Safely Wash Your Sportswear with These Laundry Detergents & Boosters

When it comes to washing your yoga leggings and other athletic wear, you want to make sure you’re getting rid of all those odors and sweat stains, without compromising or damaging the fabric. These detergents and boosters are all designed to gently, but effectively, clean your sportswear.

Washing your workout clothes can be a bit of a catch-22 because you need a detergent with extra-strong cleaning power, that’s still gentle enough not to harm the fabric. Fortunately, there are many products available with just the right amount of strength that won’t damage even your most fragile fitness wear.

Branch Basics Laundry Kit

Branch Basics is an inspiring women-led company that started as a passion project when the three founders realized they needed to get rid of toxins in their cleaning supplies. It’s now famous for its Multipurpose Concentrate, which you can dilute and use for a variety of cleaning purposes.

From cleaning your bathroom and kitchen, to washing your windows and, yes, even your clothes, this plant-based, biodegradable, non-GMO concentrate will gently, but efficiently, work on any surface.

The company also has an Oxygen Boost stain-fighting laundry powder that doesn’t contain any bleach, ammonia, fragrances, or dyes. Still, it’ll work wonders on any tougher stains that need a little extra removal power.

We recommend the Laundry Starter Kit, which includes a 33.8-ounce bottle of the Concentrate, which will last for up to 192 loads, a two-pound container of the Oxygen Boost, and a reusable, 32-ounce Laundry bottle.

Again, you can use the Concentrate to clean everything in your home, including your activewear. You’ll fall in love with this stuff when your workout clothes come out smelling fresh and clean, and without any damage.

Hex Performance Laundry Detergent

Created by a former pro athlete, Hex Performance laundry detergent uses a proprietary formula. It eliminates odors and protects fabrics against future stains, damage, and the wear and tear most detergents fail to prevent. Also unlike other detergents, Hex Performance won’t leave any residue inside the tight knits that are prevalent in sportswear.

The science behind it explains how sweat and bacteria have a negative charges well as most laundry detergents. But Hex brings the positive charge that attracts said bacteria and draws it out of the fabric.

Hex Performance detergent is also hydrophobic, meaning it won’t mix with, or be diluted by, water, so it maintains its strength throughout the wash cycle.

There are tons of items in this product line, including a trial size of the laundry detergent if you want to try it out first.

WIN Sports Detergent

With its 15-year history, WIN Sports Detergent is well-known among athletes due to its amazing odor elimination power. It will keep your workout clothes fresh and protected from damage.

WIN’s secret formula separates the oils that attract bacteria and unpleasant odors from synthetic fabrics to restore freshness to your performance gear.

With three different products to target specific types of stains and odors, you can choose the one that best suits your workout routine or try them all!

FunkAway Laundry Booster

Specifically designed to target unpleasant odors, FunkAway’s trademark OM Complex™ formula encases odor molecules in a bubble. It then efficiently breaks down and eliminates them.

It works just as perfectly on drenched, sweaty yoga leggings as it does on running shoes. In fact, there’s an entire line of deep-cleaning products for specific gear to help you keep everything fresh, clean, and odor-free. We recommend starting with the Detergent Booster.

Dropps Detergent Pods

With its famous plant-powered formula, recyclable packaging, and the fact that it was one of the first brands to use 100% carbon neutral shipping, Dropps quickly became a favorite. It even has its own hashtag (#everydroppscounts), which customers can use to spread the word.

Dropps’ ingredients are regularly sent to third-party labs, where they undergo testing. As a result, the company is pretty transparent about its formula, which is a major plus for many consumers.

Past test results have showcased not only how Dropps measures up to other leading detergents, but also how it actually outperforms them in some categories. Plant power all the way!

Sport Suds Laundry Detergent

Created by a team of Canadian fitness fanatics, Sport Suds is a sustainably sourced, biodegradable, nontoxic brand. Its products gently strip away oils and bacteria from your favorite activewear, leaving a clean, refreshed fabric without any residue.

Its products are specifically efficient in cold water, which is the temperature at which you should wash your activewear any way, as it will ensure they last longer. This fragrance-free detergent also doesn’t contain any hidden chemicals.

Arm & Hammer Clean & Simple Laundry Detergent

Arm & Hammer’s Clean & Simple laundry detergent is made with just six ingredients, meeting the EPA Safer Choice Product Standards. It’s efficient for combatting stains, odors, and all bacteria, while still keeping your delicate activewear intact.

Made with 100% certified renewable electricity, the company also gives back by planting millions of trees in the Mississippi River Valley. So, not only will your Lululemon leggings thank you, but the planet will, as well.

---

To get your sportswear clean, you need a detergent or booster that can tackle odors and stains without damaging the fabric. Any of these top-performing brands will do the trick on everything from running shoes to even your most delicate pair of yoga pants. To further refresh your dirty workout wear, do this during the rinse cycle.