Wash and care for sportswear properly for long service life. Because functional textiles ensure that moisture is transported from the skin to the outside and you feel fresh for a long time during endurance sports. Functional clothing also protects your skin from cold, heat, moisture, and light.
Functional clothing is suitable for the gym, jogging in the forest, or skiing in the mountains. However, synthetic fabrics such as polyester, microfiber, and elastane absorb sweat. This makes them smell faster than linen or cotton. In addition, their dirt- and water-repellent impregnation can be impaired by constant washing.
Benefits of outdoor clothing
The functional clothing made of synthetic fibers offers a multitude of advantages. Because they protect against cold and rain and keep you warm. In addition, their breathable properties make them very popular. And for a long time, it has not only been popular with outdoor enthusiasts and athletes. Functional clothing can also be found more and more often in professional and everyday life. But what about the professional care and washing of this clothing? We have the most important tips for washing and caring for functional clothing.
Prevent odor formation in sportswear
If you put your clothes in the sports bag after a sweaty run or after the cup game, mold and spores can form in the worst case. And these are difficult to combat. But at best, your clothes will only smell unpleasant. With the following tips, your sportswear will smell clean and fresh again, even after heavy use:
- Let your clothes dry after training. Preferably in the fresh air before you wash them.
- Wash sports clothing immediately after training. This way you can avoid unpleasant smells. A mild shower gel or shampoo is sufficient. If they are very dirty or smell bad, you should still wash them properly at home – otherwise, three to four hand washes are sufficient before you wash the clothes in the washing machine.
- Soak your laundry in warm water with vinegar (4:1 ratio) before washing. This is how you can neutralize the unpleasant smells.
Wash sportswear properly
During training, skin flakes, sebum, sweat, cosmetic residues, or fine dust settle in your functional clothing. This creates unpleasant odors and unhygienic dirt. And these can damage both your skin and the functioning of your sports textiles. It is therefore particularly important that you wash and care for your outdoor and sports clothing regularly. You should note the following:
1) Observe care instructions
Always check the care label of the garment you want to wash first. Because from ski underwear and yoga shirts to training shorts and outdoor jackets, there are countless different types of textiles and properties. So there are also many washing symbols that you should pay attention to. Otherwise sensitive coatings or fibers can be damaged. As a result, the functionality of your clothing suffers.
2) The right wash cycle for functional clothing
First of all, you should clarify whether machine washing or hand washing is recommended. If your clothes are machine washable, choose a gentle cycle at a low temperature. Unless the care label provides specific instructions, the spin cycle should not exceed 800 ppm.
3) Use a gentle detergent
Use an appropriate detergent for sportswear. But you should never use fabric softener to wash your functional clothing. Because this can stick together the fiber structure, which is responsible for the exchange of moisture. Also, note our ideas for making detergent yourself.
4) Wash sportswear separately
If possible, wash your gym clothes separately. This way you avoid lint and other residues of normal laundry on your sportswear. You should also close all pockets and zippers. Otherwise, they could get caught in the fabric and form holes. Check out our other article for more useful laundry tips.
5) Dry functional clothing in the fresh air
Proper drying of laundry is just as important as proper washing. To do this, let your functional clothing dry in the fresh air. You should also protect them from direct sunlight. As this can affect the elastic fibers.
6) Waterproof outdoor and sports clothing
To prevent your garment from letting moisture through from the outside, it is impregnated during manufacture. Weather conditions and regular washing can have a negative impact on this dirt and water-repellent impregnation. That’s why it’s important to impregnate your sportswear yourself from time to time, depending on the manufacturer’s instructions.
