You may excel at sports, but still stink after the game! Getting the stench out of smelly sportswear is not as easy as you think with today's high-tech fabrics. As sweat seeps into polyester, bacteria break down acids, hormones and sulfur compounds into smaller elements that cause odor. So, no matter how many times you run your clothes through the washer, that funky stench may still be there.

One solution is to wear cotton. Unfortunately, this eliminates many of the benefits of specialty fabrics used in workout gear. For fabrics designed for sports, try these tips:

  1. Instead of stuffing your workout gear in a bag until you get home, hang it up to air out so it can release the smell. Even if you don't plan to re-wear the clothes before washing, airing them out helps keep the bacteria at bay.
  2. Turn your clothes inside out before washing them. Think about it. The sweat, oils, and other dirt on your workout clothes came from your skin. Turning them inside out lets the water and detergent do a better job at cleaning them thoroughly.
  3. Pre-soak the clothes in white vinegar. Mix 1 cup of white vinegar and 1 cup cold water and soak the clothes for 15 to 30 minutes before washing. If you don't want to pre-soak, add 1/4 cup of white vinegar to the washer before you start. If you don't have vinegar, use 1 cup of baking soda during the wash cycle.
  4. Wash in Tide Odor Rescue™ with Febreze Odor Defense™. It helps eliminate stink at the source by penetrating odors deep in the fibers. The Odor Defense™ technology breaks down set-in odors and layers of body soil, which can lead to odor issues over time. To achieve the best results, add Tide Odor Rescue™ with Febreze Odor Defense™ to your wash along with the Tide PODS® Plus Febreze Odor Defense™ laundry detergent. This product is a part of the Tide + Downy Odor Defense™ collection.
  5. Think twice about using the dryer. Let your clothes air dry on a line or on hangers. If you have to use the dryer, use the air dry or cool settings.
  6. With a little TLC, your clothes will survive even the toughest workout.