Has anyone else noticed that all these technical clothes (like dri fit) hold odor? Anyone have any tricks to get em smelling good when they come out of the drier? Seems like they come out not smelling fresh.
Can’t wait to read the replies on this one. 
Never put them in the dryer - always hang dry your training clothes - that alone does the trick for me. Plus, they’ll last much longer.
Cheers, Chris
That really is a syptom of lower quality tech gear. Higher end items wont absorb odors.
Soak and wring out immediately after a workout, let air dry. Occasionally I’ll fill the tub with water and dishwashing detergent, add a bunch of lemon juice and let them soak in that as well. Then wash/dry in the dryer. I don’t use dryer sheets, I’ve had a few tech shirts that said not to.
John
Either Runnersworld or Bicycling this month just had a bit about this. They recommended avoiding the dryer (hang to dry), wash after every wear (duh), use a sports detergent like Win.
I’ve also heard that white vinegar used as a rinse in the washer can help, but I’ve never tried it and can’t say what it might do to technical clothes…
My general approach. After the workout, shower with your clothes on (to start at least) then hang them out to dry. This part is essential (in my opinion) because it dilutes the filth right away and means your clothes are not marinating in rankness while waiting for you to do a load of laundry. When you wash them, use cold water and WIN detergent then hang them up to dry (don’t use the dryer).
The only exception to this is my DeSoto stuff which I handwash with cold water immediately after each use.
OOhhh… the dryer?? Yeah not good.
TOTALLY get this --it’s annoying to START my run feeling like I just finished. Ug.
It’s NOT an issue of quality, ALL mine eventually hold odor, and I’m not buying cheap shit.
I do a few things that other’s have also mentioned: shower with clothes on and then take them off and step on them when I shower. Wring them out, air dry before washing, never put in dryer. Or, don’t dry but you can tumble air-dry (no heat) shortly before hanging them to fully air dry.
But, more often than not, I just wash them after they’ve been at the bottom of my hamper, all wet and gross for a few days. 
WIN and that other brand of “tech” detergent, does not seem to help. But, I’ve found that adding a scoop of Oxyclean does, and helps A LOT (and it’s cheap).
Try the oxyclean (ha, I DON’T work for them).
WIN and that other brand of “tech” detergent, does not seem to help. But, I’ve found that adding a scoop of Oxyclean does, and helps A LOT (and it’s cheap).
Try the oxyclean (ha, I DON’T work for them).
Per the late Billy Mays, I believe the proper pronunciation of ***OXYCLEAN ***is to shout it.
Funny, as I was typing that, I could head good ol’ billy shouting too.
Has anyone else noticed that all these technical clothes (like dri fit) hold odor? Anyone have any tricks to get em smelling good when they come out of the drier? Seems like they come out not smelling fresh.
Can’t wait to read the replies on this one.
I use “Win” brand detergent. It gets the funky smell out of all my stuff. Highly recommended.
I’m with you on OXYCLEAN, although any generic oxygen-bleach works fine. I use the sun stuff–works just as well. That and fragrance free detergent.
1/2 warm and 1/2 cold water seems to work best (push the button halfway through filling). Double rinse if you can swing it, even if you use a lot less water the second time around.
Air dry after workout and definitely after washing.
After I had heard about this vinegar trick a few times I tried it - with a great deal of scepticism and on my not-so-favorite workout clothing first, just in case it ruined the clothing… But it works. Now I soak any smelly items in a bucket of warm water with an eyeballed ratio of 1:10 vinegar to water (it may be more diluted than that - apparently 1:5 is the recommended ratio if stuff really stinks, but mind you this is hearsay from somebody I met on a ski lift) overnight, wring them but don’t rinse them and throw them into the washer along with other items to be washed. They come out odor-free (since we use some non-perfume detergent) and I don’t smell the vinegar, either. I have tried the Win detergent and the likes and always hated the bleach-smell that came along with it. My unproven, non-researched theory on those is that the bleach smell is just stronger than the previous odor but it doesn’t actually remove the stinkiness…
Soaking them with diluted hydrogen peroxide works well too. Or you can add it to the wash.
I had a similar post a few months back and someone suggested vinegar. I tried it and it worked great on almost everything. I just soak my clothes once a month in a cup or two of vinegar, rinse and throw in the wash.
Sure. H2O2 is another form of enriching the radical oxygen content of the water. I just find it easier to keep a container of oxygen bleach around than jugs of H2O2. Remember free radicals and how bad they are for our body? Yeah, bacteria don’t like’m either. Same thing with vinegar–acidity will kill them off pretty well.
Drying your clothing is much more important than rinsing it off in the shower. A dry, crusty with salt shirt/shorts is a pretty inhospitable environment for those bacteria.
Using Win detergent is quick, easy and doesn’t require any “tricks”.
Sportwash didn’t work for me, haven’t tried any others.
No need to play chemist.
I’ve found that drying clothes by hanging them on the edge of the laundry basket does wonders. It allows them to dry out before I find the time to do laundry. When I forget and pull the ball out from the bottom of the hamper, it’s often still damp, and those are the clothes that seem to retain their smell the most.
I’ve found that drying clothes by hanging them on the edge of the laundry basket does wonders. It allows them to dry out before I find the time to do laundry. When I forget and pull the ball out from the bottom of the hamper, it’s often still damp, and those are the clothes that seem to retain their smell the most.
Excellent point. I do the same thing, and it helps a ton.
Agreed. Dry out the clothes before they get thrown inside the hamper. Wash all gear once a week on gentle cycle with Sportwash and line dry.