Keeping the freshness and good smell of the first days while extending the life of your sportswear is possible. Here are our maintenance tips and advice for you.
Air out your sportswear as soon as possible!
Molds love damp, dark places. To avoid their development, lay them out as soon as you return from training until they have been washed or completely dried.
Everyday products against odors
No need to use a variety of chemicals. To deodorize your clothes, there are natural, biodegradable and economical solutions.
Rub with baking soda
Baking soda is a fungistat. It inhibits the proliferation of mold and bacteria. It is your number 1 ally for maintaining your sportswear. Mix 2 tablespoons baking soda with water to form a paste to apply directly to fabric. Let dry and machine wash.
Bonus: baking soda revives colors.
Vinegar is the enemy of odors
Vinegar forms, with baking soda, a powerful duo against bad smells. Adding a little white vinegar to your laundry helps neutralize bacteria. The little extra, it has a descaling power and eliminates the limestone accumulated in your washer.
For more stubborn odors, soak your clothes for 20 to 30 minutes in one part white vinegar to four parts cold water. The acid contained in the vinegar will deeply dislodge bacteria, impurities and fat impregnated in the tissues.
Return your clothes
In order to prevent fabric wear, the famous little pilling, turn your clothes inside out before washing. In addition, turning your running jersey, yoga leggings or any sportswear inside out protects its technical properties.
Separate clothes by fabric type
Group your clothes by color and fabric type. Cotton clothes form small fluff that may stick to the synthetic fiber of sportswear. Technical fabrics are fragile. Thick materials, like jeans, cause friction and lead to premature wear of your synthetic shorts, jerseys and leggings.
Put your sports bras in laundry bags to avoid damaging them. This will prevent them from being stretched during the load.
Elements likely to damage
Staples, fasteners and Velcro regularly get caught in other clothing. Buttons and other pieces of metal can also damage technical fabrics.
Don't put too much soap
Use a little less laundry soap to wash your gym clothes than you do for your regular load. Indeed, the soap molecules accumulate in the fibers over the washes and attract new bacteria responsible for bad odors.
Why not try our range of soaps specially designed to fight odors and take care of your technical textiles? Find it in our stores.
Clean Dri-Fit garments
Use powder detergent to care for your items Dri-Fit. It is particularly effective for stubborn stains and for eliminating bacteria thanks to the active oxygen it releases during washing. Prefer cold water: never above 30 degrees.
Do not use fabric softener
Fabric softener leaves residue on sportswear. The softener wipes, on the other hand, clog the fabrics and prevent the detergent from penetrating the fiber correctly. Result: the bacteria caused by perspiration and dirt are less well eliminated over the washes.
Tip: To soften your clothes gently, use detergent balls for delicate laundry.
If possible, do not use the dryer
Always check the care labels on your clothes for brand recommendations. In general, prolong the life of your sports equipment by air drying it. The excessively high temperature of the dryer damages the fragile membrane of the technical fibres.
Wash your gym clothes in cold water
Sportswear is made from high performance technical fabrics, such as polyester, polyamide, elastane or lycra. They do not like heat and prefer cold water (30 degrees maximum).
Washing in hot water can deform your sportswear. Not all brands pre-wash fabrics prior to design, so heat can alter the fit of your garments. If your training suit is particularly dirty, give it a vinegar and baking soda soak before washing ;).
