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Get Rid of Stinky Workout Clothes for Good: A Step-by-Step Guide

Published Date:
February 29, 2024

Are you tired of your gym clothes smelling like a locker room? If you're looking for proven tips to banish stubborn odors and revive your stinky activewear, this guide is for you. We'll walk you through simple, effective odor-removal steps so you can finally say goodbye to smelly workout clothes.

Follow these easy methods to get rid of sweat smells for good. Our step-by-step odor removal guide will help you make even the stinkiest workout clothes fresh again. With the right techniques, you can keep your athletic apparel clean, fresh, and ready for your next fitness adventure. Let's get started reviving your gym gear!

What’s so stinky?

Different odors require different cleaning methods, and the same goes for the clothing material itself. For example, some items may be severely stained and require a pre-treatment, like a stain and odor remover, bleach, heavy-duty detergent, or a DIY home remedy. Depending on the fabric and material, some items of clothing may not be suitable for washing machines and will need to be sent to a professional cleaner.

To properly wash your clothes and avoid unwanted results, always read the label before washing or drying. Items like delicate workout clothes have specific instructions to be washed separately. Following these steps will help you maintain the appearance of your clothes and eliminate any future accidents. Always refer to these instructions before attempting to remove the odor for maximum results.

Most workout gear is made with moisture-wicking performance fabric, which does an amazing job of sending wetness to the surface of the fabric to keep you cool and dry, but has extra nooks and crannies that cling to dirt and odors. Laundry detergent has a hard time penetrating those grooves, and can even trap the bad stuff. And since performance fabrics dry super fast, you might even forget just how sweaty your clothes got in the first place.

Effective Tips to Freshen Up Stinky Workout Clothes

  • Air your clothes out before tossing them in the hamper. Don’t roll up your sweaty workout clothes into a tiny ball and stuff them at the bottom of the hamper. Spread them out to let them air out and let odors dissipate before throwing them in the hamper. 
  • Freeze them! Wait, what? Toss your workout clothes in a plastic bag and put them in the freezer until laundry day. The cold air prevents bacteria from growing and kills odor until you can do laundry.
  • Zip and button clothes to protect them from getting damaged. Workout clothes are delicate. Zipping up helps workout clothes retain shape and not damage other laundry.
  • Use mesh bags for extra protection. Loosely pack your workout clothes in the mesh bags so the garments have enough room to tumble properly. 
  • Wash with cool water. This prevents shrinking and color bleeding. While hot water does help with odors, it will shrink your workout clothes.
  • Avoid too much detergent! This is an important one.  Too many suds can trap odors rather than remove them. If there are too many suds, they get heavy and can trap dirt and bacteria into your garments. 
  • Wash your workout clothes inside out. Flipping clothes inside out helps detergent work on the smelliest parts of your clothes. This helps remove underarm and undergarment odor.
  • Freshen up with baking soda, lemon juice, or vinegar. We do not recommend using fabric softeners on performance fabrics because they can clog the moisture-wicking fabrics. Instead, using a touch of baking soda, lemon juice, or vinegar can help get rid of smells.

A laundry service you can trust with your stinky workout clothes…

Stop wasting your time trying to remove unwanted odors and stubborn stains from your workout clothes. Instead, leave it to the professionals. 2ULaundry is a laundry and dry-cleaning service you can trust with your delicate (and stinky!) workout clothes. We’re here to help you with all your laundry needs!

Delicate fabrics? Hang dry options? You got it!

Our easy-to-use laundry pickup and delivery service can be scheduled online for fast, contactless pickup and drop-off delivery the next day. Simply create an account, select your treatment preferences, and leave a note for any special requests on your orders. You no longer need to jump through hoops to get that stench out of your athleisure workout gear.

2ULaundry is a premium laundry and dry-cleaning pick-up and delivery service available in Charlotte, Atlanta, Tampa, Austin, San Antonio, Houston, and Phoenix. Learn more about 2ULaundry and sign up on our website.

Our promise to you

We will do everything we can to return your clothes to you in great shape. In the rare instance that an item goes missing or is damaged during the cleaning process, we’ll reimburse you up to the full value of the item with a $1,000 maximum per order.