I rewear this one sports bra that I looove a few times before washing. I also rewear socks and some pants haha… I don’t sweat too much so I figure it’s ok but even if you do, think about all the water you’re saving by not doing laundry EVERY day!!

Gross 😉 Jen probably won’t be your friend anymore. I rarely rewear workout clothes unless I don’t sweat. I just don’t like stinking if I can help it.

You are so cute and funny. I only think it’s gross if they already smell/are wet when you put them on… and I’m sure they’re not! 😉

Ewwwww… totally offensive!! 😉

I’ll re-wear a pair of pants if I was only doing light yoga or lifting, with minimal sweating. But NEVER a sports bra or top. I’m not a fan of BO and wouldn’t be able to stand it.

Also, re-wearing dirty clothes can cause infections. You already mentioned the skin infections with a sports bra, but a friend got an infection “down there” because she re-wore her running shorts with the briefs in them. Her doc said that the sweat harbored a fungus… and she got a nasty infection! I’m not sure how she got it to go away, but I know it affected her trying to have a baby. Her doc said she couldn’t start trying to conceive because the infection could lead her to miscarry. YIKES!!!

Not worth it to me!

I re-wear running tights…but I only wear them in the winter so I don’t sweat as much. When I’m lazy I’ll do the sniff test (if I can’t smell them then it’s ok!). Here is the real question…did you rewear clothes in the summer in Florida? If so, I’d say it’s a little gross. I’m from Texas so when I return from a summer run (even at 6 am) I look like I’ve jumped in a swimming pool. I know I sweat cleaner in the summer (less salt/water), but they are still soaked. As long as you’re ok with being dirty and are not offending the people at your gym/yoga studio/running buddy then you’re probably ok.

I do find it amusing that you are okay with rewearing exercise clothing, but wouldn’t go to bed without a fresh shirt and undies.

Haha sometimes I’ll re-wear a bra or shorts but I always always sweat so much through my tops. You should get the Tide detergent with Febreeze or the kind for active wear, it reallllly helps.

THANK GOD I’M NOT ALONE! i’ll go out on a limb with you caitlin and say that i also repeat worn workout clothes- including tops and sports bras. it just seems like such a waste of detergent and water to wash every single item after working out for an hour and a half or so. now, if it was a heinously sweaty/stinky day, i’ll usually hang the offending article out to dry… if i come back to it the next day and it still smells, i’ll toss it in the hamper. the chemicals in most detergents aren’t that great for you anyway- i figure we’ve all been sweating since the dawn of time… might as well embrace it. as long as we’re not grossing out our neighbor, that is 😉

I could never rewear my workout clothes because I sweat too much! I always rinse my clothes out right after a workout and may wear them again after that or just wash them…Then again I have a ton of workout clothes from my days as a college athlete.

I re-wear my stuff all the time and wash after a few times. I’m not a heavy sweater though, so most of the time, it doesn’t smell or have too much sweat on it. I will wash my stuff right away if there’s tons of sweat or mud or whatever on it. I’m glad to hear there’s other people who don’t wash their workout clothes right away. I probably could get away with a different running shirt every time though because I have way too many cotton shirts from races & high school cross country/track

totally re-wear. Unless it smells so bad the person next to me would pass out 😉 i hang my clothes after i come in from the gym and let them air out. usually that really helps, they don’t end up as rank 🙂

I re-wear almost everything. I only own one pair of actual running shorts, and I’m in college and buying multiple pairs is just not practical. I try to let things air out in between wears, though. I also confess to not washing my yoga towel after every use – I hang it to dry when I get home, and usually it gets a full two days or so between uses. The water in the spray bottles at my studio is either sweet orange or lavender scented, which I think helps. Where we live we have to pay with quarters for our laundry, so washing stuff every day or every other day is just not something that’s practical for us!

I always wear everything more than once! Except underwear of course haha. I just hang it up, let it air dry, and re-wear. No shame. It’s a waste of water and a harm to the environment to wash after every wear. I just take my sweaty clothes off ASAP after I’m done working out.

I’ve only ever re-worn work out clothes if I’m absolutely desperate, or if it’s a very light yoga practice. Maybe I’m stinkier than most people, but this really grosses me out!! I do have a couple pairs of really expensive running socks that I will re-wear a couple of times.

The only thing I re-wear is sports bras…and socks. And only for 2 workouts. Everything else- shirts, shorts, pants, etc.. get washed immediately. A) I sweat A LOT B) Sweat smells bad C) Arm pit sweat is pretty nasty D) Crotch sweat might be even nastier. No no no. Especially if you’re working out with other people- don’t make them gag! 🙂

I would say, if you’re running outside, alone, and the smell doesn’t bother you- go for it- EXCEPT for the icky bacteria factor. AND I think your clothes will wear out faster from NOT washing them because the bacteria and stink will get stuck in the fabrics. Yuck.

