Best Sports Detergent of 2024
Remove Odors and Stains With These Top 4 Sports Laundry Detergents
We researched the 14 most popular sports detergent formulas to find the best laundry detergent for activewear and workout clothes. Gym clothes require a tough sport wash that can address tough stains and odors.
We tested the best detergent for removing odor from smelly workout clothes, the best everyday sport laundry detergent, and the best laundry boosters to meet your needs and budgets.
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Comparison Table
| SPORTS DETERGENT | TREELINE AWARD | PRICE PER LOAD | POD, LIQUID, POWDER? | BIODEGRADABLE? | SCENTED? | HIGH EFFICIENCY COMPATIBLE? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HEX Performance Laundry Detergent | Best for Deep Cleaning Read review |
$0.41 | Liquid, pods | Yes | Unscented available, but still has slight (chemically) smell | Yes |
| OxiClean with Odor Blasters | Best Laundry Booster Read review |
$0.32 | Powder | No | Yes | Yes |
| Sports Suds | Best Natural Sports Detergent Read review |
$0.43 | Powder | Yes | No | Yes |
| Rockin' Green Platinum Series Active Wear | Best Affordable Sports Detergent Read review |
$0.31 | Powder | Yes | No | Yes |
For more of our favorite workout recommendations, see our most popular Gear Guide stories:
The Best Sports Detergents
Best for Deep Cleaning: Hex Performance
Price per Load: $0.41
Soak required? No
Scented? Scented and unscented available
Form: Liquid, capsules
Eco-friendly? Free of dyes, phosphates, SLS, parabens, fragrance
When you’ve got clothing with really offensive perma-funk, we found HEX Performance Laundry Detergent to be the best sport activewear detergent for clothing revival. In our tests, running clothes that had endured months of Pacific Northwest rainy season bike commutes finally released their stench with just one washing with Hex Performance. It didn't even require pre-soaking. The activewear washed with Hex retained its odor-proofness longer than other detergents. While it was the more expensive active-wear laundry detergent we tested, the Hex Performance is the only one that removed odor and prevented it from coming back.
View The Hex Performance Laundry Detergent
Hex Performance did the best job at removing lingering odors from workout clothes. While it was expensive, it removed smells from clothes that we thought were beyond reviving. Photo by Kate Hoch.
After one wash with Hex, we found it took longer for smelly synthetic sports clothing to return to its extra-stinky state again, compared to the other detergents.
This detergent appears on nearly every sports laundry detergent round-up list, including winning “Best Overall’ from The Spruce. Amazon reviewers give it 4.5/5 stars of 335 reviews, which is the second-highest of all the detergents we considered (see the Comparison Table of the detergents we researched).
The author’s beloved Patagonia Nano Puff before Hex Laundry Detergent.
The same Nano Puff after Hex Laundry Detergent treatment.
The HEX did the best good job of all the detergents at getting the perma-funk smells out of performance fabrics. But in our testing, it was not great on stains. I washed my very lived-in Patagonia puffy, and while it looked better afterward, the dirt buildup around the arms and pockets was still very noticeable. So if stains are your main issue, we recommend the Oxi Clean Odor Blaster booster in addition to the Hex.
“After one wash with Hex, we found it took longer for smelly synthetic sports clothing to return to its extra-stinky state again, compared to the other detergents.”
Since we began testing sports detergents two years ago, we’ve noticed a big priec drop in the Hex. It previously was around $0.75 per load and now is about half that price when purchasing the two-pack—putting it in the middle of the pack in terms of price. However, in our tests, we found that we had to use 2 capfuls for a full load (note: we tested on a top loading machine, so you may only need one capful on a front loader or High Efficiency machine).
Although we aren’t a fan of spending more money than is needed on any item, we think in this case the Hex is completely worth it to rescue garments you thought were beyond saving because they smelled so bad.
Related: Best Synthetic Insulated Jackets
Best Odor-Removing Laundry Booster: OxiClean with Odor Blasters
Price per Load: $0.32
Form: Powder Only
Scented? Yes
Soak required? No, it’s a booster. Add a scoop in addition to your normal detergent.
