I think I’ve had success with the stinky gym issue that I suddenly began having. I tried a few things first that didn’t really cause any noticeable change, but kept on trying. What I discovered during my research is that you should not use fabric softener when you wash workout clothes made out of the synthetic fabrics. Fabric softener and cotton fabric is OK, softener and tech fabric = OH NO!
Fabric softener is now hidden in laundry detergent in addition to the liquid add-ins and the dryer sheets. If you use fabric softener, it supposedly plugs up the little breathable holes in the fabric and creates a perfect breeding ground for sweaty bacteria. Ugh, but you won’t find me arguing with this theory anymore.
I tried adding borax to my regular laundry detergent since that was supposed to boost the cleaning power. It didn’t pass the sniff test coming out of the dryer. I still smelled an off odor ever so slightly. I tried adding oxy clean to the wash and had the same results.
As a side note: I think both of these methods would work on new workout clothes and would prevent the issue from happening. Since I already had used fabric softener and had the issue, they were a no go since they weren’t strong enough to fix the issue.
I read very positive reviews online for Penguin Sport Wash, so I decided to give that a try. I bought a bottle from Amazon and washed a load. I sniffed coming out of the washing machine and all passed the sniff test. I sniffed again coming out of the dryer and was still good. The best part is I sniffed post-workout and still was non-offensive!
Some of the reviews said the detergent stunk and left a horrid smell in the clothes but I noticed no scent whatsoever – no good smell, no bad smell. Not even a Tide or Gain level smell. Nada. The detergent claims it is biodegradable and safe for the environment which is a nice bonus.
It also says that it keeps (and even restores) the breathability to the tech workout fabrics. I’m not sure how to tell if that took place but potentially that is how the odors left. The bottle says that it will wash 30 loads of laundry in a regular washing machine, and 60 in an HE machine since you use a half capful for HE.
I ran my load using the cold setting and was glad it worked without having to use the hot water setting. Hopefully I’ve found the answer to my problems and will no longer be unintentionally offensive in the gym. Fellow worker outers can rest easy once more.
So remember, fabric softener is a no no if you use synthetic workout clothes!
Speak Your Mind