Don’t you wish your sportswear retained its once-new smell forever? Unfortunately, that’s usually not the case, as sports gear eventually picks up unwanted odors over time. Regularly cleaning your sports gear with the right cleaning agent is necessary to combat this problem. But what absorbs bad smells from sports gear? Are there sport-gear-specific products for removing offensive odors? Of course, there are! And we don’t mean vinegar and baking soda ― two of the most touted odor-removal remedies on the internet. While these substances work great, they may negatively impact your washing machine over time and, in the wrong concentrations, can cause skin burns and other harmful effects. In this post, you’ll discover effective, chemical-free solutions to help you eliminate unwanted odors from your activewear.

Why Is It Difficult to Eliminate Bad Smells From Sportswear?

From helmets and gloves to trainers, tanks, pants, sports bras, socks, shorts, and everything in between, sports gear tend to hold onto foul smells, thanks to the activity of odor causing bacteria on sweat combined with bodily fluid (sebum).

Whether you are a pro athlete or someone who exercises on any basis, getting rid of sweat smell from your sportswear is an unavoidable part of your routine. The problem is that most gym clothes and activewear are made from water-repellent materials.

On the one hand, materials that repel water are excellent for intense physical activities because they wick away sweat and keep you relatively dry and comfortable during sweaty workout sessions.

On the other hand, washing spandex, lycra, or other stretchy sports materials can be a bit tricky because it is hard to get water through the fabric, so thorough rinsing is usually difficult. This is why adding more detergent to the wash cycle is never the solution to removing bad smells from workout clothes or sports gear.

Thankfully, you don’t have to endure odd smells just because you want to play sports or stay in shape. Here are some effective products to help you rid your sports gear of unwanted odors.

Chemical-Free Methods for Absorbing Bad Smells From Sports Gear

Eliminating Bad Smells From Trainers, Cleats, and Skates

Sports shoes are notorious for giving off pungent odors, and that’s no surprise. Sports footwear often provides the right environment for odor causing bacteria and fungus to flourish, considering they are typically dark and damp with little airflow.

Wearing a pair of moisture-wicking socks is a good way to prevent sweat from going straight into your shoes. While this may reduce the smell in your footwear, it doesn’t absorb pre-existing bad smells in your stinky shoes.

Applying a good-quality deodorizing powder to your shoes is a more effective solution for absorbing and eliminating foul odor from your trainers, cleats, skates, or sneakers.

For guaranteed results, the OdorKlenz Sport Powder should be on your radar. In addition to removing unwanted odors and unpleasant scents that make your shoes stink, this earth-friendly powder is sure to keep the smells from returning.

Besides sports shoes, you can apply the Sport Powder to helmets, gloves, and other sports gear and equipment that tend to easily get damp.

Removing Bad Smells From Sports Equipment

Exposure to dirt, dust, and bacteria over time can make personal sports items and equipment give off a foul smell. To make things worse, storing your sports gear without proper cleaning increases the chance of developing bad odors and stubborn smells.

Wiping your sports gear with regular soaps and clean towels may remove dirt on a surface level but will fall short when it comes to combating odor-causing compounds.

That said, you should avoid the temptation to use fragranced cleaning agents when looking for what absorbs bad smells from sports equipment. You want to eliminate the smell, not merely cover it up, so use cleaning products designed specifically for source-odor removal.

Instead of using regular towels and soaps to clean sports gear, equipment, and tools, we recommend using the OdorKlenz Sport Deodorizing Wipes. Simply wipe down personal sports items with these biodegradable wipes to eliminate tough sweat odors and other unwanted spells.

If you are short on time and need to quickly remove unwanted odors from your sports gear, consider sprinkling some odor-eliminating power on the gear right before practice.

What Absorbs Bad Smells From Gym Bags and Lockers?

The stuck-on, pungent, lingering smell that hits you each time you open your gym bag can be sickening. One of the simple things you can do to reduce offensive smells in lockers and gym bags is to hang your sportswear out to air-dry before storing them. The fresh air can do wonders for any lingering odors.

Remember to clean sports equipment and tools before tossing them in your bag or locker. The cleaner the sports gear, the less the chance of leaving off-putting smells behind in storage.

If the storage location for your sports gear is already stinky, placing a deodorizer inside can help absorb the nasty odors. Try to avoid standard air fresheners as they usually just mask the odor and can contain harmful chemicals. Lemon juice can also eliminate bad smells. Soak a sponge in lemon juice and use it to absorb the foul smell.

Additionally, a bowl of white vinegar can eliminate unwanted odors because the acetic acid in the white vinegar neutralizes any alkaline odors.

The OdorKlenz Deodorizer Block is a specially formulated odor neutralizer with superior capabilities to regular remedies like baking soda and activated charcoal. It works by drawing in and deconstructing odor-causing chemicals. It neutralizes the unwanted odor from various environments, including duffle and gym bags, lockers, small closets, bathrooms, and storage containers.

Absorbing Bad Smells From Workout Clothes

Ditch the dryer sheet and air fresheners when it comes to making your sports clothes smell nice and fresh. These single-use scented products will only mask odors with nice-smelling chemicals, which can be potentially harmful to the environment.

Fragranced laundry detergents don’t make the cut, either.

Okay, what absorbs bad smells and unwanted odor from workout clothes if a dryer sheet and regular detergents are out of the question?

Go with laundry additives when washing your workout clothes. Good-quality options like the OdorKlenz SPORT Laundry Additive work alongside your favorite detergent to not only absorb sweat smells at the source but also remove the odors regular washing detergents leave behind.

Also available in powder form, the non-toxic laundry additive is fragrance-free and works exceptionally well for all workout clothing types, including spandex, lycra, and DRI-Fit fabrics.

By the way, if your clothes still smell after washing, read this post to learn what to do.