Bacteria Stink: Top 5 Ways to Stop the Smell in Your Sports Attire.
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Ever pull out a clean running tank top or bike shorts from the dresser and wonder why it smells before your workout? I certainly have, so I did a little research to find out why this happens and how to prevent it.
Technical advancements in sporting wear provide us with water-wicking and breathable material, so working out is a lot more comfortable. Still, it is that very feature of the material that makes them hold onto the stink. That "water" it is wicking is body sweat and oil, which breeds stinky bacteria. Ewwww, right?
My research turned up a lot of suggestions and ads for expensive additives, but I’ve summed up the results in five inexpensive ways to stop the smell in your sports attire:
Strip off sweaty workout clothes as soon as you can.
Wash sweaty activewear immediately, and if you can't, hang them to dry or throw them in the freezer.
Wash stinky workout garments with baking soda or lemon juice.
Soak malodorous sports attire in white vinegar.
Leave out the fabric softeners and use detergent sparingly.
Strip off sweaty clothes immediately.
I'm guilty of finishing a run or a ride and staying in my activewear to do yard work or other projects, sometimes hours afterward. But this gives bacteria more time to grow and nestle into the fibers, and bacteria stink!
Wash sweaty activewear immediately, hang them to dry or throw them in the freezer.
Whatever you do, don't pile your sweaty clothes on the floor or stuff them in a laundry basket or, worse yet, your gym bag for a week. Wet sports clothes stored in a pile or dark place will give the bacteria the perfect environment to grow.
If you can't air them out or wash them immediately, throw them in a plastic bag and into the freezer. The freezer? Yep, bacteria can't grow in the freezer.
Wash stinky workout garments with baking soda or lemon juice.
Add 1 cup of baking soda or juice of one lemon when you wash your workout clothes. These ingredients kill bacteria instead of masking or covering up the odor.
Soak malodorous training attire in white vinegar.
Vinegar is exceptional for removing odor. Soak offensive smelling garments in white vinegar for 15-30 minutes before washing them.
Leave out the fabric softeners and use detergent sparingly.
Fabric softeners create a coating on the clothing that can trap bacteria into the fibers. Most laundry detergents don't get into the techie fabric well, so using more isn't better.
Follow these five tips for keeping stink at bay, and your workout clothes will not only smell better but last longer.