When exercising, your body sweats to regulate its temperature. When your sweat encounters the bacteria on the surface of your skin, an offensive odor can emerge. If you don't properly wash your clothes, or don't wash them at all, this odor can linger and become bothersome to you and the people around you. To avoid this, learn how to keep your workout clothes clean and smelling fresh.

Step 1

Apply an antiperspirant rather than a deodorant before exercising. An antiperspirant minimizes sweating, thus reducing offensive smells. A deodorant only masks offensive smells and doesn't stop you from sweating.

Step 2

Wear workout clothes with a microbial finish woven into the fabric. The microbial finish inhibits the growth of bacteria and therefore minimizes unpleasant odors, more so than clothes made from moisture-wicking fabric or cotton.

Step 3

Hang your clothes to dry after your workout if you can't wash them immediately. Avoid putting them in the hamper or in a bag while they're still wet, because they'll stay warm and damp, which is the ideal growing environment for bacteria.

Step 4

Mix one part vinegar with four parts water and soak your workout clothes in this pre-wash solution for 30 minutes to disinfect them. Rinse them with water, before washing them.

Step 5

Wash your workout clothes using a detergent made for sports apparel or add washing soda or a laundry odor-eliminating solution to your normal detergent. Turn your workout clothes inside out before placing them in the washer and use the hottest water that the fabrics can tolerate. Avoid overloading the washer -- leave enough room for the clothes to tumble.

Step 6

Hang your clothes to dry or use a dryer on the lowest setting. Avoid drying your workout clothes with high heat, because this bakes any remaining unpleasant odor into the clothes.

Step 7

Sprinkle baking soda in your sneakers after your workout and dump it out after 24 hours. The baking soda eliminates any offensive odors. Alternatively, stuff dryer fabric softener sheets into your sneakers for a similar effect.


  • Regularly replace old workout clothes with new ones. Have more than one set of workout clothes available so if one set is being cleaned, you can wear the other and always have a clean set of clothes available.

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