Guest Post: Caring for Your Workout Clothes

Hey guys! I invited some friends to share with you over the next few weeks as I settle into life as a mom. Enjoy!

Hey, Kate Moving Forward readers! I’m Tempie from over at The Texas Peach. Kate asked me to write a guest post for her while she begins her first days of being a new mommy. So happy for her and her husband!

When I bought my first moisture-wicking running shirt a couple of years ago, I didn’t read the care instructions. I simply threw it into the washer and hung it up to dry. The main goal of not putting it into the dryer was just to keep it from fading as quickly. I didn’t put my running shorts in the dryer because I was afraid they might shrink.

I was fortunate to avoid making some laundry mistakes with my workout clothes, and I thought I’d share some of my laundry tips that keep my workout clothes looking (and smelling!) great.

No fabric softener or dryer sheets.

So, it turns out there was more than one good thing about me not putting my clothes in the dryer. I would’ve automatically placed a dryer sheet in the dryer along with the clothes, and that’s not good. Dryer sheets and fabric softeners prevent the moisture-wicking fabric from breathing as well as it should. It totally defeats the purpose of spending the extra money for the special fabric.
This includes your socks. Even after I found out about the moisture-wicking clothes, I never even thought about my moisture-wicking socks. I just threw them in the dryer with the rest of my whites along with a dryer sheet. I know, I know. You would’ve thought that I’d have known better after learning about the clothes, but I guess I’m just a little slow. 🙂 Now, I just wash them with the rest of my workout clothes and hang them up. If you do dry yours, just be sure to NOT use a dryer sheet.

Detergent

I currently use Wisk detergent. I read in Consumer Reports that it works as well as Tide in their tests, so why pay more? If you have a particularly bad smelling article of clothing, you could spray it with a little Febreze prior to throwing it in the washer. I’ve used baking soda in the wash, too.

Sorting

I personally wash all of my workout clothes together. I sort them by whites and colors. After they are washed, I just hang them up wherever I have room. This includes my socks.

Depending on what brand you choose, workout clothes can be very expensive. Even though I have only purchased items on the lower end of the price scale and also use coupons from stores like Kohls, I want to get my money’s worth out of each piece. By taking good care of your workout clothes, they can last you a long time.

And on a somewhat related note, I also do this with all of my black shirts and jeans. My jeans last a lot longer now than back when I used to throw them in the dryer.

Do you have any tips on how to take care of your workout clothes or laundry in general?

Literally news to me you–I had no idea what was involved in caring for your workout clothes! I have just been washing everything all together, but I see now how taking the time to take care of your workout clothes really pays off in the long run, especially with my pricier gear!