Getting the Stink out of Sweaty Workout Wear

I'm sorry to say that, in the past, I have actually thrown away some of my favourite workout tops simply because no matter how many washes and no matter how much extra laundry soap I added, I simply could not eradicate the stale sweat stink. It turns out that I was doing it wrong - I was using too much soap, when I should have been using more water, less soap and a touch of white vinegar.

I'm very pleased to have found the cure for sweat stink, since I  no longer have the luxury of buying new clothes on a whim and really can't just throw perfectly good  clothes away.

It's a simple formula:

• cold water
• 1/3 cup of vinegar
• a touch of laundry detergent. 

I haven't tried again in hot water, that might work ok, too, but I'm a cold water wash kinda girl. And again, contrary to what you might think (as I once did) the key is more water, less soap, and some vinegar.

Why more water and less soap? The sport fabrics these days are high-tech, and dry-fit and all that good stuff,  which means they are water resistant, which is good when sweating. Not so good for washing. And soap (and fabric softener) tends to coat the fabric, further preventing water penetration. Vinegar is a good, natural cleaner for everything and I find it really does the trick.

NOTE: do not use fabric softener! This also coats the clothes and prevents water penetration.

I put a small load (1 pants, 2 tops, 2 socks, 2 bra tops) on medium or large load water setting, put in about a quarter of a capful of Arctic Power, and 1/3 cup of vinegar. Voila - fresh-smelling sweat gear!

Give it a try, and let me know how it works for you.