How to get the sweat smell out of workout clothes?

Individuals who exercise regularly know how time-consuming cleaning workout clothes can be. It can sometimes feel as though no matter how frequently you wash your workout clothes, the stench will never go away. Manufacturers use stretchy materials such as Lycra or Spandex to make exercise clothes. These materials essentially repel water, which is what you want when you're sweating profusely at the gym, but not when you're attempting to wash them.

Cleaning gym clothes is slightly different from cleaning your regular clothes, but the time spent is well worth it when they no longer stink like a locker room. Here are 12 simple tips on how to get smell out of workout clothes.

1. Avoid Leaving Your Gym Clothes on The Ground

There are times when it's easy to hurry home after a workout, remove the stinky gym clothes, toss them on the house floor, and get in the shower without giving any thought to them at all. However, doing so serves no use. Leaving sweaty garments in a hamper or pile allows bacteria to multiply, retaining or worsening the odor. Furthermore, piling sweaty clothes promotes mold growth and development. If you do not have time to clean them, hang them on a rack.

2. Soak them Using White Vinegar before washing them

Vinegar is another miracle odor-eliminating solution. White vinegar will help remove odors more effectively than ordinary washing detergent alone. Always soak sweaty workout clothes in cold water and vinegar before washing them. Allow them to sit for approximately 20 to 35 minutes before cleaning using a washing machine.

3. Turn them inside out

Most of the dirt and bacteria that cause odor accumulate inside the workout clothes, not on the outside. Turning these workout clothes inside-out helps remove dirt, sweat, and body oils, resulting in cleaner, odor-free workout clothes. Additional advantages? Clothing washed inside-out retains its new appearance longer and keeps moisture-wicking, flexible fabrics operating as intended.

4. Clean them immediately after exercising

Wash your clothes right after a grueling workout that soaked them in sweat. Some individuals wear them again after a light workout session, which contributes to odors. If your workout clothes are too dirty to wash immediately, putting them on a towel rack or hanging them up will prevent most odor-causing germs from forming.

5. Put Them into The Freezer

Putting gym clothes into the freezer is a simple solution that does not necessitate washing them. The freezing air will kill the bacteria causing the odor. However, never use this as a substitute for laundry, although it is a lovely little trick to use occasionally.

6. Alternatively, add lemon juice to the washing machine

Another household item that might help gym clothes smell better is lemons. Squeeze a whole lemon into the water in the washing machine. Citric acid degrades the oils in the fabrics, ensuring that they are bacteria and odor-free. Additionally, it eliminates microorganisms that contribute to those foul odors. Therefore, like baking soda, lemon juice removes odors rather than masking them.

7. Add Some Baking Soda in The Wash

This is another readily available kitchen product that can remove unpleasant odors. While many detergents conceal unpleasant odors, baking soda does get rid of them. Baking soda is alkaline, making it great for removing sweat's acidic odor. It also removes the oils that are associated with the odor. Just add a cup of baking soda to your dirty laundry and watch the magic take place.

8. Avoid using fabric softeners

Using fabric softener on gym clothing is a recipe for disaster. Instead of cleaning the garments, it usually creates a barrier that traps odors. It essentially traps dirt and bacteria in the clothing, which is the opposite of your expectations. Fabric softener inhibits the wicking ability of training garments, rendering them ineffective. It will prevent sweat from evaporating from the gym wear, which will make them smell worse. Fabric softener can also degrade stretchy textiles, such as Spandex. In addition to making workout clothes smell bad, it also messes with their fit.

9. Dry Them Outside

Sunlight and fresh air are the most effective natural deodorizers. To chuck out odors, hang your garments outside to dry in the sun. Furthermore, hanging gym clothes outside keeps them in better condition, allowing them to last longer. Drying them in the sun is also eco-friendly and prevents wrinkles. However, r Remember to hang them inside out so that they don't fade.

10. Always Use cold water

Stretchy clothing does not withstand exposure to extreme heat, and the heat will also exacerbate scents. Wash training clothes in cold water and dry on a low- or no-heat setting, or, even better, hang workout items to dry.

11. Limit Your Laundry Detergent Use

Discarding laundry detergent to improve the scent of your clothes may seem counterintuitive, but it works here. Like fabric softeners, laundry detergents and stretchy fabrics like Lycra and Spandex do not mix well. These materials have tightly woven threads, which makes them prone to bacteria. When you wash workout clothes using regular laundry detergent, the detergent doesn't reach deep enough into the fabric to remove the bacteria, resulting in a buildup of smelly bacteria. As a result, avoid using more than half of the regular amount when cleaning workout clothes or use a detergent designed explicitly for workout clothing.

12. Wash similar fabrics together

Athletes should avoid washing their sportswear with fleece towels and other linty materials. Also, avoid mixing workout clothes with heavy apparel like denim and sweatshirts. Heavy materials might cause pilling and damage to delicate athleisure wear when washed with stretchy garments.

Hopefully, one or more of these solutions may help eliminate the sweat odor from workout clothes. Follow these workout clothes cleaning recommendations to make your workout clothes last longer, improve their performance, and keep them smelling fresh workout after workout.