If you run (or workout) a lot, you have probably dealt with the stink of workout clothes at one point or another! I am a super sweater, so I have definitely had to figure out the solution for keeping my workout clothing smelling nice and clean.
If you are I need of a few tips to help get rid of the stink in your workout clothes, read on:
- If it’s at all possible, wash your workout clothes right after you take them off. It’s a no brainer that the longer the sweaty, icky clothes sit in the hamper, the worse they will smell!
If you can’t wash immediately (not many of us can!), hang them up to dry and air out. - Sunlight is a natural antibacterial and disinfectant. If you can line dry your workout gear, do it!
- Try using a detergent formulated specifically for stinky workout gear, like Tide plus Febreze Freshness Sport. I have had luck using this detergent.
- If you prefer a more natural laundry detergent, you can add a heaping spoonful of baking soda and a 1/4 cup of vinegar to your wash load. Don’t worry—your clothes won’t smell like vinegar when they are done washing!
- Wash on the hottest setting the clothing can take—this helps get rid of the stinky odor-causing bacteria.
Penguin Sport Wash works really well, too! I’ve never had lingering stink from anything no matter how long it had to sit, and this stuff rinses perfectly clean so it doesn’t mess with moisture wicking fabrics like other detergents can sometimes. It’s biodegradable and pretty much consists of vegetable surfectancts so it’s awesome on the environment too.
It is definitely tricky to figure out getting rid of the smell.
I do two things that have helped immensely with stinky running/workout clothes. First, I hang them over the edge of a clothes basket dedicated to my sweaty clothes and let them dry out (so I can do a large load of laundry rather than just one outfit at a time). I use regular detergent and add vinegar to the fabric softener spot in the washer. There’s a slight vinegar smell when I pull the clothes out of the washer, but that is gone after I dry them in the dryer.