Fitness gear isn’t just for the gym anymore. The comfort of modern fitness apparel and activewear has inspired many to introduce what used to be strictly workout gear into their everyday wardrobes, even when they’re not working out.
The rise of the “athlesiure” market has helped activewear become even bigger business worldwide, with analysts expecting the activewear market to reach more than $80 billion in sales by 2020. However, just because you wear your yoga pants to the grocery store the same way you would wear a pair of jeans doesn’t mean you can just toss them into the washing machine the same way.
As durable and flexible as most modern activewear is, the high-performance materials they’re often made of don’t react as well to your typical laundry routine. In fact, by washing your athletic gear the same way you wash the rest of your clothing, you may be shortening its lifespan and actually making it less clean. Your workout gear is designed to help you feel good during your workout, but if you don’t take care of your activewear properly, it’s less likely to take care of you the next time it comes out of the drawer.
For example, it might seem logical to use a detergent with fabric softener to help keep your activewear feeling soft and smelling fresh. However, many additives found in liquid laundry detergents can leave behind residue that, over a few washings, can clog the pores in most high-performance fabrics. That will make it more difficult for the fabric to wick sweat and dead skin, meaning the detergent you used to make your workout clothing smell better is actually accomplishing the opposite. Likewise, activewear that is made to stand up to your most strenuous workout might not be able to withstand a tumble in the dryer with garments that have zippers or hooks.
The best thing you can do to keep your activewear and workout gear in the best possible condition is to consult the tags for specific care instructions for each garment. That said, there are some general tips that can help you care for activewear properly so that it lasts longer and keeps you feeling good during workouts. Consult the following guide for a list of basic activewear care tips that cover the most common types of activewear. High-performance clothing requires a little more care than your sweatpants, after all.
To see how to properly care for all your women's fitness gear to help extend their length, check out the Fitness Apparel Care Guide made by Tail Activewear.
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