Exercise is the best way to remain healthy. The laundry burden that accompanies this exercise isn’t so great, though. Sweat-stained, smelly gym clothes have to be carefully attended to. This could be either for cleanliness, comfort or performance as well as longevity. Mistakes are made during the laundry process, primarily with athletic wear. As a result, clothes begin to degrade rapidly and lose their elasticity in addition to the fragrance they once had. In this article, we will talk about the five most common mistakes regarding washing gym clothes.
Special Care for Gym Clothes Required
As we are going to discuss mistakes washing gym clothes. First let’s understand why you should take care of your gym clothes differently from all your other clothes. Typically, workout gear is made out of synthetic fabrics such as polyester, nylon, spandex, or elastane, all designed to be moisture-wicking, breathable, and flexible. These fabrics are made to suck away sweat from your skin, control body temperature, and stretch with you during a session of physical exercise. Yet these characteristics make it even more sensitive to practices involved in laundry, such as heat and harsh chemicals while washing gym clothes.
Gym clothes collect more sweat, bacteria, and body oils. All this absorbs by your clothes when you go to the gym. They cause lingering odors, bacterial growth if not cleaned sufficiently. Proper ways to wash are also not amply provided in standard laundry detergents and practice. Because gym wear has certain requirements that cannot always be dealt with by standard laundry detergents and practice, and even if improperly washed. They get out of shape and working. This is why it is very important to know how to wash, dry, and care for your workout gear so you can extend the life of your clothes and keep them fresh as if you had just bought it.
1. Fabric Softener
Fabric softeners make your gym clothes so soft and smell so fresh, but they’re really terrible for performance fabrics. Most fabric softeners coat the fibers of your clothes in a thin waxy layer, which makes synthetic fabrics less breathable. This waxy layer clogs up the pores of moisture-wicking material, reducing its ability to pull sweat away from your skin and evaporation into the air. Thus, your workoutwashing gym clothes might trap moisture, making you hot, sweaty, and uncomfortable during your workouts due to bad washing gym clothes.
Like other dryer sheets, fabric softeners can add up over time, which will leave your gym clothes losing their elasticity and stretch. This will severely damage compression clothing, leggings, as well as sports bras. They mainly have to work on elasticity to support and supply the areas within your workout. Overtime use of fabric softener will leave your clothes stiff, heavy, and less able to manage moisture and odors.
The best is actually not to use fabric softener at all; you can use athletic-specific detergent. Athletic-specific detergents clean synthetic fibers without clogging the pores or leaving residue behind. It removes sweat and oils while keeping the moisture-wicking properties of the clothing intact while washing gym clothes. A great precaution is to utilize detergents that don’t contain added dyes, fragrances, and softening agents, which may also be causing buildup on performance fabrics.
Fabklean Tip:
There is nothing gentle about performance fabrics, and we are very deferential to that at Fabklean. Professional laundry services use specialized detergent that will get your gym clothes clean without in any other way making them less fit. We never put fabric softener on athletic wear, so your clothes retain all their breathability, stretch, and moisture-wicking abilities.
2. Hot Water Rinse
Mistake:
Hot water is perceived to be the best option for cleaning clothes, especially as far as sweat and bacteria are concerned while washing gym clothes. Hot water, however, poses more harm than benefit when using it to wash your gym clothes. High temperatures would cause synthetic fabrics to break down, losing their elasticity and shape. This is especially true of fabrics like spandex and elastane, which are used in a lot of different kinds of workout gear to achieve stretch and support. Hot water can cause such materials to shrink, warp, and weaken over time, meaning you will ultimately get a less flattering fit-and possibly an even less functional one.
Hot water also damages the fabric and can cause colors to fade faster. Gym clothes are often worn with very bright, vibrant colors and patterns, and repeated exposure to hot water will make those colors lose their intensity, leaving your workout gear looking dull and worn out. In reality, you don’t need hot water to clean sweat, bacteria, and odors from the gym. Cold water just as effectively removes such substances without spoiling the fabrics.
Solution:
Ever wash your athletic clothes in hot water, as it may make them lose their elasticity, color, and general integrity. Cold water is gentle on synthetic materials because it helps them retain their stretch, fit, and moisture-wicking abilities. In addition, it saves more energy than hot water. Most gym clothes would recommend cold water washes for proper care.
3. Tumble Drying on High Heat
Mistake:
Throwing gym clothes into the dryer on high heat might be a convenient way to rush the drying, but it’s probably one of the fastest ways to destroy the workout gear. Synthetic fibers in athletic wear can get compromised easily when exposed to high temperatures, and the workout clothes start losing their stretchiness, form, and durability. Elastic materials, spandex and elastane among them, are particularly sensitive to heat, and the application of warmth will warp or break them down, leaving you with sagging. Misshapen clothes that don’t fit anymore or perform as you want them to.
This can also weaken and separate the seams and stitching in your gym clothes at high heat levels. A common measure for compression garments, sports bras largely depend on the quality of seams and stitching to provide support in exercise, so weak stitches become very troublesome for these fabrics. The higher you set that dryer dial, the faster your gym clothes are going to wear out over time.
The best way to preserve the quality and long life of your gym clothes is to air-dry them as much as you can while washing gym clothes. Hang them up to let the air dry them in a well-ventilated area. Air-dried clothes retain their elasticity and keep the shape of your workout gear, not to mention preventing damage caused by high heat. If you have to use a dryer. Try the lowest heat setting or a no-heat option like a tumble dry on air. This will minimize damage but let it get through to dry the clothes in a reasonable amount of time.
