This fitness apparel care guide is filled with useful tips and strategies to help keep your favorite workout gear looking great and extending the life of use.
2. No matter what kind of workout you prefer, your fitness regimen is all about feeling and looking
good. The same goes for your workout gear — if it doesn’t feel or look good during your workout,
you might not, either. Women’s active, yoga, and athleisure apparel is meant to provide support
and comfort, but the effectiveness of these high-performance garments can be limited without
proper care. Workout gear that often could have lasted much longer is discarded simply because
it wasn’t washed or cared for properly.
Fortunately, some of the most common mistakes women make regarding the care of their
workout apparel can be easily avoided. Following a few simple guidelines can have tremendous
benefits when it comes to keeping your gear clean and effective for a long time.
3. GENERAL GUIDELINES
We know that odor is a concern when washing women’s activewear, and so too can be rough
textures and pilling that develop over time. The best way to wash activewear can be a little
counterintuitive. You might think you need to use heavy-duty detergents to get your workout
gear clean, given the heavy-duty conditions for which you wear it; however the reality is that
powerful detergents and high-heat drying can punish those garments far worse than any
workout you could ever put them through.
4. Most sports apparel manufacturers recommend taking it easy on your gear:
• Wash in cold water — hot water can shrink or weaken fibers.
• Use hypoallergenic, powdered detergents — liquid detergents with additives such as fabric
softener or fragrances can leave behind residue that clogs the fabric’s pores.
• Soak garments in cold water and a half-cup of white vinegar for 15 to 30 minutes, and add
another half-cup of vinegar to your washer’s rinse cycle to fight odors.
• Never wash workout gear with towels, denim, or clothing with zippers, as these can rub
against workout garments and wear them out or tear them.
• Line-dry or lay workout clothing flat to dry — high-heat machine drying can damage high-
performance fabrics.
Along with these general guidelines, the following slides offer some tips to keep specific athletic
apparel items clean to extend their lifespans.
5. Leggings are made of high-performance compression materials that require special care. If
you’re not careful, leggings can lose their ability to wick away moisture from your body, along
with their breathability — which can make them no better for wearing during a workout than a
pair of jeans.
Washing leggings in cold water with mild detergents is crucial for helping them maintain their
elasticity and breathability. Make sure the detergent you’re using does not contain bleach,
chlorine, fabric softeners, or other additives.
LEGGINGS
6. • When machine-washing your leggings, use the gentlest setting.
• Hand-washing? Avoid stretching or agitating the leggings.
• Never wring them out — excess water should be squeezed out.
• Roll leggings up in a dry towel to draw out as much water as possible.
• Then hang leggings on a line to dry.
• Hang leggings on a line to dry. It is best to hang them horizontally so the water weight does
not stretch the material.
• Alternatively, lay them flat to air-dry.
7. Maintaining a proper fit is especially important for sports bras, so be sure to give each one a
“day off” between activities to give the material time to regain its shape. When wearing a new
sports bra for the first time, wear any hooks or adjustable straps on the loosest setting possible
so that you can tighten them as the material begins to stretch out.
SPORTS BRAS
8. According to some manufacturers, the most important rule of properly caring for sports bras
is rotation. They recommend wearing a different sports bra than the one from your previous
workout so each one gets a break to regain its original shape. They recommend wearing a
different one than from your previous workout so each one gets a break to regain its original
shape. Wearing the same sports bra three or four times a week reduces the longevity of the
garment. A spots bra worn multiple times in the same week generally will only last about six
months, whereas one that has been rotated in and out of workout sessions can last a year
or longer. It is recommended that you buy a new sports bra once you begin to experience
bouncing, if the cups begin to feel too loose, or if the band in the back begins to ride up.
9. Skirts and skorts worn during workouts require special care if they are to maintain their
performance qualities. Manufacturers recommend that skirts and skorts made of high-
performance materials such as Spandex or Lycra be washed in cold water, as hot water can
have the unfortunate effect of trapping odors inside the material. It is also suggested that they be
thrown into the wash as soon as possible after a run or other strenuous activity to prevent odor-
causing bacteria from having a chance to get comfortable and spread.
SKIRTS/SKORTS
10. When drying such garments, it is highly recommended that skirts and skorts be either laid out
flat to air-dry or be hung on a line. Many high-performance materials allow for quick drying when
laid out or hung up, so machine-drying is not necessary.
11. Machine Wash, Cold — Water temperature should not exceed 65 to 85 degrees F.
Machine Wash, Gentle or Delicate — Garment may be machine-washed only on gentle
or delicate setting.
Line Dry — Hang damp garment from line or bar, inside or outdoors.
Dry Flat — Lay out horizontally to dry.
Do Not Wring — Garment should not be wrung out.
WASHING BEST PRACTICES
Caring for your activewear is easy if you can recognize some common symbols for washing and
drying garments. These symbols can be found on the tags for most clothing. Some of the most
relevant symbols for workout gear:
