss for 9 months of the year 😭

[puppylove64]

Yep I use vinegar on stinky clothes or add a baking soda laundry booster or borax.

[sotally tober]

Hey! It's sunny here, today (I'm North of Seattle) 

I wash my workout clothes separately from my other clothes and have had success putting vinegar in the wash. They used to smell SO bad, but it has been noticeably better. Can you air dry? I noticed previously that they smelled so bad in the dryer...air drying seemed to help a bit. 

[sugarbear]

Apr 14, 2020 12:40:04 GMT -5 sotally tober said:

Hey! It's sunny here, today (I'm North of Seattle) 

I wash my workout clothes separately from my other clothes and have had success putting vinegar in the wash. They used to smell SO bad, but it has been noticeably better. Can you air dry? I noticed previously that they smelled so bad in the dryer...air drying seemed to help a bit. 

It is definitely beautiful here today!

[sugarbear]

Apr 14, 2020 12:40:04 GMT -5 sotally tober said:

Hey! It's sunny here, today (I'm North of Seattle) 

I wash my workout clothes separately from my other clothes and have had success putting vinegar in the wash. They used to smell SO bad, but it has been noticeably better. Can you air dry? I noticed previously that they smelled so bad in the dryer...air drying seemed to help a bit. 

It is definitely beautiful here today!

[So_Fetch]

Another thing that helps avoid the stink is to hang them after you wear them and before you put them in the laundry so they have a chance to dry out before being put in the pile.

[VillainV]

Apr 14, 2020 12:40:04 GMT -5 sotally tober said:

Hey! It's sunny here, today (I'm North of Seattle)  :P

I wash my workout clothes separately from my other clothes and have had success putting vinegar in the wash. They used to smell SO bad, but it has been noticeably better. Can you air dry? I noticed previously that they smelled so bad in the dryer...air drying seemed to help a bit. 

I was trying to figure out why I don’t have smelly workout clothes ....or if I do really have smelly workout clothes and just never noticed (I don’t have a great sense of smell). I never put my workout clothes in the dryer, and always air dry. It makes my workout clothes last so much longer. I never thought about it in terms of odor-abatement before!

[moreace01]

I throw vinegar in with the wash and also give funky workout clothes a spritz with Nature's Miracle pet odor remover before throwing them into the washer.

[starryfish]

Tide sport is amazing for workout clothes

[lanehazel]

Apr 14, 2020 9:53:54 GMT -5 sugarbear said:

My workout clothes are nasty. I’ve tried pre-soaking in special detergents, spraying stain remover on the crotch and pits, and washing with extra soap. Nothing works.

Please tell me how to get the funk out!

I have been intrigued by "stripping" videos on instagram (Check out @gocleanco - Canadian cleaning blogger but she has info on it and shares in her stories) and its so gnarly.

I haven't tried it but apparently it gets all the gunk out that regular cleaning doesn't. It looks easy but its time consuming. Now might be the perfect time to try it.

[felicity]

Presoak in vinegar with a little water in a sink or big bowl. Doing it in the wash dilutes it too much.

[Wines Not Whines]

Two things help my clothes the most:

1. When they’re wet and sweaty, hang them up to air dry before tossing them into the laundry pile.

2. Air dry after washing (no dryer).

I also use a detergent made for workout clothes, but I don’t think that helps as much as the drying. Also, if you’ve had the same clothes for a few years, I think eventually they get to a point where they have permastink. I can wash those clothes twice on heavy duty cycles and get them to smell clean enough, but they start to smell really bad after I start sweating in them again. I have to throw them out when they get to that point (these are clothes I’ve worn regularly for 5 years).

[eddy]

I stopped drying my workout gear and that alone made a huge difference.

[campermom]

Have you seen the ads for Rocking Green? I used to use that for cloth diapers and it was great. Now they are targeting workout gear and showing ads of tubs with brown water-workout clothes that were soaked in it and all the grime came out.

It makes me gag and want to buy it, simultaneously.

[cuadrado]

There’s a detergent called rockin green that has an activewear line. Our local running company sells it and it’s great at getting the funk out of workout clothes.

[m15]

Yes ditto the rockin green. I used it for cloth diapers initially and now use it for all sorts of things. It cleans my tile floor better than anything else I've been used.

[sugarbear]

Apr 14, 2020 19:40:48 GMT -5 campermom said:

Have you seen the ads for Rocking Green? I used to use that for cloth diapers and it was great. Now they are targeting workout gear and showing ads of tubs with brown water-workout clothes that were soaked in it and all the grime came out.

It makes me gag and want to buy it, simultaneously.

I have it. Several times I’ve ore-soaked and then washed on a regular cycle, per the directions. It keeps the funk out for one workout, but by the time I wash and then wear again (regular laundry), I stink as soon as I start sweating. I think it works, sort of, but is super cumbersome to soak.

[sadlebred]

HEX detergent is made for workout clothes. Read the directions carefully and follow them. You may need to wash the clothes a few times. I let them air out for 2-3 days before washing them again. After a couple of washes, I find I can wash them in the regular wash a couple of times and then with HEX again.

hexperformance.com/

[livinitup]

I finally got frustrated enough to throw my workout clothes in the washer with bleach in the bleach cycle and vinegar in the softener cycle. Worked like a charm. Smelled so fresh. No color damage. So happy.

Hang dry.

[livinitup]

Dup.