Laundry guide - Wash sportswear & underwear
Why it matters
Small changes in the way we wash and care for our clothes can make a big difference. Washing at lower temperatures, using less detergent and air drying when possible helps your favourite garments last longer while reducing energy and water use.
Air drying saves energy and helps your clothes last longer
The UV light from the sun actually helps killing bacteria. Just remember to avoid hanging your dark clothes in direct sunlight, or they will fade.
And even if it says in your wash instructions, it can never be said too many times: don’t put your stretchy leggings or any elastics in the dryer.
Washing sports clothes - Washing instructions and tips to remove sweat smell from clothes
Odors in workout clothes are usually caused by a mixture of sweat, oils and bacteria from your body. Maybe you have sometimes noticed that your clothes still smell a little bad even though you washed them? How should you wash sports clothes in the best way?
Follow our best tricks to keep your sportswear fresh and make the smells disappear:
Turn the clothes inside out before throwing them in the washing machine, as sweat, bacteria and oils collect on the inside. Moisture repellent treatments are common and by turning your clothes inside out you also protect the technical fabric and make what you paid extra money for last longer.
Air out sweaty clothes immediately instead of stuffing them into a plastic bag or laundry basket.
Do not use more detergent than recommended as it will be more difficult to rinse the clothes clean. You can actually reduce the amount as too much detergent can get stuck in the fibers of the fabric. There are also special detergents for workout clothes, specifically to remove bad odors.
Scrub the most smelly areas (for example, the armpits) before washing. Just remember to wet them first.
There are also other tips and tricks when doing laundry. Bicarbonate mixed with water is a known method for removing sweat stains. Apply to the sweat stain and leave on for 20 minutes before rinsing with water and then washing the garment in the washing machine.
To get rid of the smell of sweat, you can try spraying some vinegar on the smelly clothes before putting them in the washing machine. A tip is to first try on a small discreet area of the garment so that you can make sure that the fabric is not bleached.
Stain removal
The two things that cause a stain to set in your fabric are time and heat. Treat and wash your clothes immediately if possible. At least rinse out the stain and let the garment soak. Try some salt water as salt breaks down stains.
All types of body fluids, both from humans and animals, are behind protein stains. Examples are blood, sweat, milk, eggs and meat juices. First of all, you need water. Plenty of water. Rinse the stain thoroughly. Many times you can remove stains by simply rinsing with cold water. Always use cold water as hot water changes the chemical composition of the stain and can cause it to set. After you rinse and soak the garment, rub with a bar of soap and wash in cold water. Always keep the stain moist until it is completely gone.
Sweat stains occur when fatty proteins in your sweat mix with aluminum compounds found in deodorants, which is why you get sweat stains under your arms. These stains are annoying but there are ways to get rid of them. For yellow sweat stains, you can try soaking the garment in a little water and vinegar. There are also other tips such as bicarbonate mixed with water that you iron on and leave to work on the stain. There are of course also effective stain removers to try to remove sweat stains from clothes.
If it is a white or light garment that has sweat stains, sunshine can be a miracle cure for stained clothes. This is therefore recommended mainly for light garments as the sun can fade darker colours.
Read more about Björn Borg's sustainability work here.