Today, we’re going back to activewear basics. Caring for your specialty gear is key to making it last as long as possible. Below are all the details on my strategy for tackling laundry day with my workout clothes.
Keep in mind that you don’t have to follow these tips. Doing these things will generally make your workout gear last longer and look better, but don’t freak out too much about it. Let’s be real, it’s not like going against these guidelines will mean your yoga pants will instantly catch on fire or disintegrate in your hands. But these are all of my best tips, and I think they’re all helpful in making your gear looks its best and last the longest!
Laundry basics
The biggest two rules for washing your activewear: wash cold and hang to dry.
So, what’s all the fuss over this? The reason behind both rules is the same: heat is the enemy of spandex. Heat breaks down the fibers faster, which means that, eventually, your leggings won’t hold their shape anymore and your sports bra won’t give you the support you need. Avoiding heat by using the cold cycle and air drying means the stretchy fibers will do their job for longer.
The next most important rule is to wash active fabrics together, separate from your other clothing. Don’t mix your leggings with your jeans and your sports bras with your towels. The big reason for this is pilling. When technical fabrics rub against things like cotton towels, it causes the fabric to pill more quickly and look worn out quicker. Keep ordinary fabrics and active fabrics separate on laundry day.
Another important rule: avoid using fabric softener. Additives like this can wedge their way into the fibers of your activewear and plug them up. This makes your gear less breathable and kills its sweat-wicking properties. Stick to detergent only.
If possible, use the delicate cycle. This will help prevent items from getting tangled as well as prevent the washing machine from pulling on them and stretching them out. They’ll still get clean!
When it comes to air drying, I recommend against hanging things on hooks. Instead, drape them over something like a drying rack or a shower rod. If you hang your activewear on a hook, all the weight presses down on a small area, which can lead to the item getting awkwardly stretched out where it’s hung. I also don’t recommend drying tank tops on hangers for the same reason. When the tank is wet, it’s heavier, and the weight can pull down on the thin straps, stretching them out.
I also recommend separating colors. Usually, I do a dark load, white/light load, and a bright/neon load. If I only have a couple of brights/neons, I’ll toss them in with the darks. Keep in mind that dye is less likely to transfer in cold water compared to hot, but I like to play it safe!
If you have items that are particularly prone to bleeding, like a brand new neon pink top, I’m extra-careful about segregating them with only similar colors to avoid color bleeding. If I don’t have enough similar colors to justify a load of laundry, I’ll hand wash them in the sink for the first few washes. After the first few washes, dyes have generally settled in, so you can go back to less paranoid color separation rules.
Extra tips and tricks
Turn it inside out. If you have an item with a special finish or a particularly vibrant color, turn it inside out before washing. This will cut down on rubbing in the wash and slow down fading. Not to mention, it’s the inside of your gear that’s rubbing up on the sweat and oil from your skin anyway, so it’ll still get super-clean even when it’s inside-out!
Use a delicates bag. I’m a huge fan of mesh laundry bags for all kinds of purposes. If you have strappy gear that tends to get wrapped around other things in the wash, zip it up in a mesh bag. Bags are also handy for protecting delicate items from rubbing up against other things in the wash, since the mesh offers a layer of protection while still letting soap and water through. I got these bags from Amazon, but you can find similar bags all over the place both online and in stores.
Take it easy with the detergent. Since your activewear gets so dirty, it’s tempting to go crazy with the detergent. I get it: it seems like more detergent means more clean, right? Actually, no! Using too much detergent can lead to build-up in the fabric. Use only the amount of detergent recommended for the load size and no more.
Stop the stink. Although a lot of gear these days is designed to be anti-bacterial (and therefore anti-stink), funky gear happens. One easy cure for the fitness stank is probably already in your kitchen: plain white vinegar. You have two options here. One simple solution is to add 1/2-1 cup of vinegar to your load of laundry. You can add it with your detergent, add it alone, or add it only on the rinse step of the wash–I see all of these strategies recommended. Alternatively, for extra oomph, fill up a sink with water and add 1/2-1 cup of vinegar. Soak your stinky gear in the sink and wash it after.
Stain-removing favorites
I’m a big proponent of wearing your activewear like you mean it rather than letting it sit untouched and pristine in your closet. That means getting it dirty–literally.
My absolute, all-time FAVORITE stain remover is, without a doubt, plain ol’ powdered Oxiclean (this stuff). For general dirt-fighting power, I add a scoop of powder to a normal load of laundry. I don’t add it to all my loads of laundry. I most commonly add it to white and other light colors, or to a load that happens to be dirtier than usual.
Another trick I use is an Oxiclean soak. For extra-dirty items, I fill up my bathroom sink (make sure it’s clean!) with hot water. I add a scoop of Oxi so it’s more concentrated than usual. I let the item soak for at least an hour, sometimes overnight if it’s really bad. After that, I pull it out of the sink and wash it right away. An occasional deep soak is really helpful for items that are dirty all over, especially whites.
