Traveling is great. We get to explore new places, meet new people, and learn new things. Going to a different city, region, or country is always beneficial because it expands our mindset, breaks routine, and helps us think clearly.
But, of course, travel is not all great. One notable drawback is that we have to live without many things we take for granted at home. Having to wash workout clothes is a prime example of this challenge.
It’s particularly difficult to keep our clothes clean and fresh when staying at hotels. If you’re away for multiple days and plan to hit the hotel gym frequently, you know exactly what we’re talking about.
To that end, we’ve put together this guide on washing gym clothes while traveling. We’ll go over our recommendations for the best ways to wash your gym clothes when you’re living out of a suitcase. Let’s dive in.
What You Need to Know About Gym Clothes
As you probably already know, gym clothes are often made of sweat-wicking materials like Lycra, spandex, and polyester. These fibers are highly engineered to be breathable, and many brands have built-in UV protection.
Unfortunately, since the fabric repels moisture, it’s not uncommon for our gym clothes to get and stay a bit stinky, especially in the limited space of a hotel room.
It’s always best to wash your workout gear regularly. Ideally, you should wash your equipment after every use to avoid building up layers of bacteria, which is even more important when traveling since you’ve packed a limited wardrobe.
If you can’t wash the items on the same day, dry them first before putting them in your hotel room’s laundry bag. You might also want to consider these three tips to keep your gym clothes fresh while traveling.
Hotel-Friendly Washing Tips
1. Wash Your Workout Clothes Inside Out
This practice is often used to safeguard colors, but it’s especially useful for gym clothes. Considering that the inside is probably exposed the most to your sweaty body, turning the workout gear inside-out before washing will give them a more direct and thorough clean, whether you’re using the hotel sink or a portable solution.
2. Don’t Use Hot Water
While your first instinct might be to use extremely hot water to eliminate all those bacteria, you should reconsider this approach. Washing gym clothes using hot water might do more harm than good. Extreme heat can break down the elasticity of the fabric, leading to shrinkage. Most hotel rooms offer warm water, which is perfect for your workout gear. And of course, never use a machine dryer for your gym clothes.
3. Try a Sport Laundry Detergent
Workout clothes can get to a point where regular hotel-provided soap no longer works effectively. Using a sportswear-specific laundry detergent is another piece of advice to follow. But which ones are the best detergents for workout clothes?
Detergents like WIN or Sweat X are optimized to attack the bacteria that grow on gym clothes directly. As a result, they will remove the true source of bad odors and even the potential stains they leave behind. And if nothing works, OxiClean is specialized for strong odors. Of course, there are many other great products. These are our top picks to ensure your gym clothes stay fresh for a long time:
- Best overall: WIN Activewear
- Best budget: Sweat X Sport Original Activewear
- Best for bad smell: OxiClean Odor Blasters
If you forget to pack these specialty detergents, a small amount of shampoo can work in a pinch for a quick hotel sink wash, but won’t be as effective at eliminating persistent odors.
Portable Washing Solutions for Hotel Stays
Hotel laundry services can be expensive, and not all accommodations offer self-service machines. This is where portable washing solutions come in handy.
Compact wash bags are small, affordable, easy-to-use items that allow you to wash your clothes quickly in your hotel room. Some weigh just a few ounces and can fit in your luggage easily. These bags typically feature internal nodules that help clean your clothes of dirt, sweat, and stains, giving you machine-like quality in minutes without having to find a laundromat.
How Portable Wash Bags Work
The Scrubba mini portable wash bag is a small, affordable, easy-to-use item that allows you to wash your clothes quickly. It fits in the back pocket of your jeans and weighs just 2.5 ounces. The MINI is designed for ultra-light travelers.
The process is surprisingly simple:
- Put the clothes you want to wash in the bag
- Add some water from your hotel bathroom sink
- Add a small amount of cleaning liquid
- Seal the bag, deflate it, and rub the clothes against the inner washboard
- Once finished, replace the water a couple of times to rinse your clothes
- Take them out and hang them to dry in your hotel bathroom
That’s it! You’ve washed a few clothing items in just a few minutes, and you only have to wait for them to dry. Most hotels have adequate bathroom space for hanging a few items to dry overnight.
If you don’t have a portable wash bag, you can use the hotel sink or bathtub as an alternative. Fill it with lukewarm water, add a small amount of detergent or shampoo, wash your clothes by hand, rinse thoroughly, and hang to dry.
What does the wash bag cost and where to buy?
You can get the MINI on thescrubba.com for 42 USD. They frequently offer discounts, including a recent 15% off promotion. Amazon sells the Scrubba Kit Laundry Bag too, including an entire drying set for faster drying of your clothes.
Fresh Gym Clothes Anywhere, Anytime
Keeping your gym clothes fresh while traveling comes down to a few simple habits:
- Remember to wash your sports clothes regularly, turning them inside out for a thorough clean
- Opt for cold or warm water, as hot water can damage the fabric
- Consider packing travel-sized sport-specific laundry detergents
- For a portable washing solution, explore compact wash bags or use your hotel sink
With these practical tips on how to keep your gym clothes clean, you can stay active and fresh during your adventures, no matter where they take you. And before booking your next hotel, remember to check what fitness facilities they offer so you can pack accordingly.
