{"id":10609,"date":"2016-12-27T08:19:53","date_gmt":"2016-12-27T16:19:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/?p=10609"},"modified":"2019-06-27T09:53:10","modified_gmt":"2019-06-27T16:53:10","slug":"ask-expert-can-clean-workout-clothes-stink","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/fitness\/ask-expert-can-clean-workout-clothes-stink","title":{"rendered":"How Can I Clean Workout Clothes that Stink?"},"content":{"rendered":"

The clothes that we wear adventuring\u2014I\u2019m looking at you, polyester tech tees\u2014tend to hold on to some funk. According to microbiologists, odor-causing bacteria prefer poly over cotton, and they can stick to clothes even after going through the washing machine. So, what\u2019<\/em>s the best way to get the stink out of your favorite shirt?<\/p>\n

I turned to Chuck Stark, a senior instructor at the REI Outdoor School in Chicago, to help answer this question. The first thing we needed to do was to establish a clothing-funkiness baseline, so I asked Chuck how funky his clothes get, on a scale of one to 10.<\/p>\n

\u201cLet\u2019s just say it\u2019s a spectrum, but they can get up to eight,\u201d Chuck said. \u201cThey get to the point where I notice it when I move. If you\u2019re within a 2-foot radius of me, you would smell it as well.\u201d<\/p>\n

Like most of us, Chuck has noticed that his shirts tend to get a bit ripe after he\u2019s worked up a good sweat, especially after wintertime activities like snowshoeing or skiing, when \u201cbody moisture builds up in the base layers.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"woman<\/p>\n

Moisture is the main culprit. Microbes thrive in wet environments, which is why they love to hang out in the human armpit, eating compounds found in sweat and generating odors. The best way to avoid the funk caused by bacteria is to choose base layers that are less hospitable to them.<\/p>\n

In general, synthetic fabrics, merino wool and silk are recommended for outdoor activity because of their moisture-wicking properties<\/a>. In terms of the funk factor, merino wool is the favorite because it\u2019s naturally antibacterial and breathable, so you can wear it for days without causing people to edge away from you.<\/p>\n

Chuck divulged that his favorite instructor T-shirt is the biggest culprit behind his No. 8 rating on the funk scale. \u201cThat thing holds onto whatever bacteria there is. It holds onto it and really rocks it.\u201d<\/p>\n

That must be fun for his students. But what if you\u2019re particularly attached to your instructor T-shirt, even though it attracts a whole colony of microbes to the verdant rainforest of your armpit? How can you wear that shirt with pride, without causing people to back up the requisite 2 feet?<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t crinkle up that shirt and throw it in the hamper at the end of the day,\u201d Chuck said. It won\u2019t air out, and it\u2019ll hold on to that funk\u2014maybe for all eternity. Instead, hang it up until it\u2019s nice and dry. Then you can wash it\u2014or not. I mean, we all like to save water.<\/p>\n

Chuck commutes to work by bike, and he\u2019s found a sweet spot using a method he swears by. \u201cWhen I get to work, I take off my shirt and hang it on a hanger,\u201d he said. \u201cThen at the end of the day, I\u2019ll ride home in that shirt, then hang it up again. I can wear it four days before it\u2019s time to wash it.\u201d<\/p>\n

I wondered if there\u2019s a particular method he uses to fight the funk on laundry day. \u201cNot really,\u201d Chuck said. \u201cI just put them in the washing machine, and I use a powder detergent.\u201d<\/p>\n

Interesting. There are lots of tips out there for how to de-stink gym clothes, like using a vinegar pre-wash, adding baking soda to the wash cycle, or even freezing the clothes, all of which do sound promising. But according to the Chuck Stark theory, it doesn\u2019t really matter how you wash your clothes\u2014only how you treat them when they\u2019re still dirty: Air them out!<\/p>\n

\"clothes<\/p>\n

When he\u2019s on a backpacking trip, for instance, he wears one shirt for hiking and then changes into a camp shirt that\u2019s just for kicking back. He hangs up his sweaty shirt on a branch or drapes it on a rock. \u201cWhen the sun shines and I set out my layers, I have this visual in my head that the UV light is just burning away any bacteria buildup,\u201d Chuck said, then laughed. \u201cWhether that\u2019s happening or not, I don\u2019t know, but it doesn\u2019t hurt to visualize it that way.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ah, there\u2019s the voodoo to balance out all this science. You just have to believe. \u201cExactly!\u201d Chuck said. But also, for good measure, he likes to use Crystal deodorant, the natural mineral salt that deters the odor-causing bacteria in his pits, and to dust his sweaty shirt with Gold Bond powder before letting the sun do its thing.<\/p>\n

There was one more thing I had to know. Did Chuck ever have a piece of clothing that he just could not de-funk, so he had to toss it, maybe even in a dumpster behind a gas station in another part of town, because he was afraid the neighbors would judge him?<\/p>\n

\u201cCome to think of it, no, I don\u2019t think I\u2019ve had that experience,\u201d Chuck said.<\/p>\n

I told him that was pretty good, especially for a guy who doesn\u2019t wash his bike shirts for four days at a time. \u201cIt is!\u201d he said. \u201cHow \u2019bout that.\u201d<\/p>\n

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