Tips for making workout clothes last longer- wash in cold water, on the delicate cycle, hang dry. Only wash workout clothes with other workout clothes, not cotton towels, jeans, etc.. The cotton fibers are very abrasive on the synthetic material used to make workout clothes so it makes them wear down fast. NEVER use fabric softener- it inhibits the fabrics ability to wick away sweat.

I will re-wear tops, bottoms, bras, and socks, but only like 2 times. I just don’t have time for all that laundry now that I do 30 minutes of cardio daily. It’s hard enough to squeeze exercise into my schedule so there is no time for multiple loads of laundry! 🙂

I am so glad I’m not the only one who does this. Especially with the sports bras – they are expensive and wear out so quickly!

Your shhhhhh photo cracked me up!

I wear everything about twice before washing… I’m not a smelly smelly person, but also, doing that much laundry is just TOO expensive! I am slowly trying to add more sports bras but i really have TWO i can run in and 2 I can wear for gym cardio/weights.

I also do this with my normal clothes though… jeans 10 times or so, tops twice… etc.

I promise i wash underwear after each use though lol

My clothes don’t get re-worn unless I’ve barely sweated, and even then, it feels a bit gross the next time. Then again, I sweat a lot, and I can’t even stand the smell of food on my clothing (from restaurants).

If I had to, I’d reuse sweaty pants before I’d do sports bras or shirts. I’ve done socks a couple of times, but that isn’t exactly fun, either.

Oh good grief. Like I need extra laundry?? I do over 20 loads a week as it is. After a run/workout I put my clothes and bra where they can dry. So long as they don’t smell I will definately rewear. Of course there are exceptions: extra sweaty day, stains, etc. Especially in the winter when I don’t sweat as much, I will definately rewear my tights. Washing after every wear would shorten the usable life of good workout clothes. And, just so you don’t feel like you are the only one, I am a stickler about clean undies and jammies every night too. Go figure.

I totally rewear pants and sports bras a few times. I tend to wash t-shirts quickest. Long sleeves over another t’s get worn a few times…

1) I completely agree about working out when stressed to the max. It should really be the last thing we chop off our to-do list… because its guaranteed to help make you feel better! Plus, dropping down to a 3 mile run instead of a 5 mile run is WAY better then doing nothing!

2) The stinky debate (ha!)… I really don’t see a problem in re-wearing workout clothes! It’s true that washing things (like sports bras) too often wears them down & they are bloody expensive! I think as long as you stick to your two workout rule per clothing item, no biggie! I find that especially with workout pants/shorts/capri’s you can get away with a weeks worth of workouts before washing!

I’ve been reading your blog a while and just HAD to comment on this. Totally with you. I basically wear tops, bottoms, and bras until they smell, but only for running when I know no one is going to be around much. If I go to the gym I always put fresh stuff on.

I rewear pants, especially when I didn’t have so many. And probably sports bras every once in a while.

I used to rewear my dance clothes, because I didn’t have enough pairs of non-holey tights.

However by rewearing, I mean 2-3 times.

Oh, girl, so not judging, but ew!! Maybe I sweat more than you, but the thought of wearing my workout clothes more than once – ESP sports bras – gives me the heebie jeebies. 🙂 My clothes stink and I don’t like to smell myself. Occasionally, while traveling, I *might* rewear something, but only as a last resort. But, if it doesn’t bother you, more power to ya!

I sweat but thankfully my clothes don’t stink when I wear them just once. I thought it was normal to re-wear workout clothes. My boyfriend even does this too, lol.

I thought I was harboring a secret bad habit! I tend to sweat most from the chest up, so I re-wear shorts and my fave pair of cropped pants. I have to wear two sports bras (which equals TONS of laundry!) so I’ll often re-wear the outer one, but not the inner because it gets pretty gross. I never know where to put the clothes to dry though!

This post just makes me love you even more! I rewear things twice…three times when I workout. It depends on how badly I sweat (if it is drenched then no). I am with you on the stress today. I was feeling so great the first couple of days this week and today is just exhausting and frustrating!

Couldn’t do it- knowing there was bacteria living in the clothes from previous bouts of sweating, and willingly putting it against my hot skin and open pores? Not a chance!! Sports bras aren’t expensive on a cost per wear basis, and really,you can’t think about the cost- think of them as armour in the fight against gravity 😀 And just buy champion singlets from target, they’re $10 a go. No excuse for re-wearing!

Out of curiosity, if you sweated in your regular clothes, would you re-wear them? And if no, why not?

I’m a re-wearer. I figure I’m economizing by not doing laundry all the time, but really I’m just too lazy to do it regularly.

I re-wear stuff only if I haven’t sweated a ton – like, I’d re-wear regular yoga clothes but probably not running or hot yoga clothes. It’s just a personal preference though – it doesn’t gross me out one bit if you do it!

