It is a bit tricky to wash high-performance activewear; it is the type of cloth with a sweat-wicking feature and elasticity, whether its activewear used on a cold day or a hot summer day. If this is not washed properly, it may come out from the laundry smelling good yet stinks after being worn, and it is not a typical body odor; it becomes twice nasty. Your high-performance activewear is suffering from a product buildup situation. Do not worry! This article has two things to impart: how to wash high-performance activewear properly and reverse buildup.

Reverse product buildup

Wash your activewear again, but only use half the recommended amount of the laundry detergent and add half a cup to a cup of white vinegar to the load; the amount of vinegar depends on the load size. The white vinegar helps eliminate the lingering odor and breaks down the detergent and laundry booster buildup around the fabrics.

Do this method until you notice no lingering odor when you wear your high-performance activewear. However, it is best to prevent this situation from happening. Here is how to wash high-performance activewear properly.

Let your activewear breathe.

At times, we place our activewear in the laundry hamper to include it in the load for laundry service. You should let your workout clothes breathe; the dampness and sweat will transfer to your regular clothes, making them have a nasty odor. When you take off your activewear, hang them to dry out.

Wash them with like clothes only.

Do not wash your high-performance activewear with other garments. Heavy garments may cause the athletic wear to stretch and pick up lint in the wash. This damages your delicate high-performance activewear.

Presoak in white vinegar.

Whether you plan to wash your activewear through laundry pickup and delivery or at home, presoak them in white vinegar. Soak them in half a cup of white vinegar in cold water. Let it soak for half an hour; this help removes nasty odors and break down the sweat buildup and stains.

Wash activewear inside-out.

The odor-causing bacteria come from the dead skin cells that come off and the sweat from excessive strenuous exercise. It forms on the inside of the clothes. Hence, do not forget to turn your gym clothes inside out to better counter the cause of the nasty odor.

Do not use the recommended laundry detergent.

This advice might shock you because using the recommended laundry detergent is usually advised. When washing high-performance activewear, it is best only to use half of the recommended amount. High-performance activewear has a moisture-wicking feature, which makes it hard to rinse the laundry detergent on the clothes thoroughly. Save yourself from the hassle and only use half.

Use cold water when washing.

Avoid heat when taking care of high-performance activewear. It breaks down and damages the elasticity of its fabric material. Moreover, it may result in shrinkage and a shorter lifespan.

Skip the dryer.

Do not place them in the dryer. The heat damages the flexibility and moisture-wicking feature of the activewear. Moreover, heat will also amplify the odor. Hence, the best way to dry your activewear is to air dry them. If you run out of workout clothes, place them in front of a fan, it helps them dry easily. Make sure only to use completely dried activewear!

Do not introduce fabric softener or bleach.

The fragrance component advertised in fabric softeners is not helpful when washing high-performance activewear. Fabric softener or bleach heavily damages the synthetic fabric of your high-performance activewear. Fabric softener is the main culprit for product buildup; it binds with the fibers, making them hard to rinse thoroughly.

Research the best sportswear-formulated detergent.

Laundry detergent manufactures sportswear-formulated solutions. It has natural ingredients that fight odor and deep clean moisture-wicking fabrics and synthetic materials. Choose the best product to counteract the bacteria on your gym clothes and remove the cause of foul odors.

Final Takeaway

You do not have to be a gym rat to know that your high-performance activewear needs special wash instructions. Feel fresh longer when using your high-performance activewear. You do not have to throw away your activewear when the nasty odor does not come out; you have the solution to reverse product buildup. Take care of your activewear better; they are an investment!

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