It’s only natural that we’d want to know the best way to wash and take care of our workout clothes, when we’ve invested our hard earned money into them. Personally, my goal is to always get the most out of my gym wear. Meaning, I want them to last as long as possible. One way I achieve this is by making sure that what I buy is really great quality and from a trusted fitness brand. But I don’t just stop at that alone. So today I’m sharing all of the ways that I take care of my workout clothes to keep them in great condition and lasting long!
How to Wash Your Workout Clothes
First things first, we’ve got to wash our soiled and used gym wear! With my workout split, I’m in the gym anywhere from 5-6 days a week, starting with Monday. And I always do my laundry on the weekend because that’s what works best for my schedule. I’ll keep all of my workout clothes in a separate pile from my normal everyday wear. Then when Sunday comes around, I’ll wash what I’ve worn from Monday through Friday/Saturday!
Pretty much, my gym wear isn’t sitting around longer than 6-7 days before I get around to cleaning it all. I don’t recommend that anyone wait too long before washing theirs. The gym itself can be full of bacteria and germs and on top of that, you’re also sweating into your activewear. You don’t want all of that just sitting on your clothes. If you’re going to the gym multiple days throughout the week, try to wash everything by the end of the week!
The Detergent I Use
As far as laundry detergent goes, I do not wash my workout clothes with the same product I use to wash my everyday clothes. I’ve been using and loving Hex Performance Laundry Detergent, Fragrance Free. (No, this post isn’t sponsored. I just really enjoy this product and want to share it with you all!) You can find HEX products at Amazon and Publix. This 5 star rated detergent is so good for your gym wear and was created with activewear longevity in mind! Below are reasons, straight from the brand, on why you’d love it, too:
- Awesome for all fabrics (not just activewear)
- Eliminates odors with technology, not perfumes
- Protects fabrics from losing that new-clothes feeling
- Removes the gunk and funk other detergents leave behind
- Works in all machines (including HE) and at all water temperatures
- Ultimately biodegradable and eco-friendly (recyclable bottle too)
- Gentle on skin with no heavy fragrances or irritants
- Pours like water thanks to no goopy chemical thickeners, dyes, fillers, harsh perfumes or optical brighteners
They also offer dryer sheets, deodorizing spray, and fabric conditioner; but I personally haven’t tried those! I also like to turn each item inside out before placing it in the washer. And I wash it all on a cold cycle!
How to Dry Your Workout Clothes
After I run my activewear through my washing machine, I pull out one piece of clothing at a time, and shake and fix it so it’s not a jumbled mess. Then I find a good area in my home to lay it on so that it can air dry. That’s right. I air dry all of my workout clothes. Have you ever had anything damaged in your dryer before? Me too, and it sucks! I love my gym wear and I pay a good price for what I own. So in order to protect its quality and not run the risk of any damage, I just let everything dry out in the open! It will take about a day for it all to be completely dried, but since I’m doing the laundry on my rest day, I’m not in a hurry to use any of it!
How to Fold Your Workout Clothes
I’m very particular about how I fold any of my clothes, activewear included! I honestly have no idea how to explain, via text, how exactly I fold my workout clothes (leggings, sports bras, crop tops/shirts, shorts). Pictures will do a way better job, so hopefully the visuals below will be helpful!
[pictures coming soon!]
How to Put Away & Organize
I love a good organized…anything! Clutter just makes me stressed and feel as if my life is out of control. So it makes me happy when I pull open my drawer of workout clothes and see everything beautifully folded, properly placed, and color-coordinated. It honestly makes finding what I need much faster and easier. There is so much convenience to organizing, and if you’re someone who’s never really tried this before, it’s never too late to give it a shot!
Above, I showed you how I like to fold and below I’m showing you what it all looks like once stored away in my dresser! Again, pictures will do a way better job at giving you a good understanding than anything I’d try to describe!
[pictures coming soon!]
There you have it! This is everything that I do best to wash and take care of my workout clothes. I’ve really nailed down my routine when it comes to this and it’s one that I’m proud of. So I had to share it! I truly want you to be able to maintain yours for as long as reasonably possible and to get the most out of your investments! I hope you found this post to be helpful. If you’re interested in more gym wear related content, then you can find more here. And if you have any questions for me then I’d be happy to answer. Just comment below and I will for sure get back to you! Or you can send me a DM on Instagram and we can chat there!
xx