How to Wash Athletic Apparel

Athletic apparel can be some of the smelliest clothes in your laundry basket. Athletic apparel should immediately be washed to prevent it from mildewing in the laundry hamper. The longer you wait to wash your athletic apparel the more unpleasant it will smell.

• Pretreat any sweat stains. Sweat stains can be difficult to remove and should be tackled before they are too dark. Pretreat the sweat stains with a stain pretreatment solution.


• Place the laundry in the washer. Athletic apparel does better when washed alone.


• Pour 1/2 to 1 cup of vinegar in the washer. The vinegar helps eliminate any mildew and smells on the clothes. Let the clothes sit in the vinegar presoak for about one hour.


• Use a special detergent. Find a detergent with a label marked specifically for athletic apparel, and use it to wash your athletic clothes according to the care labels.


• Do not use fabric softener. Fabric softener can compromise the effectiveness of sweat-wicking clothing.


• Do not dry special equipment. Some items, such as bicycle gloves, kneepads and elbow pads, should not be placed in the dryer. These items can damage the dryer and can receive damage from the extreme heat. Hang these items to dry on a clothes rack.


• Dry all other clothing according to the care label. Exposing your clothes to the extreme heat of the dryer can help kill the bacteria that cause odors.


• Place baseball caps in the dishwasher. Ball caps washed in a washing machine will lose their shape and fit. Washing them in the dishwasher will help them maintain their shape.