How often should you wash your gym clothes?

Making sure you exercise regularly is vital to maintaining good health – but it seems an alarming number of Britons aren’t good at post-workout hygiene.

New research reveals some shocking habits UK gym goers have when it comes to washing their clothes after a workout. Less than half of Brits don’t wash their gym clothes after one – in fact, 6% admitted they didn’t wash their sports underwear until they had worn it seven times or more. That equates to more than four million Brits re-wearing their gym gear again and again… and again.

The research, carried out by Sports Tickets, asked 2,000 UK residents to find out exactly how often they wash their gym clothes. Worryingly, only 53 percent said they wash their gym clothes after one wear.

Another 20% of respondents said they wear gym clothes two or three times before putting them in the washing machine. Meanwhile, 11% said they re-wear their sports underwear four to six times before washing.

The study also found that men tend to wear their gym underwear more often compared to women. Almost a quarter (24%) of men were more likely to wash their clothes after exercising two to three times, compared to 16% of women, and 12% of men were more likely to wear gym underwear four to six times compared to 9% of women.

When asked what ultimately prompts them to put their sweaty clothes in the wash, 55 percent said the smell was the deciding factor. But less than half (46%) reported that potential germs and bacteria were a reason for washing their gym clothes.

Gym towels, which are often used to absorb sweat during exercise, are also not washed as often as we might think. The survey found that only 18% of Brits wash their gym towels after every use, and 12% admit they wash their gym towels once a week.

Another 3% wash their towels every two to three weeks, while a surprising 2% say they only wash their gym towels once a month or less. never.

Sweating can lead to a build-up of bacteria on gym clothes and towels. This bacteria – which thrives in moist environments – can cause health problems such as itchy skin and fungal infections.

It’s not just your sweat and bacteria to worry about. Studies have shown that exercise equipment has more bacteria due to the many hands and bodies that use it.

Another study revealed that bacteria such as salmonella and klebsiella, which are associated with food poisoning and pneumonia, have been found in common equipment including exercise equipment (treadmills, weights, exercise bikes), floor coverings and -handrails.

Researchers found that staphylococcus was the most common bacteria found in exercise equipment. Staphylococcus causes staph skin infections, which include symptoms such as burning, redness and inflammation of the skin and sores, crusts and blisters.

To prevent the accumulation of bacteria in your gym clothes, you should wash them regularly and let them dry completely.

There are times when you might consider wearing gym clothes for a second workout. If you wore the clothes for a light workout when you didn’t sweat much, then you can safely wear them for a second workout before washing them.

However, the fitness app Sweat recommends hanging gym clothes in the sun between clothes to allow the sun’s UV rays to help kill bacteria and dry the fabric thoroughly.

As for gym underwear, it’s best to follow the same rules as regular underwear and wash them after wearing to prevent the spread of germs. Be sure to dry all your exercise equipment and make sure your gym clothes and towels are completely dry before using them for your next workout.

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