That said, my beloved Oxi is not great with grease stains. My trick for grease is regular dish soap like Dawn. Place a little drop of dish soap directly on the stain and rub or dab it firmly into the stain. Be careful not to overdo it with the detergent–too much detergent can be hard to rinse out and can actually leave a mark of its own! Use only just enough to work it into the stain. Let the detergent sit for a few minutes, then rinse it throughly with HOT water. Repeat if necessary for particularly bad stains.
And yes, I know I told you earlier not to use hot water on your activewear. However, hot water is crucial to removing stubborn stains. Remember, one hot rinse to get out a stain is not going to kill your activewear. You just don’t want to make a habit of washing in hot water unless you really need it.
Common active laundry questions
How often should you wash your activewear?
That depends.
If you get very sweaty in your workouts, you should wash after every wear. On the other hand, if you don’t sweat much and/or wear your activewear casually, washing it every time would be overkill. Wash it as often as you would your normal clothing; wearing it a handful of times (3-4, ish) is fine before tossing it in the hamper.
The same rules apply to sports bras. Most people agree that it’s best to wear ordinary bras ~3 times before washing rather than wash every time you wear. So, if you wear your sports bras in a low-sweat or casual environment, treat them like your ordinary bras.
Washing activewear–especially sports bras–can be hard on the fabric. Being too zealous with the laundry can be bad because the more you wash, the faster the fabric will start wearing out. But on the other hand, you want to be clean and prevent bacteria buildup. So, it’s a balance.
Do you need to use a special laundry detergent?
No. Normal laundry detergent work just fine. If you want to go the extra mile for stink-prevention, there’s nothing wrong with using a specialty detergent, but it’s not an absolute necessity. I’ve been thinking of experimenting with activewear-specific detergents; if I do, I’ll report back!
Can you wash different brands and different active fabrics together?
Yes! I commonly see people ask if you can wash lululemon with other brands of activewear, and if you can wash luon fabric and luxtreme fabric together. The answer to both is yes. As long as it’s a technical, synthetic, active fabric, it’s safe to combine them.
Take note that some yoga clothing can be made of cotton. Check the tag! If it’s cotton, don’t wash it with your other activewear.
Another exception is merino wool. I wash merino by hand or with other non-activewear delicates. Since it’s not a synthetic fabric, I like to keep it separate.
Do you need to take bra cup inserts out before washing?
No, you can leave them in your sports bras. I’ve washed by sports bras both with the cups inside and taking them out first. Both work! And if you sweat heavily in your sports bras, washing the cups is important since they can soak up a lot of sweat. The only downside is that sometimes the cups can crease in the wash and therefore wear out faster. If they do fold over on themselves, make sure you un-crease them before hanging them to dry so they can dry more quickly.
i used to wash my bra cups separately and it was so much of a bother. now i just wash bra and cup together.
right after use, if i know im going to launder what i wore to workout but am not doing laundry right that minute (or day), i just hang what i wore up to dry out the sweat. it helps keep the stanks away. :)
Yup, I used to separate mine too…and then I was like, ain’t nobody got time for that! Hah. Also, yes, thanks for pointing out how helpful it is to air things out pre-laundry–I agree!
and you know how sometimes you have the bra and cup combo just right? and you separate it and mess it up? GAH. i cant even.
Hahaha so true!!!
Good tips! Keeping things inside out is a big one that I think a lot of people don’t know about. I am a huge fan of OxyClean too. Something else that has worked really well for me is Charlie’s Soap laundry detergent – it’s really affordable on Amazon, comes as a powder so it leaves less residue and completely scent free. I have hard Arizona water so I also use the Charlie’s booster to soften the water and I have had great luck keeping my workout clothes looking good. I used to use Sport Wash but I definitely prefer Charlie’s for cost and effectiveness. If I ever have anything that gets super funky (*ahem* bras after hot yoga) I will sometimes add a few drops of tea tree oil in the detergent dispenser of my front loader machine and it leaves everything smelling fresh.
Thanks for the tip on Charlie’s! I feel like so many sport detergents are scented and I CANNOT do scent in my laundry, so that might be a good one for me. I also have hard AZ water, but thankfully my current house has a water softener so it’s one less thing to worry about. :) Tea tree is another good tip–I believe it has antimicrobial properties which helps with smell on two fronts!
When I remove my clothing after the gym, run, spin, boot camp I pull the top from the bottom up over my head so it’s inside out when I toss in the hamper already. Same with tights, crops and shorts. Makes it’s easy to wash inside out and less turning come wash day.
I have a front loader so they literally just swish and tumble so I wash on the normal cycle that I use with all my clothing. Never did understand people who handwash all their lulu. I’ve oxysoaked stuff I bought advertised as “only hand washed!” and eww. If they only knew that they weren’t doing that great of a job on that.
I’ve never babied my athletic wear. I figure if it can handle the workouts I do, it surely can handle a tumble in a washing machine! Lol!
That’s a brilliant idea about turning it inside out as you take it off! I’m going to have to start doing that.
I have an old top-loader (90s?) and while I haven’t had issues yet, I can’t say I completely trust my agitator. D: Front loaders are definitely less risky in that respect. I also agree about hand washing, I don’t think it’s as effective in the long run. I’ll do it once in a blue moon if I have to for color bleeding, but not as a long-term solution.
