to go back to cotton - sports wear

[bluefoxmug]

omg it stinks.
mine is bad, dh's worse, the teenagers unbearable.
and that after a short run.

I don't remember cotton stinking like that 'back in the day'

But don’t you find cotton feels heavy when you get sweaty or rained on?

Are you using fabric softener? That will make sportswear smell. Also, using too much washing powder. Try doing an extra rinse after the wash has finished.

weirdly my sports bra never smells.
mainly the tshirts and tights.

I guess I just don't sweat that much... I used to go swimming when it rained lots

How many items are 'all my sportswear', TeenageYrs? Sounds like a smaller load than I would be happy about running the machine for.

I never use softener
always bio powder
and I take it out of the machine as soon as it's finished

The halo is just a wash. It really works, promise!!

@ragged 2 adults and 2 teenagers in the house who all wear sports kit at least a couple of times a week so easily have a full load a week in our house.

@bluefoxmug all our sportswear is one brand and we have a lot of it. I remember years ago washing DH's football kit with a regular load of washing which probably also had fabric softener added and it absolutely stank. Re washed on its own and it was fine which is why I stated doing a separate load for sportswear.

we have running kit times 4.
plus other specialised sports kit which doesn't smell despite being thick cotton protective equipment.

but don't get me started on the neoprene watersports suits. whoever invented those didn't have any sense of smell.

Nothing stinks like a hockey goalie kit 🤣

I used to bath mine in the bath. Scrubbed it. Tried everything. The mixture of sweat, damp and polystyrene/foam is a potent one

It absolutely honks. I've yet to meet anyone who's solved it. They just have to be quarantined in the garage 😂

So l teach this..,..

Polyester and nylon can be engineered to wick moisture away by tiny tubes in the fabric. So yes it does wick moisture away. And it is lightweight, which is why it is used. It’s non absorbent , so doesn’t get heavy with rain or sweat. But it is liable to stink unless washed properly.

Cotton is much more comfortable as it’s breatheable. However, when it gets wet it becomes uncomfortable whether this is through perspiration or water, as it is very absorbent. Then it becomes heavy and can be difficult to wear.

It terms of speed or streamlining, polyester or nylon is the best as it is lightweight. It’s quite hard to create a really lightweight cotton fabric as it would tear or rip easily. Whereas polyester is much stronger and less resistant to wear and tear.

Hth

@GuyFawkesDay

Nothing stinks like a hockey goalie kit 🤣

I used to bath mine in the bath. Scrubbed it. Tried everything. The mixture of sweat, damp and polystyrene/foam is a potent one

It absolutely honks. I've yet to meet anyone who's solved it. They just have to be quarantined in the garage 😂

I had to drive 240 miles with my son and his kit in a warm day. It was hell.

oh god, yes helmets/head gear is a while other level of smelliness.
greasy hair & sweat & foam

@TheEmojiFormerlyKnownAsPrince

So l teach this..,..

Polyester and nylon can be engineered to wick moisture away by tiny tubes in the fabric. So yes it does wick moisture away. And it is lightweight, which is why it is used. It’s non absorbent , so doesn’t get heavy with rain or sweat. But it is liable to stink unless washed properly.

Cotton is much more comfortable as it’s breatheable. However, when it gets wet it becomes uncomfortable whether this is through perspiration or water, as it is very absorbent. Then it becomes heavy and can be difficult to wear.

It terms of speed or streamlining, polyester or nylon is the best as it is lightweight. It’s quite hard to create a really lightweight cotton fabric as it would tear or rip easily. Whereas polyester is much stronger and less resistant to wear and tear.

Hth

Thank you!

what about cotton mix? like most (women's) tshirts?
cotton mixed with lycra or elastane?
they don't seem to lose their form when damp.

alternatively I might still have some old american style oversized hard rock cafe tshirts...

Wilko activewear wash is brilliant, but they've decided to discontinue it

I believe Amazon sell their own brand one, or Halo is supposed to be very good.

I much prefer to run in the 'wicking' sports clothes. If I wear cotton I end up soaking wet (I'm a heavy sweater), then I get all shivery and cold as the cotton stays wet. Once wet, I then start getting blisters in my armpits. The smell of sweat is preferable to that much discomfort.

I think having to use specialist detergent for such clothes is wasteful.
garments that cannoth be machine washed with the usual soap are not very practical imo.

But then you're saving a scoop of the regular stuff, it all works out.

I don't really see it as wasteful - I use the same amount of detergent overall, just out of different bottles I just chuck all sports gear in the machine at 30 when I have a full load.