The least fun thing to think about right after a run is how to handle the clothes that you just drenched with sweat. The easiest option is to toss your gross gear in the hamper and forget about it for a few days—but that’s also the worst move, as bacteria love to linger in damp, dark environments like laundry baskets. How can you take better care of your clothes so you can enjoy their performance-boosting benefits for longer?
It begins with the basics, like making sure to wash your gear in cold water and on a delicate cycle, and letting wet athletic wear dry before you throw it in the dirty pile. But there are plenty of finer points to the clothes-washing process, and who better to divulge some deep laundry hacks than the frequently stinky Runner’s World staff? Here, steal their time-tested strategies—and as a bonus, find bonus tips from Matt Taylor, CEO at Tracksmith.
Go Easy on the Detergent
—Taylor Rojek, Contributing Writer
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I promise you’re using too much of the stuff. If you’re filling the cup up to the top, you’re overdoing it—even if that’s what the bottle says to do. (The detergent company has a vested interest in you buying more detergent, after all). It’s hard to rinse out completely, and dried detergent in fabric leaves your clothes feeling stiff and scratchy. My rule of thumb: Use two tablespoons, max. My clothes are still clean, and I’ve had to buy so much less Tide.
Solve the Sports Bra Conundrum
—Amy Wolff, Photo Director
I build high-maintenance laundry into my routine just like my training. However, I’ve completely lost patience battling with sports bras, specifically their removable pads. If the pads manage to stay in the bra, they end up folded in half—or they escape and end up at the bottom of the machine. A few weeks ago, on a whim, I threw a sports bra in a mesh bag. The pads stayed in place!
My Anti-Stink Weapon of Choice
—Matt Allyn, Features Director
I sweat a lot and frequently disgust my family when I stumble in after a grueling track session. Stink comes easily to me. But for several years I’ve washed my workout clothes separately with Hex detergent. It strips out a layer of funk that regular detergent leaves behind, so that I’m only gross after I’ve earned it.
Wear Your Gear More Than Once Before Washing
—Amanda Furrer, Test Editor
If you see me in the same outfit three times in a row, yep—I’m being eco-conscious. It’s also an effective deterrent to other people when I want to run alone without disruption (and jam out as I ruminate on my haunted thoughts and have my daily dose of existential dread).
Hit the Showers, Stat
—Jeff Dengate, Runner-in-Chief
I hate stinky gear! But I also hate doing laundry. In the summer, I’ll come in from a run and immediately head straight to the shower with my clothes still on. I rinse down, strip off the clothes, and wring them out. Then I let them air-dry before wearing them a second time.
Take the Sniff Test
—Morgan Petruny, Test Editor
Go ahead: Give that shirt a whiff after wearing it, and wash only if it smells funky. Now, bacteria can still hang out in your gear, even if you don’t smell anything. But I often re-wear something for more than one run, especially if it’s made with wool (which has natural odor-fighting properties) or fabric that’s been treated with antimicrobial additives (silver ions are fairly popular. This has really helped me extend the life of more expensive items, like running tights.
Bust Out This Bottle
—Jessica Coulon, Assistant Digital Editor
I use distilled white vinegar to get rid of odors from my athletic gear. Simply add some directly to your wash before starting the cycle. Depending on the size of the load, a half cup to a cup will do. You can also soak clothes in a diluted mixture prior to washing. The smell of the vinegar may faintly linger afterward, but it’s better than the alternative! Plus, vinegar is cheap, and it works better than any athletic-wear detergent I’ve tried.
The Laundry List
1. Never use fabric softener. It’s made to engrain itself into the fibers, which may be great for plumping towels, but not for your athletic wear, as that same function can lock in your sweat and dirt.
2. Avoid the dryer. Machine dry heat can warp fibers (especially the elastic parts such as waistbands and the spandex or elastane in the fabric itself), changing their shape and flexibility. Heat may also eat away at elastic—weakening the material and leading to small holes—or damage fabric treatments for water-repellency or odor resistance. If you must, tumble-dry on low or the air fluff setting.
3. Lay clothes flat on a rack to dry. Some garments lose their shape over time if you always hang them.
4. Wash similar materials together. Coarse fabrics can cause abrasion on finer fabrics, especially during the spin cycle—and items like zippers and velcro can also damage fabric (especially merino wool), so make sure you cover them. Don’t wash your lightweight, high-end athletic tops with rough denim or outerwear.
—Matt Taylor, CEO at Tracksmith
