Clean Up Your Act: Taking Care Of Your Active Wear

…or at least clean up your pricey workout wear with a little TLC and a suitably gentle detergent.

Written by: Zack Vestal

You take such good care of your gear and your body, maybe now is the time to start taking better care of your clothing. That’s right—the expensive materials in your running, cycling, swimming and gym clothes need appropriate care if they’re going to last more than a couple of seasons. Check out these active wear-specific detergents to keep your techy clothes fresh.

Penguin Sport-Wash

This detergent is a residue-free, non-allergenic formula designed to keep high-tech fabric at peak performance—and it’s biodegradable, so your conscience is as clean as your gear. $10, penguinapparelcare.com

Assos Active Wear Cleanser

Delicate on elastic fibers, this cleanser is also pH neutral, neutralizes odors, enhances textile breathability and maintains sharp color sublimation. A nice choice for all of your high-performance fabrics. $20, assos.com

ProWash Activewear Detergent

This is a residue-free detergent that cleans and rinses thoroughly to keep your clothing looking clean and smelling fresh; it also helps restore wicking performance. It’s safe on widely used performance fabrics such as COOLMAX, GORE-TEX and SUPPLEX. $10, prowashdetergent.com

Win Detergent

This sport detergent directly targets offensive odors and stains and eliminates the embedded sweat molecules and odors that can overwhelm fabric. It’s now available in a new, all-natural and biodegradable formula called Win Green. $9, windetergent.com

Nikwax Base Wash

New from Nikwax, this detergent cleans, deodorizes and softens synthetic base layers. It also enhances wicking properties, helping your layers to dry more quickly. $5.40 5 oz., $9.20 10 oz., $25.20 1 litre, nikwax.com