Hello, asking if anyone has any tips on getting the funk out of clothing, currently washing twice on cold water on delicate cycles. I know on the fabric care they say to be gentle or hand wash, then air dry. Thanks
A few things that have helped me with this issue:
- More frequent washing vs. letting an entire week’s worth of workout clothes sit in the bin.
- I have a separate hamper from the rest of the clothes.
- Use a dedicated sports wash detergent.
- I use the “athletic wear” cycle on my washer. I think it does more agitation and a more aggressive spin than the delicates cycle, but less than a normal cycle.
- An extra rinse and spin also seems to help.
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I can’t help with the current clothing, sometimes it gets that bad smell when left in the washing machine too long before getting hung up to dry or put in the dryer. I’m sure I’m not the only one who puts in a load of clothing and then forgets it’s there. A soak in some baking soda and then another cycle can help. But if the clothing has built up that smell, it could be because too much detergent can work to lock in the bad smell and then it’s really difficult to get out. I know, it’s counter-intuitive but there you are. (I’m looking for links to articles I’ve seen in Wirecutter and Runner’s World, so it’s not just me saying so.
But for future clothing, using a lot less detergent, washing on cold and putting items that have stretchy fibers (bike shorts, run bras, run shorts especially) on a rack to dry rather than the dryer can extend their life. Hanging items up to dry also keeps the heat from the dryer from locking in any smells.
This is not a commentary on anybody’s hygiene or habits, just a general suggestion. But another thing that might help in the future is to wash your athletic clothing after one sweaty wearing, and fairly soon if possible. The sweat can have bacteria and bacteria can grow if it sits around on your clothing. Same with the ammonia smell that can come with endurance sports.
Generally: enzymatic detergents (look 'em up) tend to work out best. Sometimes a lengthy soak and rinse in OxyClean is required, prior to a proper wash cycle.
For some particularly gnarly gear – the sun can be your best friend. Seriously. Let it first dry in the sun, then go through the wash cycle.
I’ve found rinsing them out after exercise helps a lot too. I’ll even jump into the shower with a cycling kit on and just let it soak shower water, wring out before hanging. It’s done wonders rather than just tossing into a pile full of sweat and funk.
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After workout, I go into the shower still wearing my kit. Hand wash it with Dr Bronner’s Peppermint Castile soap & let it air dry. Keeps kit clean, smelling fresh, and lasts for years! 
Other liquid soaps or shampoos will work in a pinch, but they don’t rinse out as completely as Dr Bronner’s in my experience.
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That is my protocol, as well - in the Summer, anyway
In the Winter, I wanna get out of the sweaty clothes & into the shower to defrost/thaw out as quickly as possible
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We have a clothesline in our laundry room, which is essentially my workout wardrobe “closet”
if you can’t get them to the wash for a while, air dry them, then put em in the hamper. I found when I just dumped them all in the bin for a few days they were really bad even after washing. I don’t wash my hockey gear frequently, but if I air dry it, it’s not too bad for the next game. And putting on cold wet gear left in a bag from the last game is the worst.
We just hang dry our workout gear, without rinsing, before putting it in its own dedicated bin, and wash once a week. Zero issues with smell, and some of my gear is almost old enough to legally buy its own cigarettes.
If you start by putting sweaty gear in to a dark, damp pile, you’re facing a steep uphill battle and just encouraging bacteria growth.
This stuff really does work.
Is my go too for body wash… 
Expose clothing to Country Western music to remove any funk.
Agree with the fresh air and sunlight recommendations from many. Keep workout wear separate from other clothes. Hang to dry outside after wearing. Never machine dry. Leave outside as long/often as possible.
I am old enough to have heard tales of leaving shoes in the freezer to kill the organisms that cause odors. I was never young enough to have tried it.
Hang dry after workout, when you wash a load of tech clothing add several ounces of vinegar. Standard liquid detergent (whatever smells good to you), no fabric softener, line dry. Repeat throughout the life of the tech clothing…has worked for me for years.
I get years of use out of my stuff, with no/minimal funk after washes on most items.
As others mentioned, I do a water rinse immediately after the workout, let the kit dry (unbunched), and then the items go into the a proper wash later, per label instructions. Then hung to dry.
In summer, it’s nice to come back from a run/ride and immediately do a shower rinse wearing the kit. We have a plastic laundry basket in our master bathtub that I hang/drape the rinsed kit around to dry it a bit. Then the same basket gets brought to the washer/dryer room when there’s enough of a load. The routine works well.
+1 on washing things out in the shower. I wash my kit with soap in the shower and hang it to dry before it goes in the laundry hamper.
If too much funk has built up over time, enzymatic treatments MAY help (though sometimes the clothing is just too far gone). The goal is to not get to this point.
Detol laundry sanitiser added to the fabric conditioner (end of wash) dispenser does the trick for gym kit. I do a lot in the AM or at work so the stuff does tend to be in a bag for the rest of the day and then pile gets washed every 3-4 days.
Other side of it is drying things really well. So after running / riding in the rain, then I leave the shoes (insoles removed) in a room with the dehumidifier running and that sorts/stops any funkiness there.
Adding that fans can be a friend in the fight against funk. I’m a heavy sweater and I have a hang zone with drip pad and an adjustable fan that dries my training clothes before the funk runs too far afoul. I also use a floor fan for my cycling and running shoes, hats, gloves. Once dried, training clothes are stored in their own hamper and are laundered on delicates mode using Hex fresh, then light dryer or fan drying depending on the kit.
I don’t have any articles of active training clothes old enough yet to buy cigarettes, but I do have some that are legal for a drivers license.
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