By: Shivani Shete

While Playground makes caring for your activewear easy, with durable, fade resistant fabric that can be easily washed in the washer and dryer, it is always a smart idea to take extra care to help extend the life of your favorite go-to’s.

Due to its second skin construction, activewear takes some extra care to protect their shape and fit. It’s likely that your activewear will have some smells after each use due to killer workouts you’re putting in, so washing your items often and understanding the do’s and don’ts along the process is key.

Here’s what you need to know about washing your active gear in the washing machine. Use a mild detergent, cold water, a gentle cycle, and make sure you’re washing in light colored loads. As for drying, use a low heat setting or stick with air drying your clothes.

Extra Care Tip- If you find your activewear having residual smells. Something that will help is soaking your clothes in a white distilled vinegar and water mixture. The mixture should be a 1 to 4 ratio, with a quarter of it being distilled vinegar. Soaking for about 15 minutes to a half hour and then rinsing with cold water will remove any strong smells from before. Again, following this with air drying your pieces would be the best way to go.

Some other quick tips to keep at the back of your mind are:

1. Wash similar fabrics together

Activewear shouldn’t be washed with other types of fabric, like denim jeans or cotton sweatshirts and sweatpants. Your activewear could stretch out or shrink up if this is the case, so make sure you avoid at all costs!

2. Turn down the heat

I can’t stress this enough! Cold water and a low-heat dryer setting is the ideal combination when washing your activewear. The elastic material should not be exposed to high amounts of heat. To make sure your clothes are in the same, perfect condition as when you first bought them, keep it cool. Bonus, Using a cold-wash cycle is also eco-friendly because it uses less energy and resources.

 3. Say no to fabric softeners and bleach

Never use fabric softeners as softening agents can clog the fabric’s pores, inhibiting its wicking capabilities. The bleach can be tough on active fabrics, damaging the fibers that make them stretchy, or shrink them.

 4. Turn your clothes inside out

A lot of the bacteria that’s formed while you’re working out or going about your day is found in the inside of your clothes. Turning your items inside out when putting them in the wash will get rid of the dead skin cells and ensure your clothes are as clean as can be.

 5. Use boosters specified for sports/active gear

If you smell your activewear odors lingering after the wash, try using laundry boosters that are formulated specifically for sportwear. Surprisingly only 34% of detergents on the market are effective in completely eliminating odor.

We recommend the HE Sport by No Sweat and HEX Performance Laundry Detergent. These eco-friendly options top the charts of Best Laundry Detergents for Activewear.

Follow these tips and tricks to ensure your clothes are in their best condition and feel amazing every single time you step out whether it is to the gym or couch.