Great post. I appreciate the tips and tricks for washing to keep our gear smelling and looking fresh.
I was wondering if you still wear your nike pegasus photosynthesis shoes? If you are willing to part with them I would gladly buy them from you if they are not too worn. I have a pair, I would love to have a back up, I love the fit 32’s so much. Having a really hard time finding running shoes that I like anymore. The pegasus 32’s are the only ones that feel right to my foot lately. Just let me know. Totally understand if you still love them.
Thanks! :) I do still have my pegasus photosynthesis–you’ve got a good memory, haha. I’ve only worn them ~5 times so they’re still in good shape. Not sure what size you’re looking for, but mine are a 7. I wouldn’t mind parting with them, so if you might like them, send me an email. I can send you photos and we can go from there.
I would love them! I am the exact same size as you in shoes. 7 is perfect. Your post is the reason I purchase them. I have emailed you in the past with questions about items/selling. Last name is funk on the email. Let me know if you if you need it again. Otherwise thank you!
I just upgraded my washing machine and dryer to Samsung. My local appliance shop was having a sale for Memorial Day weekend. Even though they were still pricey, well worth it. The washer has a separate delicate compartment on the bottom. It is truly awesome. My dryer has a delicate cycle for drying and all my lululemon and lingerie come out great. I no longer use any mesh bags. I own a lot. And yes I wash light colors and dark colors separately. I also no longer hang anything dry. I have 4 boys I can’t hang anything dry even in my laundry room. They will make a mess by pulling everything down. I also have 2 labs and they get into every room.
I use Laundress Sport and Method for all my gym clothes. Smells great. Even my nasty sweaty stinky run and boot camp lululemon clothes come out smelling great. I also tend to use more detergent than recommended.
Nice! I’m jealous of your delicates compartment–that would be so awesome!
All great tips, thank you. White vinegar is an unsung all around anti-stink cleaning hero to be used for so many things!
As to the hand washing: not everyone has their own washing machine :)
I’d like to pose a question to y’all that is off topic but related: since most fabrics have a tendency to pick up and hold odors over time, (no matter how one washes) how does that effect one’s buying and selling of activewear?
I’ve never purchased 2nd hand activewear primarily because of this issue and am curious about people’s thoughts and experiences. I would hope that only slightly used activewear is being sold but….
Oh, good point on not having a washing machine. Fortunately I haven’t been in that situation in a while, but if I were, you better believe I would opt for the sink instead of paying $2.50 to wash 3 pairs of leggings, haha.
As for buying secondhand, I personally buy either new/nearly new goods, or I buy things that aren’t particularly high sweat/high stink, like jackets. I wouldn’t buy a used sports bra, for example. Fortunately, I’ve been lucky enough that nothing I’ve bought has ever smelled like anything other than detergent.
A store near me was going out of business and I picked up a pair of Alala leggings with silver lamé at the bottom (for $50!!), and I remembered your post about the fully shiny Alala tights you got last year. I was wondering how they’ve held up through multiple washes, and any additional suggestions you might have in terms of washing.
Oh nice!!! :) I’ve just been washing mine by hand in the sink. I don’t need to wash them TOO often (I have so many crops!) so it’s not a huge hassle, and I’d rather not risk the washing machine.
I didn’t realize that using too much detergent on workout clothes can lead to build-up in the fabric. My goal for this upcoming summer is to get into a workout routine to try and lose some weight. As I buy some clothes for exercise and proceed to take care of my clothing, I’ll be sure to avoid too much detergent.
I saved up money for two years and finally chose to spend it on an athleta white tennis dress and a neon orange shorts and bra set!! The first time I ever wore the tennis dress, I got drops of strawberry juice on the front and it’s not coming off. I washed it in cold water, detergent, and baking soda- nothing. I’m so sad, I hope there is some way to clean it or get it repaired maybe. :(
Any tips?
Oh no!!! That’s such a bummer! One of my best tricks for stain removal is to make a very concentrated mixture of Oxiclean in hot water, then use a bottle to spray directly on the stain. If you don’t have a spray bottle, you could always mix it in a bowl or something, and dip the stained portion in the mixture. I can get a lot of tough stains out that way. A similar approach would be to fill your bathroom sink with water and some Oxiclean, and let the dress soak for a while, maybe an hour or so, then wash. Good luck, I hope you can get it out!!
Thanks!! It ended up washing out!
Awesome!!! Glad to hear it. :)
Thanks for explaining that it’s fine to use hot water to remove stains from activewear as long as we don’t use it every time for no reason. One of my friends asked for my help shopping for sportswear, and I want to make sure I help her find comfortable and breathable clothes since she’ll need to find an activewear hijab as well. I’ll have to pass along these tips so she can help the clothes she buys last as long as possible!
Thanks for sharing, Rebecca! :)
I’m planning to start working out at home, which is why I’m currently looking for a motivational jersey that I could wear. Well, thank you for this; I’ll make sure to never use a fabric softener in washing it because this may damage the clothing. I’ll also keep in mind to use less detergent so any substance built-up will be avoided.