Eco-friendly? None stated
The OxiClean with Odor Blasters detergent has become our go-to for any loads containing questionable-smelling items. A small scoop of powder booster, in addition to our normal detergent (we usually use Ecover Zero), ensures funk-free workout apparel. This type of detergent is sometimes called a “laundry booster.” While not as powerful at long-lasting, extra-tough odor removal as the Hex Performance, the Odor Blasters are more affordable and also remove stains.
In customer reviews, users found OxiClean with Odor Blasters effective on everything from sweat stink, pet smells, musty towels, and even urine, eww! We found it worked well on our typical sweat-soaked clothing and the wet towels that somehow get forgotten about in a heap on the floor.
Compare Prices Of Oxiclean With Odor Blasters
Oxi Clean Odor Blasters are a laundry booster that works with your ordinary laundry detergent. Photo by Kate Hoch.
OxiClean was the only detergent we tested that was effective at getting out stains. In addition to removing some baked-in post-thru-hiking odor from the beloved puffy jacket, OxiClean also worked quite well at stripping the grime from the fabric.
OxiClean with Odor Blasters is a favorite of The Spruce as their pick for Best Booster. It’s popular with customer reviews for its effectiveness and value and has has 4.7/5 stars on Amazon.
In our testing, the smell removal on the OdorBlasters isn't as long-lasting as the Hex Performance (our overall winner). We found that the post-work-out smell returned to synthetic garments after wearing them again. But OxiClean does a good job of getting the odor out after laundering, which is better than we can say of most ordinary detergents we tried.
The author’s beloved Patagonia Nano Puff before and after with a single scoop of OxiClean Odor Blasters added to an everyday laundry load.
In addition to removing some baked-in post-thru-hiking odor from the beloved puffy jacket, OxiClean also worked quite well at stripping the grime from the fabric.
OxiClean can also be used in higher concentrations as a pre-soak to treat extra offensive clothing or used to spot clean stains off upholstery, carpets, and even tile grout. Mostly out of curiosity, I tried it out on my bathroom floor grout, and was pretty impressed with the results.
We tested the OxiClean with Odor Blasters as a floor cleaner. Grout on the left shows before and grout on the right shows after treatment. Photo by Kate Hoch.
OxiClean with Odor Blasters is the least expensive of the products we tested. For a refreshing change compared to other detergents we tested, it only required the amount stated on the package to get great results, even in my top-loading washer. We noticed it has a slight fragrance if we get our nose into the clean laundry. We're normally not a fan of scents, but it wasn't discernable while wearing the clothing.
“OxiClean was the only sports detergent we tested that was effective at getting out stains.”
Unlike most of the brands we looked at it, OdorBlasters doesn’t make any claims about being eco-friendly. But we found the Product Ingredient Disclosure Form from Church Dwight, which owns OxiClean (as well as Arm & Hammer and several other cleaning product brands). This list notes all ingredients and whether they are on a designated list. Additionally, here is its Safety Disclosure Sheet. (Don’t worry-these are required for all manufactured products. We just happened to be able to easily track this one down). Our takeaways: like all detergents, keep it out of your eye, and don’t feed it to your fish. Oh yes, don’t eat it, either.
We think OxiClean with Odor Blasters is a good option for everyday use because it is so affordable and doesn’t require any soaking. It’s easy to integrate into our normal laundry routine and does an excellent job for the price.
Related: Best Hiking Socks
Best Natural Sports Detergent: Sport Suds
Price per Load: $0.43
Form: Powder only
Soak? No
Scented: No
Eco-friendly? Dye and fragrance-free, hypoallergenic, biodegradable, safe for greywater and septic
Sport Suds ticks all the boxes for a natural detergent choice: it’s dye and fragrance-free, hypoallergenic, biodegradable, and safe for greywater and septic systems. It also works in all water temperatures.
Compare Prices Of Sport Suds Laundry Detergent
40 Loads
140 Loads
The Sports Suds residue free laundry detergent comes in several sizes with the largest one being the most economical. We find that it lasts two active people an entire year. Photo by Naomi Hudetz
The package states a load requires just 1 tablespoon, but we found 2 tablespoons were necessary to get good results in our top-loader. After making this adjustment, we found it effective on lingering odor and average on stubborn stains.
