The fitness star has shared her trick to getting those gym clothes fresh. Photo / Instagram
The fitness star has shared her trick to getting those gym clothes fresh. Photo / Instagram
The most common question fitness guru Kayla Itsines gets asked is: "How often should I wash my workout clothes?"
And to that, her answer is: "After every workout."
The Adelaide-based personal trainer and influencer, who has a combined social media following of more than 40 million, took to her blog to explain the seven steps to keeping gym clothes smelling fresh and clean.
"Workout clothing needs to be treated differently to the rest of your laundry due to how you use it, and the elastic or sweat-wicking fabric the gear is made from," the 29-year-old co-founder of the SWEAT wrote.
One of the most important steps to freeing your gym clothes from bad smells is to get changed out of them straight away as it helps "air" the clothes out.
"Where possible, allow the workout clothing to air before tossing it into the washing basket," Kayla wrote, adding it helps reduce build-up of odour-causing bacteria.
What many people probably don't know is that you can also toss your worn clothes in the freezer.
"If you can't air out your gear or wash it right away, you could try putting it in a zip-lock plastic bag in the freezer, as the cold destroys bacteria," Kayla said.
However, she said you still need to wash your workout gear, but the unique method will prevent odour building up in the short-term.
Below is a list of her six other laundry tips
Limit detergent
Kayla said using too much washing detergent or products like fabric softener can trap bacteria which produce odour.
"Fabric softeners are not recommended for workout clothes as these products can damage the elastic fibres in the fabric," Kayla warned.
She said to add lemon juice to the wash cycle as the citrus helps to break down oils from your skin that get into the fabric, "leaving the clothing free from odour".
While it may seem like common sense to add more detergent to fix smelly gear, Kayla said the opposite is actually true.
"If you've done this in the past, don't worry, you can fix it with vinegar."
Some people find that even though their gym clothes smell fresh when taken straight off the line, after a few wears they start to develop a smell. Here's what Kayla suggests.
"Next time you wash your workout clothes, use half as much detergent and add half to one cup of white vinegar to the rinse cycle of the wash," she said.
"White vinegar will eliminate any lingering smell by breaking down the build-up of laundry products."
Tackle build-up
There is nothing more frustrating than having T-shirts, sports bras and other gym tops with deodorant built-up under the arms, even after they're washed. But to help loosen the build-up, before washing Kayla suggests using an old, soft toothbrush with detergent or soap to scrub it off.
Wash clothes inside-out
"One reason workout clothes smell is that when you exercise, bacteria, dead skin cells and sweat rub off your body and onto your clothing. This is perfectly normal and all part of working out," she said.
"If your workout clothes are really smelly, try a sports-specific detergent or laundry booster to help to eliminate the smell," Kayla suggested.
If you don't have these in your laundry, she said to add half a cup of baking soda to the wash.
"You can soak the clothes before washing using baking soda and vinegar, but be careful not to leave them soaking for too long, and always use cold water."
She advised to only soak clothes for a maximum of 30 minutes, adding it will help to remove the smell and prevent colours from seeping out of the fabric.
Cold gentle cycle
One way to protect the elasticity of your workout gear is to use cold water on the "gentle" cycle, she said, but if your washing machine has a specific sportswear setting, Kayla said you can use that too.
