a smol training session in gym wear

Going to the gym might sometimes be a real chore, it's the chores afterwards that really wear us out; we're haunted by the dirty, smelly, sweaty pile of grotty gym gear. And it doesn't take a fitness fanatic to know that workout clothes, often made from polyester, elastane, lycra and other synthetic materials, are a bit complicated when it comes to washing.

So here at smol we've composed a list of our top tips to tackle smelly gym clothes.

1. Air them out
As tempting as it is to peel your soggy gym clothes off and chuck them in a dirty pile of laundry, this will only make them more smelly and harder to wash. The damp conditions of a sweaty laundry mountain is the perfect place for bacteria to grow, increasing bad odours and the likelihood of mould and mildew. Instead, air drying your sportswear as soon as you can (in a well ventilated area away from clean clothes) will make the laundry process much easier and make smells less painful to tackle.

2. Pre-soak them in white vinegar and water
Before putting your clothes in the washing machine, we'd recommend pre-soaking them for an hour or so in a concoction of white vinegar and water (one part vinegar to 3 parts water). White vinegar is a really effective natural odour neutraliser, so this pre-soak will really help to combat nasty smells and sweat residue.

3. Targetting sweat stains
For targetting specific areas, we recommend creating a paste made from equal parts lemon juice, cold water and salt. Add the paste to the stain and leave on for an hour. Then wash on a cold cycle with smol bio.

4. Wash on cold
As already mentioned, gymwear can be tricky as it is usually made of synthetic materials which can be damaged by hot temperatures. Avoid ruining the elasticity of your garments by washing on cold, and skipping the intense spin cycle. Luckily, smol bio laundry capsules were designed to work in all temperature washes, so will be perfect for cold and hot washes alike.
For particularly stinky clothes, you may even want to add some more white vinegar to the wash (about half a cup), or the juice of a lemon. Use more or less depending on the severity of the smell.

5. Do not use fabric softener!
Whilst you might think that a beautiful smelling fabric softener will leave your gym clothes smelling fresh as a daisy, we promise it won't! Fabric softeners contain chemicals that will not only coat and clog the fibres of your sports clothes, but it will also reduce the absorbency of the fabric, making them less sweat resistant and stopping them from getting a good wash. Don't do it!

6. Air dry only
As we've already mentioned, hot temperatures can damage your gymwear. Take advantage of their quick-drying properties and hang them up to dry instead. (Another benefit of line-drying, as long as the weather is good enough, is that the sun will act as a natural disinfectant)

And that's it! Our top tips to keeping your gym gear fit, fresh and fragranced.

Sweat it out you smelly lot.