Once again, we thought the stink-removal was not as long-lasting as Hex Performance laundry detergent. We think that is a compromise some of our team was willing to make, especially those who wanted an eco-friendly option above all else.
Both Hex and Sport Suds detergents are on the upper end of the price spectrum, but sports detergents seem to be a category where paying more really does get you a more effective product.
Sport Suds is a favorite of the Inventory, PopSugar, and Verywell Fit, which all mention that it is the best “natural” option for sportswear. It’s also a favorite of Treeline Review editor Naomi Hudetz who has been using for years on her post-thru-hiking clothing. It’s available in several sizes including 40 loads and the more cost-effective 140 load tub.
Related: What to wear in Yosemite: Clothing Guide & Packing List
Best Budget Sports Detergent: Rockin’ Green Active Wear
Price: $0.31 per load
Scented? No
Form: Powder
Soak required: Advertised no, although we found it works better with a pre-soak
Eco-friendly? Vegan, biodegradable, dye-free, free of parabens, SLS/SLES, fragrance-free
Rockin’ Green Active Wear is a great eco-friendly choice, being vegan, biodegradable, free of all dyes, parabens, SLS/SLES, and artificial fragrances. It uses a proprietary coconut-derived surfactant, plant-based enzymes, and tea tree oil as a natural antibacterial. At Treeline Review, we want to encourage people to pick eco-friendly options, so we decided to include two eco-friendly options at different price points.
Rockin’ Green Active Wear is not only less expensive than our other Eco-Friendly pick, Sports Suds, but is less expensive per load than other sports-specific detergents we considered (see the comparison table of the models we researched). In our experience, one bag goes a long way and lasts a while.
View the Rockin’ Green Active Wear
Rockin’ Green detergent is eco-friendly and was affordable. Photo by Kate Hoch.
We found our worst smelling clothes did require a pre-soak with this detergent to come out smelling fresh. It also worked well on stubborn stains with pre-soaking. We tried it on some grungy white running clothes that required soaking it in the sink for an hour, and then we hand washed and rinsed it out.
Rockin Green hasn’t shown up on many lists but it has a 4.4 out of 5 stars on Amazon. We saw it at our local REI and picked it up on a whim. One benefit is that Rockin’ Green is gentle on DWR (Durable Water Resistant) finishes, which are often found in outdoor apparel like rain jackets. We think one reason it may not have shown up on many lists is that it seems targeted to the outdoor market instead of general households.
Related: Best Rain Jackets
We tested the new Nathan Power Wash capsules. Photo by Kate Hoch.
Contenders
Win Activewear Sports Detergent
Price per Load: $0.47
Form: Liquid
Scented? Yes, but some scents are mild
Soak required? No
Called “Best for Sweat” by The Spruce and favored by PopSugar and VeryWell Fit for “best overall runner up,” the Win Sports Laundry Detergent looked like it could be a good alternative to our winners (see Sources). We purchased the Active Family version, which markets itself as extra strong for teenagers involved in sport. We found the WIN Sports Laundry Detergent on par with the Sports Suds and Rockin Green in terms of effectiveness.
We found the Active Family version has a "fresh" scent, but it's mild (it didn't bother me) and dissipates quickly. Unfortunately, once the scent was gone, we were able to sniff out some faint body odor that remained on the clothes.
The Active Family formula is designed to have all the odor removing power of their original Active Fresh formula, which is the best selling WIN detergent.
Using the recommended 3-ounce portion for "really stinky" loads, one bottle doesn't go very far.
The main difference is the Active Family also removes stains, such as grass stains from soccer uniforms or some dirt stains from hiking. Whereas the Active Fresh is better suited for cycling, gym work outs, or aerobic classes, the Active Family was better suited to our mix of commuting, backpacking, and climbing.
View the Win Activewear Sports Detergent
Price per Load: $0.35
Form: Liquid
Scented? No
Soak required? No
Eco-friendly? EPA Safer Choice
The WIN Activewear Free and Clear version is the environmentally-friendly version of WIN that has no dyes or fragrances. It's popular — so it goes in and out of stock. The WIN Free and Clear is the only product on our list of options that made the EPA Safer Choice list. Unfortunately, it was out of stock during our testing but we look forward to updating this guide with our findings.
