3 tricks to eliminate the bad smell in sportswear

The bad smell in the technical clothes with which we run or go to the gym is a problem that has a solution. In this article we offer you 3 tricks to remove bad smell from sportswear.

With the passage of time and intensive use, it may be inevitable that sportswear ends up taking on an annoying odor that does not disappear with washing, as many runners well know. This happens because technical garments are made with synthetic materials that are capable of capillarizing sweat to promote perspiration.

There are different remedies to remove bad smell from sportswear, but from 42K We recommend these 3 tricks to remove bad smell from sportswear for being effective and easy to apply.

How to remove bad smell from sportswear?

Sweat is the cause of bad odors in all kinds of clothes, but especially in sports clothes because when doing intense physical activity more sweating is produced.

Why is sweat produced? Sweat is a bodily fluid secreted by the sweat glands that is expelled through the skin as a means of cooling the body known as perspiration. Its composition is mainly water with small amounts of minerals -sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium-, lactic acid and urea.

Sweat, or rather perspiration, is the body's natural mechanism for regulate body temperature, since its evaporation from the skin reduces the temperature. However, sweat fulfills another function, which is to eliminate toxins.

Most often, sweat is produced preferentially armpits, inguinal region, feet and hands, although it can spread to the entire surface of the skin, especially in the face of high ambient temperatures or intense exercise, which produces an increase in body temperature.

3 tricks to remove bad smell from sportswear

If you are an athlete, or not, but you have technical clothes that have a bad smell despite having washed them, take note. Here you have 3 tricks to remove bad smell from sportswear:

1. Sodium bicarbonate: It is very effective when washing sportswear to neutralize bad odors. Add a small amount (following the manufacturer's directions, although four to eight tablespoons is normal) to the liquid detergent or during the rinse cycle.
2. White vinegar: There are several ways to use white vinegar to eliminate bad odor. Leave the garments to soak for 30-40 minutes in a bucket or cubeta with one part white vinegar and four parts cold water before washing. Another way to use it is to incorporate it into the cubeta of the detergent during the washing process. The acid in the vinegar helps remove the grease, dirt, and bacteria from the fabric that cause bad odors.
3. Sal Island: Submerge the garments in a bucket or bucket.beta with lukewarm water in which you must have previously dissolved 3-4 tablespoons of table salt; wait about 30 minutes and then perform a wash.

*Warning: Before proceeding for the first time with any of these 3 tricks to remove odor from sportswear, try one item of clothing first and not your entire load of sportswear to verify that you are doing it correctly.

How to avoid the appearance of bad smell in technical garments?

The bad smell in technical garments that are washed it is a problem that has a solution. As we have just seen, there are different tricks (we have shown you the 3 that we consider to be the most effective and easiest to do at home with products that are available to anyone) to remove bad smell from sportswearAlthough it should also be remembered that there are a series of precautions that will help us avoid or delay the appearance of annoying odors in our sportswear.

Wash after each use and as soon as possible

As a first measure to avoid the appearance of bad odors in sportswear, it is wash it as soon as possible and always, always, after each use; If you can't wash it right away, you have to airHeat it until it is dry.

In no way should you deposit it wet and/or sweaty in the laundry basket. If we leave it for hours or days in the laundry basket, we will allow the bad smell to have time to permeate.

Another bad idea, very bad, is to leave used clothes (especially if they are sweaty and wet) inside the sports bag because that can lead to mold and mildew formation, which will be the cause of bad odors that will be impregnated in the garments.

We recommend you always wash your sportswear after each use because even if you think you haven't sweated, it's almost certain that you have, especially in areas such as the armpits or the inguinal region.

Eliminating the bad smell in sportswear will not be a concern if you get used to always washing your sportswear after each use and, if possible, without letting a long time pass from when you have used it until the time of washing. Know how to wash sports clothes?

Do not use fabric softener

Another recommendation is do not use fabric softener when washing sports clothes. The softener will prevent the technical fabric from retaining its properties for longer. The fabric softener is the enemy of the treatments that the fabric receives to favor its softness (and reduce the risk of chafing), breathability or color fastening.

The shirts of running 42KFor example, they are made with the latest generation technical fabrics that incorporate specific treatments to promote softness, speed up drying or guarantee durability and vivid colors. These treatments lose their effectiveness with the use of softeners.

In addition, softeners leave a kind of layer or residue on the fibers that retains the bacteria that cause bad odors. This residue accumulates with washing and hinders the effectiveness of water and detergent to remove bad odors from sportswear.

And although it may seem obvious to indicate it, remember that sportswear can be irreversibly damaged if washed with hot water (try to always wash at a maximum of 30º), subjecting it to very powerful spins, putting it in the dryer or ironing it .

As we always say in 42K, our sportswear does not want to know anything about the dryer or the iron.

wash inside out

It is highly recommended wash inside out sports clothing of all kinds: t-shirts, pants, underwear, sports bras...

This has several advantages: firstly, it protects the logos or shields of your club, sponsors, etc.; secondly, a more effective wash is achieved, since the bacteria that produce bad odors are concentrated on the inside of the garments (especially in those areas that are in contact with the armpits, the soles of the feet or the inguinal area ) and the cleaning action of water and detergent is much more direct.

You already know how to remove bad smell from sportswear with 3 simple tricks, but you may also be interested in knowing how to wash sports clothes effectively to keep it in good condition and extend its useful life.

Especially if you regularly use your sportswear, we advise you to follow our recommendations to keep them in good condition and to last longer (although nothing is infinite and sportswear also has a limited useful life). Likewise, these cares will help you prevent annoying and unpleasant odors from appearing.