Our sportswear is an integral part of our life. Indeed, it is a safe bet that you wear one of these pieces at least once a day. Whether it is for training, for playing with your children, for passing the mower, for your camping vacation or simply for comfort, this category of clothing always has a special place in our wardrobe.
Although they are now part of "furniture", the fact remains that we appreciate them and that we would like them to accompany us for a long time ... especially if we have invested a considerable amount in the purchase.
Here are some tips for taking care of your training clothes in order to lengthen their lifespan:
- Focus on quality
As a general rule, quality clothing has greater durability than poor quality clothing. Although they are more expensive to buy, you will save money in the end since they will not have to be replaced frequently.
In addition, this type of clothing often offers greater comfort, pushing us to wear them frequently. You quickly realize that there is no point in having a drawer full of clothes that are never worn. Quality vs quantity makes perfect sense!
2. Wash quickly or air dry
Everyone knows that with any intense training, comes intense sweating. This perspiration, which contains bacteria, will therefore accumulate in your clothes. It is therefore advisable to wash your clothes as soon as possible, after your workout is finished, in order to avoid the accumulation of bacteria.
Are you unable to wash your clothes quickly? If this is the case, make sure, at a minimum, that you let them air dry and not in the bottom of your sports bag: you will avoid the accumulation of unwanted odors this way.
Speaking of sports bag; If you're used to leaving your soiled workout clothes and towels indoors, it might be time to think about cleaning it!
3. Washing routine
Some people have a very strict washing routine, while others will go for flexibility. Without going to extremes, here is a middle ground:
- Turn your clothes inside out: as sweat lodges inside your clothes, they will wash more easily when placed this way
- Soaking: If you've just completed an extremely intense workout in a heatwave, this step may be worth considering. This way, you prevent your wash water from being half sweat / half clean water.
- Prefer washing in cold water: as some pieces are made of fibers that are not resistant to warm / hot water, washing in cold water will slow down the wear of the clothes.
- Laundry Disinfectant: If you have clothes that remain soaked in unwanted odors even after taking them out of the washer, there are products specially designed to remove them by simply adding them to the washer tub. Just make sure the product selected is safe for the type of clothing being used (tip: baking soda works great).
- Avoid the use of fabric softeners: this type of product has the effect of coating the fibers of the clothes to make them silky to the touch, thus trapping the remaining dirt, bacteria and odors. Fabric softeners also reduce the elasticity and stretchability so sought after in sportswear.
4. Drying routine
If there's one thing that can definitely impact the durability of sportswear, it's the drying routine!
As mentioned earlier, the majority of sports clothing pieces are made from fibers that are not very resistant to heat. Since the temperatures that a dryer can reach are extremely high and your clothes take a long time to dry, we are talking about an extremely rapid degradation of our clothes if dried this way.
Another consequence of the high temperatures of the dryer is that it will tend to fix bad odors in the piece of clothing.
Another little point: make sure your clothes dry within 24 hours. Indeed, after this period, the chances of bacteria proliferation and odors are relatively high. So avoid placing your dryer in the bathroom or in a damp basement.
5. Fix your clothes
The longer you wear your clothes, the greater the chances of small snags appearing. Whether it's a tear following a fall or a seam that weakens, no item of clothing is immune to these minor inconveniences.
That being said, should it happen, your clothes are still functional. So do not be afraid, for the reckless, to take out your sewing "kit" to repair everything. Otherwise, a quick little search on the web will allow you to find a seamstress nearby who can perform the repair easily.
By following these few simple and strong tips, you will allow your clothes to extend their lifespan and therefore accompany you even longer on your adventures!
Your wallet and the environment thank you!
Thank you I appreciated
It is not clear who signs some articles like this which is very relevant by the way. Is there a reason for this anonymity?
My colleague Claude wrote it! We will make sure to display the author's signature at the bottom of the articles 🙂
Thanks for the post on the proper care of workout clothes. My brother goes to the gym every day and therefore has to bathe frequently. He therefore wishes to invest in a washing machine and dryer set. It's good to know that you need to turn sports clothes inside out before washing them, as sweat gets trapped in the clothes.