View the WIN Activewear detergent Free and Clear
Price per Load: $0.33
Form: Liquid
Scented: Scented and unscented available
EWG Verified: Yes
We were excited to find an EWG-verified laundry detergent that claims to be tough enough to handle activewear. They have a proprietary enzyme-based technology that can penetrate technical fabrics to remove odors rather than mask them with scents. Dirty Labs recommends cold water for activewear with their detergent.
We also love that their packaging is minimal and plastic-free. And it’s a highly concentrated liquid, requiring only 2 teaspoons for a standard load.
We’re currently testing the scented detergent, unscented detergent, and powdered bio-enzyme laundry booster. Surprisingly, our tester who normally hates all scented detergents actually loves the Dirty Labs signature scent. We’ll have a full report soon.
Compare prices of the Dirty Labs Bio Laundry Detergent
Price per Load: $0.50
Form: Liquid and powder
Scented? No
Soak required? No
Eco-friendly? Fragrance-free, dye-free, free of optical brighteners, petrochemicals, SLES, phthalates, parabens
We purchased the Molly’s Suds All Sport Activewear detergent because the brand is a best-selling environmentally-friendly detergent brand. Molly’s Suds comes up on various lists for the best eco-friendly sports detergent for athleisure wear and yoga pants as well as grass, sweat, and blood.
During testing, we noticed a lingering scent after washing. We found the Rockin’ Green and the Sports Suds to perform better at removing permanent stink. Molly’s Suds was also among the most expensive detergents per load.
Compare prices of the Molly’s Suds all sport activewear Detergent
Price per Load: $0.46
Form: Liquid
Scented? Yes
Soak required? Yes
Sweat X Sport Max Odor Defense Extreme Activewear Detergent is mentioned by PopSugar and Very Well Fit as the best budget laundry soap. But at $0.46 per load, it was among the most expensive we tested. We thought the OxiClean Odor Blasters worked just as well. Our editor Liz Thomas tested this liquid laundry detergent and found that it works best if pre-soaked, an extra step that reduced the chance we would actually use it.
Price per Load: $0.54 for liquid
Form: Liquid, travel pouches
Scented? No
Soak required? No
Nathan Power Wash formula is now available as liquid detergent or in travel-size single-use liquid packets (like say, if you were traveling across the country for a marathon or in your resupply box on a thru hike).
We found that our athletic clothes still came out with some lingering sweat smell.
At $0.54 per load, it was the most expensive detergents we reviewed, and not worth the cost.
Compare prices of the Nathan Power Wash Laundry Detergent
Liquid Detergent
Travel Pouches
Price per Load: $0.24
Form: Liquid
Scented? Yes
Soak required? No
Mentioned by The Spruce, PopSugar, and Very well Fit as “best single-use” pods, the Tide Plus Febreze Fresh Sport Odor Defense is the sports version of the popular Tide Plus Febreze Liquid Detergent. We were excited about this readily available (like, sold at supermarkets) sport detergent. It’s available as liquid or pods. However, in our experience, it is heavily scented. We would rather smell like B.O.
View the Tide Liquid Plus Febreze Fresh Sport Odor Defense
Price per Load: $0.44
Form: Pods
Scented? Yes
Soak required? No
Mentioned by The Spruce, PopSugar, and Very well Fit as “best single-use” pods, this is the sports version of the popular Tide Pods Plus Febreze Sport Odor Defense. We were excited about this readily available (like, sold at supermarkets) sport detergent. The pod version is more expensive than the liquid version but easier to use. However, in our experience, it is heavily scented. We’d rather smell like B.O.
View the Tide Pods Plus Febreze Sport Odor Defense
The author after a home Crossfit session. Frequent exercises are likely to want a sport detergent in addition to their typical ordinary everyday laundry detergent. Photo by Dan Slattery.
Why do I need a Sport Detergent?
