Washing workout clothes?

dfasfadsf wrote:

There used to be this great detergent called "WIN" or similar in a blue bottle with olympic rings on it. That stuff was awesome, got the stench out of even the rankest winter running gear. I can't find it anywhere now, though.

Nike sued them into a poverty-stricken death for using the Olympic rings. Nike owns the Olympics.

I do my workout stuff separately from the rest of my clothing. A lot of it I hang to dry because it lasts FAR longer that way.

I also use powdered detergent - the liquid stuff doesn't rinse from the clothing as well and over time the clothes end up clogged up with the fatty crap that makes the detergent liquid. Avoid the bleach, but the vinegar and baking soda is a good idea.

Aside from the important stuff like shoes and shorts, I buy everything at Target or Walmart. I'm sure when I was a kid I used to care that my workout wear was brand name, but now I laugh (inside laugh... outside laugh would be mean) at people who shell out for their Under Armour and Nike apparel.

I simply hang my sweaty running clothes outside and let the Sun dry and disinfect them at the same time. I save money on water and detergents plus my clothes last longer because they're not constantly being abraded in the washer and dryer.

fisky wrote:

My running and work out clothes are a soaked, sweaty, smelly mess after an hour's run. Wear once. Wash the same day or no later than the next day. Nothing is ever worn twice.

Running clothes are washed separately from towels, jeans, or clothing with zippers.

I add vinegar to smelly clothes and vinegar plus OdoBan to really smelly clothes and shoes that have gotten stinky.

Nothing goes into the dryer... ever. All running clothes are hung up to dry.

Of all the chores I do at home, washing clothes has to be the easiest. I can get a load of clothes started during the commercials on TV.

Wow. You just described my routine to a T.

Separate laundry hamper for my running clothes vs. my regular clothes.

A lot of my running clothes are over 20 years old.

Gotta find this WIN stuff...

Here it is,

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00K0WS2GW/ref=as_li_ss_tl?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&linkCode=sl1&tag=windete-20&linkId=d28433b5cd8f0c8269d42ae23b8593d9

Gonna try it. Sounds like a good tip. I got a pair of shorts and a shirt I let lie around in the dark soaking in sweat for a week. I can't get the sewage smell out.

I've washed my running shoes in the washing machine many times and it never did any harm. It really helps to get the stink out of them. I toss them in with a few towels, and use cold water. I remove the inserts and toss those in, too. I either air dry them in the sun, or use a boot dryer. Just don't put them in the clothes dryer -- too hot.

Wise old runner wrote:

I also use powdered detergent - the liquid stuff doesn't rinse from the clothing as well and over time the clothes end up clogged up with the fatty crap that makes the detergent liquid.

This is nonsense.

toofast7 wrote:

I've washed my running shoes in the washing machine many times and it never did any harm. It really helps to get the stink out of them. I toss them in with a few towels, and use cold water. I remove the inserts and toss those in, too. I either air dry them in the sun, or use a boot dryer. Just don't put them in the clothes dryer -- too hot.

Why cold and not hot water?

duhsquared wrote:

Wise old runner wrote:

I also use powdered detergent - the liquid stuff doesn't rinse from the clothing as well and over time the clothes end up clogged up with the fatty crap that makes the detergent liquid.

This is nonsense.

How exactly?

I think hot water is supposed to cause certain fabrics to shrink, especially natural fabrics. I don't think modern running shoes contain anything natural at all. But I can't imagine tossing them in the wash, not the least of which because I don't want my clothes going in there after the shoes have released all of their goodness into the machine.

Makes sense.

I live in charlotte, hot in summer cool in winter. In summer I hang my tank top and towel on my rear views in my garage. I leave my wet shoes in garage too. All dry by the next day and the shirt will not smell until it has gone through a few cycles of this. I put my wet socks in a bin to dry but do not wear again until washing. I hang shorts in bathroom to dry. The one thing you do not want to do is leave wet clothes in a hot car with windows up. Corn chip smell will reign supreme.

Gwalkerruns wrote:

The one thing you do not want to do is leave wet clothes in a hot car with windows up. Corn chip smell will reign supreme.

Yeah, I do this too often, forgetting it in the car when I get home from the trails.

We use Tide SPORT with Febreeze for our Dri-Fit only loads. We hang dry items from these loads. I am very impressed with odor abatement and cleanliness. We have gear from running, trail running, rollerblading, volleyball, cheerleading, and babies covered!

As a running dad, I am pretty impressed with the Tide SPORT. At first I did not want to spend the little extra, but now justify it completely.

Santiago Campion wrote:

We use Tide SPORT with Febreeze for our Dri-Fit only loads. We hang dry items from these loads. I am very impressed with odor abatement and cleanliness. We have gear from running, trail running, rollerblading, volleyball, cheerleading, and babies covered!

As a running dad, I am pretty impressed with the Tide SPORT. At first I did not want to spend the little extra, but now justify it completely.

Tide SPORT is by far the best stuff. I tried using others to get my clothes clean, but man, odor and color and all that JAZZ looks better when used.

I hang everything to dry immediately after working out. Fortunately I live in a dry climate, so it all dries within an hour or two. This keeps things from stinking so I can wear them more (and wash less, thus increasing their lifespan).

After 2 or 3 workouts, I'll wash it all with other laundry, in cold water. Socks and shirts I'll turn inside out before washing - helps screenprinting last longer, and keeps socks from pilling so quickly.

A few times a year, I'll have to soak everything in diluted vinegar before washing to get rid of accumulated stink.

I wash out my shorts and singlet in the shower as I shower to get all the sweat and bacteria and smell immediately out. Then I hang them on the shower rod to dry all day. I toss them into the dirty clothes hamper dry at night to be washed with the rest of the loads of laundry later that week.

Maybe a bit overkill, but the rest of my family doesn't like their clothes washed with my running clothes that are dripping wet with sweat. Also, no problems with them getting moldy or mildew, which I have had happen in years past when wet running clothes got buried in some laundry. Also, no trace of a stinky smell once washed.

Sometimes if I'm running short on running clothes, I'll wear them again even though they've been only rinsed out and not thoroughly washed.