Care & Washing

Cold, inside out, in a bag, in the shade.

That's the whole method. Activewear fabric is built to stretch, recover and dry fast. Heat, friction and fabric softener are what wear those things out, so a few simple habits keep your kit fitting and looking the way it did on day one.

Washing

• Turn every piece inside out and do up any zips or hooks. It protects the outside of the fabric and the prints.
• Put it in a mesh wash bag. It stops leggings and shorts rubbing against other clothes, which is what causes pilling and snags. Use one for sports bras, seamless and mesh pieces every time.
• Wash cold, 30°C or below, on a gentle or delicate cycle. Hot water breaks down the stretch fibres and fades colour.
• Wash with similar colours and similar fabrics. Wash new dark, bright or printed pieces on their own for the first couple of washes.
• Keep activewear away from towels, fleece, denim and anything with Velcro. Towels and fleece shed lint that sticks to smooth fabrics; denim and Velcro snag them.
• Use a small amount of mild liquid detergent. Too much leaves residue in the fabric. A dedicated sports wash is a good option.
• Skip the fabric softener. It coats the fibres, stops sweat wicking away and traps odour. If you've used it by mistake, wash again without it.
• No bleach, and avoid detergents with whiteners or optical brighteners. They weaken stretch fibres and fade colour.

Drying

• Line dry or dry flat, in the shade. Direct sun fades colour over time.
• No tumble dryer. Heat is the fastest way to lose stretch and crack prints.
• Don't wring or twist. Gently squeeze out the water, or roll the piece in a towel.
• Keep it off heaters and radiators. Same reason as the dryer.
• Heavier pieces like fleece hoodies and crews dry best flat, so they keep their shape.

Ironing and prints

• Activewear doesn't need ironing. Hang it straight after the wash and most creases drop out.
• Never iron over a print, logo or reflective detail. The heat melts and cracks it.
• If you have to iron something like a cotton tee, turn it inside out, use a low setting and keep the iron off the print.
• Don't dry clean.

Never

Good habits

• Don't leave sweaty gear in your bag. Take it out straight after training and hang it to air, or wash it the same day. Sweat sitting in fabric is what causes lasting odour.
• Lasting odour? Soak for 30 minutes in cold water with a cup of white vinegar before a normal wash.
• Sports bras and crops with removable pads. Take the pads out and wash them in the bag alongside, then reshape the cups while damp.
• Fleece hoodies and crews. Wash inside out with other fleece or heavy cotton, away from your leggings and shorts.
• Crew socks. Turn them inside out so the cushioning gets properly clean.