Synthetic fabrics are the de-facto for athletic activities because they wick away moisture and keep us feeling comfortable. Unfortunately, they are also notorious for getting perma-stink: that nasty, worse-than-B.O. smell that just doesn’t seem to go away no matter how many times you wash the offending garment. Or maybe it seems ok when you put it on, but within minutes, the stench is back.
Why Do Workout Clothes Smell Bad?
Body oils, sweat, and bacteria cling to synthetic fabric. Bacteria are the primary cause of the funk, feasting on components of your sweat and producing smelly byproducts.
Workout Clothes Fabric And Odor
Athletic clothes are designed to be stretchy and dry quickly after getting wet from sweat. That means that it's often made of synthetic material. Synthetic fibers, unlike natural fibers like wool or cotton, don't have pores. That means body oil stays on the outside of the fibers, which can further attract other materials that can add to the odor. Moist fabric at certain temperatures can also be prime habitat for bacteria, which often comes with its own odors.
Wool and some other natural fibers have antibacterial properties, so tend to not hold the stink as long. But wool can be too hot, heavy, and not stretchy enough for a lot of exercises. It’s also expensive. That’s why most activewear is made of synthetic fibers.
Everyday detergents don’t do a great job of getting into the synthetic fabrics to strip away body oil and sweat away, resulting in a buildup and perpetually stinky clothes.
Can I Use Regular Detergent On Workout Clothes?
Conventional detergents often add fragrances, optical brighteners, or fabric softeners that embed into the synthetic fibers of workout clothes over a long period of time. However, many athletic fabrics are designed to breathe through “pores” that wick away sweat. When chemical additives clog those pores, the long-term breathability of the fabric decreases. Moisture and bacteria get trapped, leading to odors and stains.
How Is A Sports Wash Different Than A Regular Detergent?
Detergents specifically formulated for activewear are designed to remove the offending buildup of oil and chemicals found in regular detergent and thereby the stench. Normal laundry detergents primarily use surfactants, which attract the oil and dirt from your clothes to the water to be rinsed away. What exactly is in the sports detergents that make them effective is difficult to determine, as their proprietary formulas are not readily disclosed.
NPR has a great article on the science behind why running clothes smell that cites a study from the Journal of Applied and Environmental Microbiology.
Related: Best Trail Running Shoes
The author smelling laundry after a treatment of sports detergent. The fleece in the photo is notorious for lingering odors. Photo by Dan Slattery.
How To Choose A Sports Detergent
There are many products available advertised as “sports detergents.” These promise to get the funk and grime out of your athletic wear. To cull that list of “sports detergents” down to the 11 models that would be the most promising, we developed criteria to judge laundry soaps we found.
When selecting a product, consider your specific needs.
Do I Need To Get Rid Of Bad Smells?
HEX Performance detergent did the best job of getting rid of baked-in body odor smells with minimal effort. It’s hard to know exactly what ingredient is responsible for its great performance, which the company just refers to as its proprietary “hex” molecule. Our other winners were also good on B.O., though some required additional soaking for best results.
Do I Need To Remove Tough Stains?
If you need to get out a stain, you’re probably best off throwing a scoop of OxiClean OdorBlasters in with your regular detergent. OxiClean is a laundry booster that proved to be the best of the bunch against stains because of its magical sodium percarbonate and hydrogen peroxide. These chemicals work together to break up stains from things like sweat and dirt. Whether you're removing sweat stains, soccer grass marks, or mud from trail runs, the OxiClean performed the best at stain removal alone.
Are You Removing A Grease Stain Or Gardening Stains?
Depending on the type of jobs you do, your work clothes may not just be sweaty, but may also develop heavy-duty stains from grease or oil. For example, in my job as a test engineer for an exercise equipment company, grease can sometimes be an issue. We primarily focused on detergents that remove body odor and general outdoorsy dirt in our product testing. You may find the products recommended here don’t work as well on other types of stains.
We tested Sweat X, which worked better to remove odor when garments are pre-soaked. Photo by Liz Thomas.
Am I Ok Taking Time To Soak My Laundry Or Would I Prefer A Product That I Can Use Like A Regular Laundry Detergent?
