Gym Clothes and Hard-shell – the Care Advice to Keep Them Fresh

Washing Your Gym Clothes

Most gym clothes made from synthetics, like elastane, should not be washed in high temperatures. Since they rarely get dirty – most often just smelly – a short eco-program at 30ºC will do.

• Use a liquid detergent, preferably our Odor Control Detergent, specifically made to remove bad odors from fabrics (it is, of course, easily biodegradable)
• DON’T use fabric softener! Besides being bad for the environment, it will also destroy the stretch in your elastane clothes
• Hang dry – do not tumble

Hard-shell Clothes and Outdoor Gear

Hard-shell clothing is treated with impregnation or a membrane to become waterproof. When you wear them, it causes a tear on the waterproof surface, and after about a month of daily use they will have lost some of their abilities. The membrane on children’s overalls and hard-shell pants are worn down quite fast. To maintain the waterproofing, you have to re-impregnate. Choose a spray who is free from PFC:s (substances that are dangerous to animals – and humans too – and not biodegradable) and most preferable, ECO-labeled. The waterproofing is often better reactivated if you dry them in a drying cabinet after spraying, but please double check the care label if it’s advisable.

Washing Hard-shell Clothing

Did you know that you can brush off the worst dirt from your children’s’ hard-shell pants? Use a clothing brush, like our Vegan Clothing Brush, on dried mud and dust. When it’s actually time to wash, you should opt for an easy care-program, maximum 40ºC. If the clothes are splashed with saltwater, or if they’ve become very sweaty, it’s also time to wash. Salt, fats and sweat make the garment lose its abilities.

• Use a liquid detergent, preferably our Odor Control Detergent, specially made to remove bad odors from fabrics (it is, of course, easily biodegradable)
• Place them in a Guppy Bag that catches all micro plastics
• Don not use fabric softener
• Dry them in a drying cabinet, if you have access to one – it will reactivate the waterproofing

But what about airing gym clothes or synthetics?

We often preach about how you should air instead of washing clothes that only smell a little funky. But this holds true for material that breathes; like cotton, viscose, linen and wool – natural fabrics. Most outdoor gear or gym clothes are made from synthetics that technically cannot breathe (synthetic fabrics are a form of plastic). For that reason, it’s quite fruitless to hang them outdoors to air.

If you want to minimize your washing, we recommend our Clothing Mist, a lightly scented bacteria culture that will instantly neutralize bad odors. The Mist is effective on all kinds of fabrics and can be used to refresh both your hard-shell and workout clothes.