3 Tips for Caring for Your Workout Clothes

Athleisure is loved by many for its comfort, versatility, and on-trend designs. These days, high-quality gym wear can be dressed down for a morning run or dressed up for a casual day at the office. While practical, proper care is essential when it comes to keeping these clothes attractive and fresh-smelling. Learn how in the guide below. 

How to Properly Care for Athleisure Wear

1. Wash Them Immediately After a Workout

Gym clothes are great at wicking away moisture and helping you stay dry and comfortable during a workout. However, after a major sweat session, the absorbent materials will retain bacteria that can cause them to produce odors if you don't wash the items quickly. To prevent this, drop the garments in the washing machine as soon as you get home to break down odor-causing soil and bacteria. 

2. Hang Dry Only

Most activewear is made with flexible, moisture-resistant materials that move with your body to prevent restricting you during workouts. While increased body heat on leg day won't affect these durable fabrics, exposure to the high heat of your dryer can damage fibers, altering the clothes' shape, fit, and flexibility. Over time, heat can also wear down the elastic properties in your garments and weaken them, leading to holes and tears. Therefore, hang dry your activewear. 

3. Avoid Bleach & Fabric Softeners

Bleach is a highly powerful corrosive used to extract colors from fabric and surfaces and remove tough stains. However, like heat, bleach can break down the flexible fibers of commonly-used athletic materials like nylon, Lycra®, and spandex, causing discoloration and making them brittle. Fabric softeners may also damage these materials or leave behind a coating that can trap odors in your activewear.