Blog

We are all wearing activewear and loungewear more than ever before thanks to lockdown (We aren't complaining) but have you ever considered the damage your washing routine could be doing to your activewear if treated in the same way as your standard clothes? 

As a sustainable brand we strongly believe in the longevity of you clothes and doing everything to ensure they last as long as possible to avoid the need for replacing them time and time again. 

Here is a quick guide to how to treat your sustainable activewear after a sweaty session:

TIP 1: Give your kit time to breath

Although it is really tempting to strip off and throw your sweaty gym kit into the wash basket, we highly recommend giving it time to breath first to reduce the likelihood of bacteria sticking around and getting smelly.  

If your sweaty gym kit is thrown into a wash basket without giving it time to breath you essentially stop the sweat from being able to evaporate which then leads to the bacteria build up.

TIP 2: Wash Inside out

Not only will this protect the items from any pulls or snags in the wash it also ensures the most moist areas of clothing such as under the arm are more exposed in the wash.

Turning your clothes inside out will also help extract deodorant or creams that may be stuck into the fabric following your sweaty session. 

TIP 3: Use non-bio detergent and wash on a low temperature 

Where possible opting for non-bio detergent is much kinder to your sustainable activewear and at a lower temperature. Check your care label for the best conditions to wash your items in however as a rule of thumb we stick to 30°C or even 20°C which simultaneously helps lower your environmental impact and avoids ruining the elasticity of your sustainable activewear.

TIP 4: Choose a liquid detergent over powdered

Choosing a liquid detergent over a powder one can quadruple the life of your clothes as they are more gentle to the fabric. We also strongly suggest avoid using too much laundry detergent as this can damage the fibres. smol laundry capsules are perfect every-time and they recommend 1 capsule per wash for a standard load (5-6kg) and 2 capsules per wash for larger washing machines (8kg+)

TIP 5: Avoid using fabric softeners or conditioners 

Although the lovely smells are tempting and you may think they will leave your activewear smelling ultra fresh, they wont! 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. So please please avoid them if you want your SOS Activewear to last!

HINT: 

For those extra stubborn stains or smelly patches our friends at smol 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. 

If you want to get the best detergent that also happens to be super sustainable and planet friendly check out smol and they have a free trial if you click here!