This post may contain affiliate links. Please see our disclosure policy.

Donโ€™t despair! Help is here.

You can finally wave goodbye to smelly workout clothes and revive tired gym t-shirts today by following this easy method. Follow along with me, and Iโ€™ll take you through it step by step.

Clean workout gear.
Want to save this recipe?
Just enter your email and get it sent to your inbox! Plus you’ll get new recipes from us every week!
Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.

I have spent a lot of time cleaning workout clothes and running shoes. In fact, enough time to dedicate an entire article to each. But for today, we are focusing on workout clothes.

Now hereโ€™s the thing about workout clothes. Naturally, as part of working out, we sweat. Itโ€™s healthy – and necessary!

But – in our home, Iโ€™ve honestly spent a lot of time researching the best way to remove odor from workout clothes.

Those โ€˜Dri-fitโ€™ tops and bottoms are the worst for holding onto bad smells!!

I mean, the stench of a workout t-shirt worn at the gym, even after washing the clothes, can linger on and on. Do you agree?

My workout clothes, too, sometimes harbor a funny smell, much to my despair.

So I did my research and went on a DIY mission to get some answers. 

How to Get The Smell Out of Workout Clothes

For me, itโ€™s no good simply buying new workout clothes whenever they start to smell bad. After all, they are expensive!

And washing workout clothes with an average load of clothing doesnโ€™t work either (plus, it makes the rest of the load smell funny, too, if you ask me.)

So, I was excited when I found a solution. 

Hanging workout gear to dry on a hanger.

Getting rid of the lingering smells

In this post, Iโ€™ll share the exact method I use for getting the sweat smell out of gym clothes.

This method of cleaning workout clothes works amazingly well on all gym wear, Dri-fit fabrics, and (good news!) other smelly clothes too. 

Just follow each step in order, and you wonโ€™t get it wrong. I hope it works as well for you as it does for us!

#1 Turn the clothes inside out.

Smelly workout clothes in a hamper.

So, the first step in how to get the smell out of gym clothes is to turn them inside out.ย Thereโ€™s good reason for this – and itโ€™s basic, too.

The reason being, is that when we sweat, itโ€™s the inner bit of the clothing that absorbs that sweat, therefore, the bit that gets smelly.

And letโ€™s not forget that some workout clothing materials might smell great after a day of use even, but after wearing them for five minutes the next day, they start to smell really bad, really quickly.  

Weโ€™ve all been there! So – turning them inside out is a must.

#2 Soak in baking soda vinegar solution.

Baking soda vinegar and a large pail for soaking workout clothes.

Next, the clothes need to soak.

I used a 50/50 solution of baking soda with vinegar and recommend filling a bowl with cold water and adding a cup full of both in.

You donโ€™t need a lot of water, mind you – just enough to cover the clothes as they sit in the bowl.ย I use about a gallon to a gallon and a half for one cup each of baking soda and vinegar.

Leave the clothes to soak for an hour if you can before moving on to the next step. If you canโ€™t leave them for one hour, then at least shoot for 30 minutes.

#3 Wash on cold cycle.

Adding laundry detergent to the washing machine.

Once youโ€™ve soaked the smelly workout clothes in the vinegar/baking soda solution, itโ€™s time to wash them. 

Now, this part is important! 

You need to wash the clothes on a cold cycle.

The reason is a cold water cycle prevents the bacteria from sweat settling in the clothing fibers. 

It also happens to be more eco-friendly to wash on a cold cycle and helps maintain the shape, condition, and texture of gym clothing.ย I like to use a homemade laundry detergent or my DIY laundry soap pods!

Pro tip: for added fragrance, you can add homemade laundry scent boosters to the wash cycle.

#4 Hang to dry

Hanging workout clothes outdoors to dry.

To finish, hang the gym clothing to dry, preferably outdoors on a sunny clothesline, so they dry where the air can circulate freely. This will help eliminate any lingering smell.  

Drying gym clothes indoors is notorious for ending up with even smellier gym clothes the next day, in my experience. 

This happens due to damp air that hasnโ€™t allowed the clothes to dry properly, so outdoor drying is a must. 

Hanging gym clothes to dry naturally also helps retain the shape of the clothing as well.

I certainly donโ€™t advise drying gym clothes in a machine, as this risks shrinking them or reducing their lifespan. 

If the fabric is made from polyester, or say, some of the more specialized, branded sportswear, then a tumble dryer is a real no-no unless you use it on the coolest setting.

If hanging dry is not possible, use dryer balls to keep the clothes loose while drying. Plus you can scent your dryer balls to keep your gear smelling fresh.

