We need to have a serious talk about the smell of your yoga pants. You know what I’m talking about. How many times have you grabbed your favorite pair of yoga pants from the dryer only to be reminded of your last workout. But not in a longing way–can’t wait to get to the gym–but rather that unpleasant smell that lingers in your workout clothes. And how many times have you just thrown away your favorite yoga pants because you can’t get rid of the smell? We found these five steps at GOOP to remove the after workout smell from your yoga pants and other workout gear.
Use Less Detergent
It sounds ridiculous but yes, use less detergent. Just as when you wash your hair with too much shampoo and end up with a residue. Same applies to your workout clothes, soapy residue buildup holds in the smell. That buildup of detergent will contribute to the development of bacteria, and that bacteria will contribute to your odor problem.
Add an Odor Eliminating Product to Your Wash
In addition to laundry detergent, you often need to add a booster. Easy ones to add to your laundry are white vinegar. To use it, add a half to a full cup (depending on load size and the relative stinkiness of your gear) to the rinse cycle, which you can do by putting it into the dispenser for fabric softener at the start of the wash — the machine will dispense it at the right time. Borax is another option, just add half a cup at the beginning of the wash cycle.
Avoid the Use of Fabric Softeners
Fabric softeners, both in their liquid and sheet form, will leave behind a coating that, on athleticwear, is no good. That coating will build up over time and turn into a sort of unpassable shield that keeps water and detergent from penetrating the fibers to do their dirt and odor eliminating thing.
Skip High Heat Drying
Using the highest heat setting on the dryer, or even the medium heat setting, isn’t great for your gym gear in general. But when it comes to really rank-smelling items, it’s a thing you absolutely want to avoid because it’s going to, like, cook the smells in. Heat will amplify odors. Best option is to air dry your workout clothes.
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