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It doesn't matter whether you’re hitting the weights every morning or enjoy a leisurely run once in a while, you’ve probably experienced issues with stinky gym gear. Workout clothing is often stuffed in bags or left to fester, leading to unpleasant odors. If these are allowed to build up, the fabrics can start to smell constantly, even after washing. With this in mind, it’s best to stay on top of the odor issue and ensure it doesn’t get out of hand.
Unlike everyday clothing, workout gear is designed to handle heavy sweating, stretching, and friction. For years, brands have used materials that remain comfortable despite the moisture and exertion. But they were unable to overcome the challenges associated with unpleasant smells. It’s only with the development of advanced Polygiene odor control solutions that manufacturers can now integrate powerful protection that stops bad smells from developing in gym textiles.
In this article, we examine how to wash gym clothes and keep them fresh. We’ll also explore the role innovative textile technologies play in keeping fabrics odor-free, and where you can shop for fresher-for-longer gym fabrics.
While we typically associate funky body odor and bad smells in our gym clothes with sweat, that’s only half the story. Our perspiration is actually pretty odorless. But it does contain proteins and lipids. And these proteins and lipids are fantastic nutrition for odor-causing bacteria, which also happen to love warm, damp environments. In other words, sweaty bodies and gym clothes provide the perfect conditions for bacterial growth.
When spreading and proliferating, bacteria take the necessary compounds from your sweat, break them down, and produce unpleasant odors as a metabolic by-product. The more bacteria present, the smellier things will get. So, if you don’t want pungent gym clothes, it’s essential you keep the bacteria at bay with regular washing and advanced antibacterial protection.
Gym clothing is made from a wide range of materials, and those fabrics perform differently when it comes to factors like breathability and absorbency. Some materials, such as merino wool, also feature natural antibacterial properties that make them more odor-resistant. When considering why certain types of clothing are more prone to bad smells than others, things can get complicated, as many textiles will have characteristics that both help and hinder odor control.
For instance, synthetic fibers are hydrophobic – they repel water. While this ensures moisture evaporates quickly and deprives bacteria of the conditions they require to thrive, it also means water-based detergents struggle to penetrate and remove trapped oils and bacteria. Similarly, natural fibers like cotton absorb sweat and often take longer to dry, making them less ideal for high-intensity workouts. However, cotton is less likely to retain odor long-term because it’s more breathable and easier to clean thoroughly.
With this in mind, we can see why manufacturers were forced to balance performance characteristics and strike a compromise. But not anymore. Today, additive technologies like Polygiene® StayFresh enable brands to build odor-control capabilities into any textile. Which means peak performance and no compromises.
Generally, you should wash gym clothing separately from other clothes, as they do require special treatment. We understand that this isn’t always practical, as time, cost, and environmental concerns mean it’s typically easier to wash everything together.
So why should you wash gym items separately? First and foremost, because performance fabrics tend to respond differently to particular cleaning agents. At the same time, activewear fabrics are more delicate, often stretchable, and engineered with special coatings or finishes for performance. Washing them too harshly or at the wrong temperature can break down fibers, reduce elasticity, and actually trap odors in the fibers.
As such, washing your gym clothes separately and paying close attention to any label instructions is a very good idea.
To ensure you’re washing your gym apparel safely and effectively, we’ve compiled a 12-point list containing all the best practices on how to wash gym clothes.
1. Wash your gym gear ASAP
If you can, avoid leaving your dirty gym clothes in a bag or laundry basket for any length of time and always wash them at the first opportunity. The longer they sit, the more odor-causing bacteria are allowed to proliferate, and the tougher it is to remove odors. If you can’t wash them straight away, at least try to air-dry them by hanging them outside.
2. Turn your items inside out
Turning your gym clothes inside out when washing ensures the areas most prone to bacterial growth are exposed and easier to clean. Your detergent is much more effective when it has unimpeded access to surfaces and can get at the bacteria.
3. Pre-rinse or soak
Before washing, give your clothes a good pre-rinse with cool or cold water. While nowhere near as effective as a proper machine wash, it will help get rid of some sweat and ensure the odor doesn’t have time to settle in. For particularly smelly items, a longer soak may prove more effective.
4. Use cooler water for your wash
Hot water can be particularly harsh on synthetic fibers, causing significant damage, compromising garment performance, and shortening the item’s expected lifespan. As such, we recommend using cooler water (30℃ or less) for workout clothing washes.
5. Opt for a low spin cycle
Similarly, high spin cycles can do considerable damage to gym clothes and contribute to a significant reduction in product lifespan. In fact, this is another key benefit of integrating Polygiene Freshness solutions into apparel. By keeping clothes fresher for longer and reducing the need for frequent washing, Polygiene solutions prevent the premature damage and fiber degradation that washing machines can inflict on textiles.
6. Wash with similar fabrics
While throwing all your clothes in the washing machine together may feel like the easiest and most convenient way to get your laundry done, it’s not necessarily best for your gym wear. Washing performance workout clothing fibers with rougher textiles like denim can result in abrasion and shorten your clothes’ expected lifespan. In most cases, it’s best to keep your jeans separate from your gym wear and only wash your kit with similar fabrics.