How to Wash Workout Clothes Properly

Here is some extra advice from me to make sure you really get rid of that smelly gym t-shirt, restoring it to its former glory!

Keep them separate from your regular clothes.

This might seem like a no-brainer, but the worse thing is when you spread that bad sweat smell from stinky gym clothes onto other items you own, such as your towels and other things. 

So, if you canโ€™t (for whatever reason) soak gym clothes in vinegar and baking soda straight after using them, do try to keep them separate from your other dirty clothes.

Youโ€™ll be glad you did!

Turn them inside out.

I’ve said it once, but its worth saying again! When we sweat, the material closest to our skin is what helps absorb the wetness. This is why the underarm region of gym clothes always smells the worst.

This wetness is what creates a foul odor once the odor-making bacteria move in. 

So, logically, if you turn your gym clothes inside out, you not only get closer to the action of the vinegar and baking soda, but you also get a more effective wash in the machine. 

Let them dry before throwing them into a hamper.

By letting your workout clothes dry first once youโ€™ve had a workout, you have the best chance of wearing fresher gym clothes the next time youโ€™re active. 

Most people, by habit, throw their dirty clothes straight into the hamper, but with gym clothes, this is a mistake. 

As I said, your best bet is to pop smelly gym clothes straight into the soaking solution if you can – but – the second best option is to let them dry first before soaking.

The drying effect means that dampness wonโ€™t set in (hopefully), thereby reducing the risk of bacteria developing.

Wash on cold cycle

A lot of people donโ€™t know that washing clothes on a hot cycle actually sets stains and smells into the clothing fibers, making it harder to remove later down the line. 

So, go for the cold wash cycle every time.

This will help lift the bacteria from the fibers, meaning the clothes wonโ€™t hold onto the odor (we hope.) 

Soaking workout gear in a vinegar/water solution.

Use minimal detergent

Using more detergent than you need to might risk holding onto the odor even more. Detergent builds up if thereโ€™s too much in one dose, so instead, use less. 

It might sound counterintuitive, but using less detergent or a gentler, unscented detergent such as my soap nut laundry detergent or liquid homemade laundry soap with essential oils will help erase the smell better!

Tips

Avoid using fabric softener

Much like too much detergent – a homemade fabric softener is designed to add a silky smoothing action to clothes. 

Which is the worst thing for gym clothes that smell bad! 

So, donโ€™t use fabric softener at all on gym clothes. Ever!

Wash separately from regular clothes

This is so you donโ€™t spread the bacteria that cause bad smells on gym clothes. 

Skip the dryer – hang dry instead for better airflow

Air drying in the fresh air outdoors helps eliminate bad smells on gym clothing and leaves the clothes fresher than ever before.  

Avoid washing on hot (it can damage performance fabrics)

Washing on hot cycles can risk shrinking or even damaging gym clothing. And hot cycles mean the smell will likely set in, making it harder to get rid of. 

Why Do Gym Clothes Smell After Washing?

The reason gym clothing smells after washing is simply because the bacteria that causes odor hasnโ€™t been destroyed. 

If some bacteria is left lingering in the clothing fibers, then no matter how much perfume or smell-reducing activity you do, the smell wonโ€™t budge. 

My best advice is to follow this cleaning method for smelly gym clothing as and when you need to. Repeat it if necessary until you get rid of the smell!

I hope you find this post helpful and that you end up with fresh-smelling gym clothes in the end.

If you like this style of post, you may like reading one of these next!

Reference: Nike.com, 2022, How to get rid of the smell of sweat in workout clothes, accessed June 1st, 2023, {https://www.nike.com/a/get-sweat-smell-out-of-clothes}

About Laura

Welcome to Our Oily House, Iโ€™m so glad youโ€™re here! Explore DIY cleaners, homemade soaps, skincare and hair care recipes, fragrance-free solutions, and sustainable laundry tips for a naturally inspired home.

You May Also Like

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

2 Comments

  1. Barbara Rucker says:

    Hi Laura,
    I loaned my favorite long sleeved all cotton t-shirt to a friend (very delicate, and thin material – it is dark blue with attached (glued?) gold stars on it, and has to be shaped and air dried), and she washed it before giving it back to me. Unfortunately, she used a very strong smelling fabric softener or dryer sheet, and I cannot get that odor out of it. I even completely soaked it in your DIY liquid laundry soap before washing it in cold water, and it didn’t dilute the smell at all. I have lost a lot of weight recently, so I dried it in my dryer to shrink it – I hope I can still deodorize my favorite t-shirt! Do you have a solution? Thanks!

    1. Laura says:

      You can try this method and see if it helps!