Did you know that according to a recent RunRepeat study of almost 13,000 people, exercise is up 88% during this pandemic? Kudos to everyone who is getting active (and practicing social distancing at the same time of course). Personally, I know that being able to go outside on the trails has been a blessing these past few months.
However, while I’m outside enjoying the fresh air, I’m not enjoying the smell of my running clothes. I’ve tried laundering (including pre-treating) these garments with mixtures of water, baking soda, vinegar, and other solutions, however, nothing seemed to work to remove the odor.
The main smelly offenders were my wicking shirts. While this type of fabric is great for repelling moisture, it also holds in the bacteria and oils that create the offensive smells. Regular detergents can’t get this stench out, and drying clothes after a normal wash cycle just locks the odors in.
I didn’t want to replace these shirts, since that gets to be expensive. While running is one of the most affordable sports, wicking-type attire is not cheap. Why not just switch to cotton? As any new runner quickly learns, “cotton is rotten” when it comes to running. Cotton fabrics don’t repel water. Wearing a cotton t-shirt can transform a fun run to a sweaty, clingy, uncomfortable experience. Since regular detergents are primarily formulated for cotton fabrics, it was time to try something different.
I started to research other solutions. A simple Google search resulted in a plethora of products. I narrowed the products down by reading reviews (including many from runners) and the most promising was Win Sports Detergent. I sent them an e-mail and they kindly offered to send me a bottle to try. Their website goes into great detail about how synthetic fabrics trap oils that feed the bacteria (gross, I know), and this creates the smell. Basically, in non-scientific terms, their detergent is designed to free oils from the synthetic fibers. “When the water goes down the drain, so do the oils. And with them, the bacteria.”
Here’s their short video of exactly how the product works if you want to check it out.
Learning all this, I was eager to give Win Detergent a try. They offer three varieties – regular, fragrance/dye-free, and a ‘Red’ version (for teens who play sports – it removes smells and stains from uniforms). I was sent the regular version (blue bottle). You get a 32 fl. oz bottle that can be used in all types of washing machines. In addition, the product is phosphate-free, septic safe, and non-allergenic. You can order it on Amazon or right from their website. At $10.95 a bottle, it’s not cheap, but a little is supposed to go a long way. At this point, I was willing to try anything.
Using the product is simple. Use the cap to add one to three fluid ounces to each load (one for small, two for regular and three for super stinky) and wash in hot or warm water and dry on low heat.
It was time to put this product to work! I gathered some recent running attire and other items that had been smelly for a while. I added two fluid ounces and washed as normal. After washing, it was time for the “sniff test.” Except for two garments, everything came out odor-free! The two items that weren’t 100% stink-free were my worst offenders. In retrospect, I should have used three ounces for this load to take care of those. I will say that they are much improved (by about 80%). I am confident that if I add three capfuls the next time I wash them, they will be 100% odor-free. So, I give this product a thumbs up! Prior to using, I had my doubts, but I am now a believer. If you have similar issues with your stinky running gear, give it a try.
Let me know in the comments if you’ve had success in overcoming the aroma in your stinky running clothes. I would love to hear your tips and tricks.
P.S. As for my running adventures, I’ve been consistently running (slowly) daily. Most races have been canceled, although I see that virtual 5ks are on the rise. I may try one of those in the future.
In the meantime, thank you for reading, and thank you to Win for sending me a free bottle to try. Stay safe and healthy out there, and I’ll see you on the roads (trails). Until next time….
runkiwirun13 