9 Things To Know Before Throwing Gym Clothes In The Laundry (2024)

One time, in high school, I decided to buy a really expensive pair of yoga pants. When I was picking out my size, a saleswoman came over to help, and told me to make sure to only wash the pants with "like materials," AKA other workout clothes. I suddenly felt a twinge of embarrassment, thinking, "Lady, I don't have enough workout clothes to do a whole load of laundry every time I want to wash these." The truth is, I was just buying them to lounge around in, not to work out (I don't even do yoga). So I bought the pants, ignored her advice, and washed them with all my other clothes, even some towels. After a few months, the leggings were faded and pilled from all the wear.

Even though I didn't listen to that saleswoman, her instructions have stuck with me ever since. Whenever I throw my dirty workout clothes in the hamper, I remember what she told me, and wonder, "Am I screwing up? Should I stop washing this stuff with my other clothes?" To finally get some peace of mind, I spoke with Julianne Ruckman, Brooks Running product line manager for women’s apparel and bras, about the best way to wash sportswear.

1. Handwashing is the way to go.

According to Julianne, the best way to care for your athletic clothes, especially sports bras, is to handwash them. "It's gentler on the fabrics," she explains. Handwashing, however, is kind of a pain in the *ss. Even Julianne admits she doesn't do it, but it is the key to keeping those fabrics looking fresh longer.

2. Stay away from fabric softener.

If you don't want to handwash all your sweaty gym clothes, that's totally fine. Just don't use fabric softener. According to Julianne, fabric softener engrains itself into the fibers of your clothes, clogging the pores of the material. You want fabric softener to get into the pores of your towels, so they'll feel soft and plush. You don't want it to get into your workout clothes, because it will block the sweat and dirt from washing out, which can cause that lingering, musky smell old gym clothes get.

P.S. — Some detergents could cause problems, too. "In general, it’s best to avoid a detergent that has color, fragrance, and added fabric softeners," says Julianne.

3. If you made a fabric softener mistake, you can fix it.

If you do notice that your gym clothes smell terrible, even after they've been washed, don't worry — you can fix that. Just mix together vinegar and water (use a 2:1 ratio) and let your clothes soak in it. A quick wash like this should take out any fabric softener or detergent, and bring the material back to its natural, breathable state.

4. Try 'sport wash' instead.

The best thing to use when you clean your sweaty workout clothes is sport wash laundry detergent. There are a bunch of different brands you could try, but if you want to stick with something you know, Tide makes one.

5. Yeah, you should wash with "like materials."

So, the saleswoman was right; It is best to wash these clothes together. There a few reasons to do this: First, if you're washing soft sportswear in the same load as stiff jeans, or even a top with sequins, your gym clothes will rub against those other materials and begin to pill.

Another reason is because most gym clothes are roughly the same weight. If you have something super heavy in your load of laundry, that's going to soak up more detergent than the rest of the clothes. Washing your sportswear together in one load is the best way to make sure your sweaty stuff actually gets clean and doesn't get snagged on other items.

6. Use a lingerie bag.

Speaking of snagging, isn't it the worst when hook of your bra gets caught on something else in the laundry? If any of your sports bras have hook-and-eye closures, use a lingerie bag. If you're taking all these measures to protect your gym clothes, you don't want a sports bra hook to be the thing that ruins them.

7. Don't worry about separating lights and darks.

While you should think about like items, and separate according to weight, you don't need to do a special wash for your light athletic apparel. Julianne explained that at Brooks, their team does a 10-wash test to make sure the materials they're using won't bleed. She says most quality sportswear brands do these kinds of tests, so you shouldn't have a problem washing a white workout top with hot pink leggings.

8. Turn your leggings inside out.

If you're reading this and thinking, "there's literally no way I'm doing all of this just to keep my gym clothes in mint condition," here's any easy trick you can try: Turn your leggings inside out before you throw them in the wash. At the very least, this will expose the inside of the leggings to all that rubbing and pilling, and protect the exterior. They might look like sh*t on the inside, but no one at spin class will know.

9. Avoid the dryer.

However you decide to wash them, don't put your workout clothes in the dryer. Most of the things you wear to the gym have elastic bands built in, which can shrink and shrivel if exposed to too much heat. Hang dry your sportswear instead. If you do want to use the dryer, make sure you set it to tumble dry low.

I know — this sounds like a lot of work, and it's okay if you don't feel like doing it. "It's about progress, not perfection. Do the best you can," Julianne says. Now, please excuse me: I'm going to go turn all my leggings inside out and stop beating myself up about my less-than-perfect laundry habits.

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