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 for this.
It is challenging to keep our clothes clean and fresh on the road, especially when staying at hotels. If you are away for multiple days and plan to hit the gym frequently, you know what wea are talking about.
To that end, we have put together this guide on washing gym clothes. We will go over our recommendations of the best ways to wash your gym clothes on the road. Let us dive in.
What you need to know about the 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 is not uncommon for our gym clothes to get and stay a bit stinky.
It is good advice to wash the workout gear regularly. Actually, it would be best to wash your equipment after every use. Just to avoid them building up layers of bacteria.
If you can not wash the things on the same day, dry them first before putting them in the laundry basket. You might also want to check on the following three insights to keep your gym clothes fresh.
Wash your Workout Clothes inside out
This practice is often used to safeguard colors, but you might want to try this too with your gym clothes. Considering that the inside is probably exposed the most to the (sweaty) body parts, this does not sound that wrong. Turning the workout gear inside-out before washing will give them a more direct and thorough clean.
Do not use hot Water
While an initial thought might be to use extremely hot water to eliminate all these bacteria, you might want to reconsider this. Washing gym clothes using hot water might hurt more than it could help. Extreme heat can break down the elasticity of the special fabric leading to shrinkage. Of course you should also not use a machine to dry your gym clothes.
Try a Sport Laundry Detergent
Workout clothes can get to a point where regular detergent no longer works. 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 Detergent Brands for Washing Sports Clothes:
- Best overall: WIN Activewear
- Best budget: Sweat X Sport Original Activewear
- Best for bad smell: OxiClean Odor Blasters
The portable wash bag when traveling
As the saying goes, "What will they think of next?" We find ourselves asking this very question often. 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 wash bag consists of a storage compartment equipped with over 150 nodules that glide against the clothes you are washing, effectively cleaning them of dirt, sweat, and stains. This simple setup allows you to wash your clothes with machine-like quality in minutes. Not having to find a washing machine, not wasting tons of water, and not needing to wait 20-60 minutes.
How the Scrubba mini portable wash bag works
The portable wash bag is great to use because of its simplicity. The process works like this:
Or to put in some words:
- Put the clothes you want to wash in the bag.
- Add some water.
- Add the cleaning liquid.
- Then, seal the bag off, deflate it, and rub the clothes against the inner washboard. For example, you can put the bag on the ground or a chair, place both hands flat over it, and move them back and forth, applying just enough pressure.
- Once you are finished, replace the water a couple of times to rinse your clothes off, take them out, and hang them to dry.
That is it. You washed a few clothing items in just a few minutes, and you only have to wait for them to dry. The Scrubba wash bag also works as a bucket. You can fill it up with water, add the clothes, put some cleaning liquid and reach in with both hands to wash.
What does the wash bag cost and where to buy?
You can get the MINI on thescrubba.com for 39.95 USD. Very often they provide extra discounts, like today there is an 15% off. Amazon sells the Scrubba Kit Laundry Bag too, including an entire drying set for faster drying of your clothes.
Fresh Gym Clothes Anywhere, Anytime
Traveling does not mean compromising on fresh gym clothes:
- 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 using sport-specific laundry detergents, which are effective against bacteria and odors.
For a portable washing solution, you can explore compact gym bags dsigned for on-the-go laundry. These handy tools allow you to wash your gym clothes conveniently, even without access to a washing machine.
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.
