Get the Stink Out (of your athletic wear)

Get the Stink Out

Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.

Working out as an alchemical act allows us as the exercisers—or exorcisers of our woes transform before our own eyes. When the chemical reaction of burning energy occurs we exhale the energy we burn(which is why anyone in ketosis often has halitosis—offense aggressively intended) Our sweat comes along to regulate our body temperature.

As dreadful as synthetic fabric softeners are for you and your endocrine health they are also horrible for your performance active wear, ideally you are using no softener at all.

Don't use fabric softener on sweat-wicking/performance wear. It clogs the fibers and materials with a waxy film, rendering the clothing's purpose useless.

Traditional Fabric softener can leave a residue on clothes that can irritate sensitive skin, reduce the absorbency of towels, build up in your washing machine leading to mold, potentially make clothes more flammable, and negatively impact the performance of certain fabrics like athletic wear by reducing their ability to wick moisture; additionally, many fabric softeners contain chemicals that are considered environmentally harmful hormone disruptors. 

You CAN wash your sneakers and as a cavas sneaker afficionado(chuck taylors and Vans) I have and always will toss a shoe in the wash. Good luck stopping me, if you can’t tell by now I am stupendously indulgent in all things soapy, sudsy.

Now, let’s fucking GO.

If your sneakers look worse for wear, toss them in the washer for a quick clean. To do so, pull out the laces and put the shoes in the washer. Wash in cold water and air-dry. Place the laces into a mesh bag and toss them in, too. If they're really dirty, give your shoes a quick scrub with a toothbrush dunked in distilled white vinegar and water, then wash.

Wash sneakers with a few towels to cushion them from banging against the drum, which can throw the machine off balance.

When it comes to my lifting or casual shoes I am very quick to toss in the wash or toss in general as the more minimalist the shoe the more minimal the tread. For running shoes it’s ideal to check the tread on the bottom to make sure the shoes still have mileage on them before you put the effort into washing— personally I don’t do this with my running shoes and when they would get wet from running in the rain in high school I learned from one of my teammates you can stuff your sneakers with newspaper to prevent them drying with a stink to them. I also used this when I would dry my regular sneakers. Don’t put sneakers in the dryer they aren’t designed to be heated like that. Stuff the shoes with new paper or cedar shoe stuff-its

Here’s how I stay fresher than daisies for anyone down wind:

-turn the clothing inside out and spray the sweatiest bits with a peptide stain remover, I love shout

Enzyme cleaners are biological compounds used to break down organic

Bonus: If you live, lift, love as much as I do you might have sat down in your drivers seat while sporting some swamp ass. For this I love using Natures Miracle .

Megan Sherlock is a wellness professional passionate about somatic movement and holistic healing. She combines her expertise in fitness, yoga, and nutrition with the transformative power of energy work to help clients reconnect with their bodies and emotions. Megan holds certifications in NASM CPT, RYT 200, CGFI, CNC, BCS, CF1, ViPR, TriggerPoint SMR, Usui Reiki Master, and PN1.