Sweaty clothes left in a small space, like a gym bag, can also become a haven for bacteria to grow on and create some pretty upsetting odors and even real mold or mildew growth. Bacteria and mold, once established, can be extremely difficult to get rid of and may take repeated washes or special treatments before the smell and their return are even eliminated.
Solution:
Avoid these problems by washing your gym clothes the soonest possible after you have them on. If you cannot wash them immediately, you can hang them to dry and air out before putting them in the laundry basket. Hanging up your clothes as soon as you get done working out will also help bacteria settle before starting to multiply but will make cleaning more effortless. For instance, you are planning to travel or are sidelined elsewhere with no washing machine. Pack small essentials like the travel laundry bag for your clothes to breathe and determine when you will wash them.
Fabklean Tip:
Got a tight schedule? Fabklean provides you a quick pickup and delivery services. Our convenient laundry pickup service lets you schedule a pickup at your convenience, and we take care of the rest. We collect, clean, and get back to you within 24 hours. You won’t have to be stung by lingering odors or the buildup of bacteria.
4. Using Regular Detergent
Mistake:
There is also the temptation to treat your gym clothes like any other laundry item; just throw them into the pile and add your normal detergent. This is actually another of those mistakes many people commit. Regular detergents are formulated for everyday fabrics
those such as cotton and polyester, and they often do not remove the sweat, oils, and bacteria that impregnate athletic wear. Synthetic gym fabrics, most notably those with moisture-wicking properties, trap odors more readily, and the laundry detergent may be inadequate to break down the bacteria and oils associated with these smells.
Regular detergents can also lead to the accumulation of sweat and bacteria on the clothes overtime, which enables the clothes to emit persistent malodors difficult to get rid of. Residues from regular detergents also tend to clog up the fibers of moisture-wicking fabrics, making them reduce their capacity to draw sweat away from your skin. This can make your gym clothes wet, heavy, and uncomfortable during workouts.
Solution:
Use a soap or detergent that is designed specifically for athletic wear to wash out the sweat, odor, and bacteria from your clothing. Such detergents are specifically created to reach deep within synthetic materials. Removing all bad odors from sweat and bacteria, without damaging the material. Using a sports-specific detergent will maintain the elasticity and the moisture-wicking capability of performance fabrics. Keeping your clothing fresh, functional, and long-lasting. Make sure that your chosen detergent is free from chemicals, dyes, and fragrances that might tend to irritate the skin. Which may accentuate the damage to the fabric.
Fabklean Tip:
The detergents are also specifically chosen for athletic wear. So you know your deep clean will not interfere with how they’re going to perform. Process is geared towards eliminating stubborn odors and bacteria, letting your workout gear work as they should. Which means you can always trust them to be in premium working order.
Why Should You Care About Cleaning Gym Clothes?
Your gym wear is an investment made on yourself and your health journey, thus meant to be well taken care of so they last longer and perform optimally. Whether you casually frequent the gym or engage in most sports-related activities, your exercise wear is critical for comfort, coolness, and support while exercising. On the other hand, poor care may significantly reduce the length of time your gym clothes last and their performance capability.
Most of the performance fabrics like spandex, elastane, or other moisture-wicking synthetics are built in for certain benefits, such as breathability, flexibility, and moisture management, during exercise. Unless you take proper care while washing and drying those fabrics. They can lose their effectiveness very soon. Making your workout clothes go wrong and you fail to wick moisture and receive support when required. It can further lead to lingering odors, bacterial buildup, skin irritation, or even infection if they are not cleaned appropriately while washing gym clothes.
If you follow a few basic rules of sartorial care and avoid the five common laundry mistakes we just reviewed. You can help extend the life of your work-out clothing. It will make sure they keep their performance capabilities through the workout process. Ensuring you end up enjoying your gear even more while it looks and smells great.
How Fabklean Can Help
We get it – life is hectic. And laundry seems to have a mind of its own many times. That’s when Fabklean comes in. Here’s how Fabklean eliminates the hassle of laundry and provides you with a convenient.
Detergents and techniques:
Our cleaning process attacks sweat, bacteria, and odor-causing agents, leaving your gym clothes ready for your next workout.
Lightning Speed:
We facilitate 24-hour pickup and delivery. Get ready for your next gym session with clean, fresh gym wear. Whether you need a quick refreshing of your gym attires after work or you had that tough training session. Which means your clothes could use a very good wash, we are here for you.
Easy Service:
We know that laundry is just one more thing on your to-do list; so, we made it as simple and hassle-free as possible. Schedule pickup from the app or website, and we take care of the rest. Starting with washing and drying, folding and delivery-this is all taken care of-just so you can focus on your fitness goals.
Eco-Friendly Alternatives:
We will provide you with options that are gentle to your gym clothes and also eco-friendly for the planet. Our sustainable cleaning practice employs less water and energy relative to traditional laundry. Reducing your footprint on the earth while delivering a more superior clean.
Professional Quality Outcomes:
By choosing Fabklean, you’ll be choosing outcomes that are professional quality. Our laundry experts are trained and equipped to clean even the most delicate fabrics. We use the latest technology available so your clothes will be returned in nearly new condition. So whether you love doing leg day in leggings. Going to sports in a good performance sports bra or compressing your body in a compression shirt. We will have your gym clothes look, feel, and perform at the highest level.
Conclusion:
This will ensure that your gym clothes appear, feel, and perform as you like them to. Your workout gear will last longer, fit perfectly, and keep up with those toughest of workouts with proper care. From specialized cleaning to convenient service and professional results. We are here making laundry one less thing for you to worry about.
Fabklean is here for you sign-up today and avail best offers.