Wash activewear cold, turn it inside out, never use fabric softener, and never tumble dry. Heat and softener are what destroy technical fabric, and both are avoidable.
Activewear is expensive and it does not have to wear out as fast as it usually does.
Why does activewear lose its stretch?
Because heat degrades elastane, the fibre that provides the stretch. Everything else follows from this.
Elastane is only 10 to 25 percent of the fabric, but it is doing all the recovery work. Once it is damaged, leggings bag at the knees, waistbands stop holding, and nothing brings it back.
The two main sources of heat damage are hot washing and tumble drying. Tumble drying is by far the worse of the two.
How should you wash activewear?
Cold water, gentle cycle, inside out. The full method:
- Wash cold, 30°C or below. Hot water breaks down elastane.
- Turn inside out. This protects the outer surface and puts the sweaty side in contact with the water.
- Gentle cycle, or a mesh bag if you only have one cycle.
- Wash promptly. Leaving damp kit in a bag overnight is the main cause of persistent odour.
- Wash separately from towels and anything with zips or hooks, which snag technical fabric.
Why should you avoid fabric softener?
Fabric softener coats the fibres and blocks moisture-wicking. This is the mistake that surprises people most.
Softener works by leaving a waxy residue on fabric. On cotton that feels pleasant. On technical fabric it seals the surface, which is precisely what stops sweat moving through it. Your expensive wicking leggings then perform like cheap ones.
It also traps odour rather than removing it, which is why softener-washed activewear often smells worse over time.
How should you dry activewear?
Hang to dry, out of direct sun. Never tumble dry.
Tumble drying is the fastest way to destroy activewear, combining heat and mechanical stress on exactly the fibres that cannot tolerate either. One tumble cycle can noticeably reduce the life of a pair of leggings.
Technical fabric dries very fast anyway, usually within a few hours indoors with a fan, which is convenient in Karachi humidity where cotton takes far longer.
How do you get the smell out of activewear?
Wash promptly, and soak in a mix of cold water and white vinegar for stubborn odour. Polyester holds odour more than natural fibres.
- Do not leave damp kit in a gym bag or in a pile
- Wash within a day of wearing
- For persistent smell, soak for thirty minutes in cold water with a cup of white vinegar before washing
- Skip the fabric softener, which traps odour rather than removing it
How long should activewear last?
Well-cared-for leggings should last one to two years of regular wear. Badly cared for, six months.
Signs a piece is finished: the waistband no longer holds, the knees stay bagged after washing, the fabric has thinned and gone see-through, or the seams have started to give.
The same principles apply to bras and underwear, where heat is equally destructive. See how to wash a bra properly and how to care for lingerie.
Frequently asked questions
Can you tumble dry activewear?
You should not. Heat destroys the elastane that provides stretch and recovery. Hang to dry instead, which is fast anyway with technical fabric.
Why should you not use fabric softener on activewear?
It leaves a residue that coats the fibres, blocking moisture-wicking and trapping odour. It actively degrades the fabric's function.
How do I get sweat smell out of leggings?
Wash promptly rather than leaving them damp, and soak stubborn cases in cold water with white vinegar before washing. Avoid softener.
Should activewear be washed inside out?
Yes. It protects the outer surface from abrasion and exposes the sweatier inner surface to the water.
Where can I buy underwear and loungewear in Karachi?
Erblis delivers across Karachi with free delivery and Cash on Delivery available. Use WELCOME10 for 10% off your first order.
The short version
Cold wash, inside out, no softener, no tumble dryer, and wash it promptly rather than leaving it damp. That is most of the difference between two years and six months.