7. Use liquid detergents
As they don’t always dissolve fully in the washing machine, powder detergents can clog fibers and leave a residue that hampers performance, blocks moisture-wicking capabilities, and traps odors in the fabric. In contrast, liquid detergents mix much more effectively and don’t leave a powdery residue, ensuring your high-performance gym apparel continues to do exactly what it’s designed for.
8. Do not use softener
Though you may love the silky-soft feeling fabric softeners give your clothes, they suffer from the same issues as powdered detergent. Use them on moisture-wicking fabrics, and you will limit the fibers’ ability to wick away moisture and keep you dry and comfortable. Make sure you only use fabric softeners on regular textiles – another great reason to organize your gym gear into a separate wash!
9. Check the care instructions
Every piece of clothing has its own unique care instructions printed on the label. When considering how to wash gym clothes, we recommend you always read the labels on new items to check whether they contain anything unusual or unexpected. Most products will tell you to adopt the advice featured in this list, and individual care regimes are unlikely to vary too drastically, so you can generally wash all performance apparel together.
10. Avoid bleach or other harsh cleaning agents
So far, we’ve recommended avoiding powder detergent and fabric softeners when washing gym clothes. But the list of prohibited cleaning agents doesn’t end there. In the past, we’ve heard of people trying to tackle stubborn stains or smells with bleach or a similarly harsh chemical. While this may get rid of the issue, it’s also likely to damage elastic fibers, cause colors to fade, and ruin performance finishes. As such, it’s best to steer clear of any cleaning agents that are too harsh on your textiles.
11. Handwash where necessary
It may feel like you’re stepping back into the Stone Age, but handwashing certain items is a great way to ensure you don’t damage them or inhibit performance. This is particularly true of compression apparel or any piece of clothing with a special coating. Here, a cold water and detergent hand wash is often your best bet. It’s also why Polygiene Freshness solutions are so popular in this kind of product. They keep clothes fresher for longer, so you don’t need to handwash them as frequently.
12. Air dry for best results
While the tumble dryer is undoubtedly quick and convenient, the heat it generates can play havoc with your gym gear, warping synthetic fibers and reducing elasticity. To prevent these issues, hang your clothes out to air dry whenever possible. Not only will this avoid heat damage, but it will also help prevent bacterial growth and odors.
If odors have already worked their way into your gym apparel and you are struggling to remove them, we recommend trying a few of the following approaches:
Even if you follow most of the tips we’ve included in this guide, preventing odor buildup in gym wear can be an uphill battle. But that’s where Polygiene Freshness solutions come in. Our innovative technologies are designed to provide 24/7 odor protection and are integrated into the fibers. This means the protection doesn’t wash or leach away, and guarantees long-lasting performance. Our two principal Freshness technologies are Polygiene® StayFresh and Polygiene® OdorCrunch.
Polygiene® StayFresh
Polygiene® StayFresh is a groundbreaking antibacterial solution that tackles odor-causing bacteria and prevents them from proliferating and producing unpleasant smells. Based on skin-safe silver salt (silver chloride) technology, this sustainable odor-control solution works on three distinct levels to target bacteria.
In doing so, Polygiene StayFresh keeps your textiles smelling fresher for longer and reduces the need for washing. As a consequence, your clothes are kept in better condition, you consume less water and energy resources because you’re doing less laundry, and you save money.
Polygiene® OdorCrunch
Polygiene® OdorCrunch works in a slightly different way. Rather than tackling bacteria, OdorCrunch attacks environmental odors by targeting smelly molecules like sulfur and nitrogen. As such, it’s great at eliminating things like cooking fumes, smoke smells, and body odors.
Using natural silica particles to capture and crunch these molecules, it releases the constituent parts odorlessly, keeping you smelling fresh. Just like Polygiene StayFresh, it benefits you by reducing laundry, improving a product’s environmental impact, and saving you time and money.
The solutions can also be used in combination, attacking odors of all kinds, from every direction. Application is quick and easy to integrate into manufacturing processes, and Polygiene provides implementation and marketing support to all partners, ensuring you’re fully equipped to communicate benefits to customers.
Polygiene Freshness solutions can be found in a wide range of existing gym apparel and are used by some of the biggest activewear brands on the market. For instance, the following products all benefit from Polygiene protection:
These five items represent just a small percentage of the activewear products currently leveraging Polygiene odor protection. For a more comprehensive list, visit our Buy It page.
If you’re a clothing brand or textile manufacturer looking to introduce odor protection into your products and fabrics, we’re here to help. Our extensive experience and industry-leading expertise in the additives market ensure we’re well-positioned to support adoption. We help you integrate Polygiene technologies into your manufacturing process smoothly and provide marketing assistance, so you promote odor control benefits in a way that resonates with your customers.
Get in touch and speak to the Polygiene team today.