Another consideration when deciding what detergent to get is how the product should be used for best results. Some detergents are simply meant to replace your regular laundry detergent and go right into the washing machine like a regular load of laundry. Others are used in addition to your regular detergent, such as a laundry booster.
However, many sport detergents recommend soaking the nasty garments for an hour or more in a bucket or sink with the product before a regular washing for the best results. Whether you need to pre-soak may depend on just how stinky your load is.
How Much Am I Willing To Spend?
Cost is also something to consider. All of these products are more expensive that ordinary laundry detergents.
Beware that the advertised number of loads listed on the package are often for “small loads.” In our testing, we found that you’ll need to use 2-3X as much for a full-size load of laundry.
What Are Your Thoughts On Scented Detergent?
You may be getting rid of the "workout clothes stink" with a heavy-duty detergent, but are you replacing it with a perfume you find equally offensive? Often laundry detergents are strongly scented with some kind of “fresh” or floral fragrance. This may be a plus or minus, depending on your preference. Fortunately, most of the options we reviewed are available in an unscented variety. We prefer hypoallergenic detergents that are acceptable for those with sensitive skin or sensitive to strong perfume. Unscented versions tend to be more eco-friendly, too.
What does “eco-friendly detergent” really mean?
When detergent companies say they are "eco-friendly" it generally means that they are dye and fragrance-free. They may also be free of fabric softeners or optical brighteners, both of which can be irritants to sensitive skin.
"Eco-friendly” detergents often omit perfumes, fragrances, and dyes, especially those derived from artificial sources. While these components may not be harmful, they are also unnecessary. Some people may be sensitive to these additives and wish to avoid them.
Eco-Friendly Laundry Detergents Free Of Parabens, Sls/Sles, And Phosphates
Many eco-frirendly laundry detergents will also be free of certain chemicals. The packaging will often include a list of acronyms for what the product doesn't contain, including parabens, SLS/SLES (odium Laureth Sulfate / Sodium Lauryl Sulfate), and phosphates.
Are these ingredients really a problem for the environment? Sometimes the answer is definitely yes, as with phosphates, which cause algae blooms in the bodies of water they end up in. However, phosphates have long been banned in laundry detergent in the US and Europe, so a product isn’t special just because it doesn’t use them.
Other common ingredients “eco-friendly” products avoid are Nonylphenol Ethoxylates (NPEs) and Sodium Laureth Sulfate / Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS/SLES).
Some of these ingredients may be an irritant for those with sensitive skin.
Npe-Free Laundry Detergents
NPE’s are a common surfactant that persists in water and can be harmful to aquatic life, but they’ve largely been phased out.
Sls/Sles-Free Laundry Detergent
SLS/SLES is another common surfactant which is not harmful itself, but during production, a potentially hazardous byproduct (1,4-dioxane) can be made. A special process is required to remove the byproduct, which may or may not be used. The 1,4-dioxane is an irritant and possibly carcinogenic.
Us Epa Safer Choice Products
While labeling something “eco-friendly” is not regulated, there is a US EPA standard for “safer choice” products. Products with this designation have had every ingredient reviewed for human and environmental health. However, this is a voluntary designation, so some products may meet this requirement but have not been reviewed and awarded the stamp of approval. The review process requires time and money, so isn't always a priority, especially for smaller companies.
For more on eco-friendly detergents, see the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) article on assessing and managing chemicals.
We also found this article on Medium’s Think Dirty section to be helpful in explaining SDS vs. SLS vs. SLES on ingredient lists. Some of these ingredients are on David Suzuki’s “Dirty Dozen” list and addresses what people who seek eco-friendly detergents should look for in terms of possible carcinogenic contaminants.
An all-natural laundry method
While using baking soda or vinegar is better than nothing, we found commercial sports detergents to be much more effective for stain removal and odor removal than common kitchen supplies.
Baking soda to neutralize laundry odor
The Spruce writes that half a cup of baking soda added at the beginning of your laundry cycle may help neutralize some of the offending smells (see Sources). It increases alkalinity, which works like a booster to ordinary detergents.
Half a cup of baking soda is a lot. For reference, the typical orange box in your kitchen contains about 2 cups. If you think you'll be going this route, consider buying baking soda in bulk.
What about white vinegar in laundry?
While some all-natural laundry suggestions say to add white vinegar during the rinse cycle, we wouldn't recommend it. Theoretically, strong acids added during the rinse cycle can strip soap residue and act like a fabric softener (often laundry feels stiff from too much soap). But baking soda will do more for de-odorizing laundry than vinegar.
We also wouldn’t recommend adding both white vinegar and baking soda to the same load of laundry. If you think back to high school chemistry, this is how you form one of those science “volcano” experiments. After the explosion, it yields water and a little bit of the salt sodium acetate. While the sodium acetate *is* a cleaning agent, there's not enough sodium acetate to do much.
How we researched
We spent hours scouring “best of” lists across popular websites to find our initial pool of candidates. Then we narrowed down options by reading hundreds of customer reviews from Amazon and product websites. From there, we found the products we wanted to actually test in our washing machine.
Over 6 months and dozens of loads of laundry, we tried out different products, and even experimented with different methods to find the best of the best. Our primary concern was eliminating foul odors and stain removal was secondary.
Part of our research process involved 6 months worth of laundry load testing. Photo courtesy Kate Hoch.
Since we originally published this guide, we’ve spent another two years testing models recommended to us by readers and gym enthusiasts.
Just like any laundry, exercise and home outdoor gear items benefit from following washing and drying protocols. Photo by John Carr.
Tips for Getting the Best Results in your laundry
While a sports wash itself helps get your workout clothing cleaner, there are other things you can do to make it even more effective.
Air it out!
Don’t throw your sweat-soaked clothes in a heap or buried in the hamper until laundry day. This makes it more difficult to dry out the moisture from sweat, mud, or rain. Moisture and warm temperatures create an ideal habitat for odor-creating bacteria. Instead, hang up your sports clothes, your wet sports bra, and sweaty undies or set up a drying rack for stinky items.
Pre-soak
Many of the brands recommend pre-soaking athletic clothing with sports detergent prior to washing. While we found this extra step annoying, it was an effective way to clean the worst smelling clothes when a regular washing wasn’t doing the job.
Wash clothes inside out
The body oils and bacteria that cause unpleasant scents are concentrated on the fabric that touches your body. Washing the clothes inside out allows more agitation of the most offending areas.
Don’t let washed clothes linger
Be sure to remove your wet clothes immediately from the washing machine. If they hang out in there overnight, it can cause mold or other foul odors to form-requiring washing yet again.
Line dry
Line-drying is better than a clothes dryer for both combating the funky smell and maintaining fabric life. The sun's UV rays can often do wonders for killing the last of bacteria that may be lingering in your workout clothes.
But if you don’t have the time or you live in a damp climate, it’s best to use a low or no-heat setting on your machine to dry your workout clothes. Heat can help kill bacteria, but most sports apparel will melt or shrink under high heat.
Double the dose
All of our test loads were done in a standard top-loading washing machine (not HE). We found many of the detergents we tested required using more of the product than stated on the package to work well when laundering a full load. Depending on the size of your machine and type, the ideal amount of detergent to use may vary from the instructions and take a little experimentation to determine.
Why you should trust us / About the Author
By trade, I’m an engineer who designs and builds machines to test the fitness equipment. I’ve put this engineer’s mindset to work when refining my workout detergents over the years, honing in on details, learning about the nuances of material and design choices.
The fight against the mound of laundry piling up in the hamper is an ongoing battle in my household. I do CrossFit most weekdays and my partner bike commutes to work daily. We live in Portland, Oregon, where moisture in the air and falling from the sky adds to the potential our clothing will stink.
Our weekly workout laundry pile consists primarily of sweat-soaked synthetic activewear. The workout clothes we generate from weekend backpacking and longer thru-hiking just contribute to the smelly.
If you’ve been on a backpacking trip lasting more than a couple of days, then you know the smell. I was beginning to notice that the “clean” pile of workout gear I was pulling from the dryer still reeked like sweaty clothes. Thus began the search for a cure for the stink.
Sources
Journal of Applied and Environmental Microbiology (cited in NPR story)