Um…all I can say is – I’m glad I’m not alone! I work out so much that doing that much laundry would be WASTEFUL. Plus, I don’t exactly work out to look pretty or smell good – I do it to get good and sweaty! I wear my tights and bras around 3x each. So no worries. keep on stinking! And special “sports/athletic” laundry detergents are available. I haven’t tried them, but they’re FOR wicking materials.

I only have 3 really good running bras too, so I re-wear those on cardio days. I don’t really care what sports bra I wear on strength days!

I will wear running shorts probably 3-4 times before I was them (again, I only have 2 that I absolutely love) but shirts I change every single time. I buy the cheap dry-fit ones at Target.

I can’t re-wear running tights, though. That’s my line.

I don’t sweat heavily, but I have a pretty sensitive sense of smell, so I rarely re-wear workout clothes. I never re-wear the bottoms or the tops. I will occasionally rinse out my sports bras and hang them to dry and wear them again a few days later if I didn’t get sweaty during a workout. But if it was a run? Definitely getting washed before I wear them again. I also have an obsession with workout clothes and own a bunch, so I’m not doing laundry that often. I have a separate laundry basket just for my workout clothes to make sure I don’t get them mixed up with the regular clothes that I wash with fabric softener, and I always hang them to dry instead of drying them in the dryer – all of which helps them last longer.

So glad I’m not the only person who does this! Sometimes I feel a little gnarly, but a girl can only afford so many quality workout outfits, and I live in New York City with limited access to a washer and dryer. I drop off my laundry once a month, which means if I’m having a particularly active month I may be a wee bit smelly.

Hahaha, I cracked up when I got to the photo of you smelling your pit!

Oh man…

Anyway. I have a really sensitive nose, so I can’t stand rewearing clothes. Sometimes – if I’m low on clothes – I’ll rewear pants, but I sweat so much (and live in Hawai`i where there’s CRAZY humidity) so things get stinky REAL fast!

Do what works for you! =) And warn your running partners not to run downwind of you ;).

I re-wear stinky workout clothes when I’m running outside and no one else can smell me. I re-wear shorts/pants/tights until they get too stinky, which is about 4 times. Sports bras can go 2 or 3 times and shirts around 2 times.
However, I do NOT wear stinky or semi-stinky stuff to the gym, which is generally shirts. I don’t want to be the stinky girl on the elliptical or treadmill! Pants and sports bras are usually fair game because they take longer to get stinky. So I am considerate of others smelling my stench. I know that you don’t have a gym membership, so in my eyes you’re fine to wear your stinky clothes running (alone, without partner)! If you went to yoga though, I’d recommend wearing more fresh items.

I absolutely re-wear my workout clothes. I can’t afford to buy enough to clean them every time. That’s probably part of the reason why I keep doing races, so I can get new shirts to wear.

Okay, I’ll admit: Caitlin, I’m a little grossed out. No matter if it’s summer or winter (but especially in summer), I sweat. Unless I’m running outside and it’s thirty degrees or less, I am drenched. It’s smelly and wet and disgusting; I can barely stand to peel off the clothes and get into the shower. The clothes then immediately go into my laundry bag. The only situation in which I reuse workout clothes is if I have no other clean workout clothes and I don’t have the time/money to do laundry. If that’s the case, I pick the least sweaty clothes from the laundry bag. I reuse all other clothes profusely and I despise wasting laundry detergent or water; it is environmentally unfriendly. But the sweat and dirt on used workout clothes is not good for skin or stamina; if I’m doing a workout in them, I can’t stop thinking about how gross they are, and it slows me down.

I’m definitely on the side of “this is really gross unless it is an emergency and you have zero other clothing possibilities for your workout.” Sorry Caitlin!

I try not to rewear anything. I learned the hard way. I had 3 of the same style of yoga pants, for some reason, for a week straight I kept mixing them up in the morning, and grabbing the wrong ones, the dirty ones. Well, sure enough, I got a lady infection… I had to go to the doctors and everything! He knew right away “never re-wear your workout clothes”. Especially if you sweat a lot!

Plus, the feeling of dried salty stiff sports bras and pants give me the heebies. I would invest in 2 more sports bras minimum, and some new pants, keep it in good rotation! Especially if you’re going to the gym and sitting on equipment, not only is it your own bacteria…

….but OTHER peoples bacteria… EWWW 😛

SO GLAD I’M NOT THE ONLY ONE!!! 🙂 I definitely wear my workout clothes more than once! It saves a lot of laundry!!! I will wear my shorts about 3 times or so before I wash them!

it also helps that for some reason I don’t sweat that much! I’m weird! haha

I feel very alone on this one! I would say I am a one-wear person about 95% of the time. I am a VERY heavy sweat-er and completely soak my sports bra and top even after only a short run. I also wear running shorts with built in briefs which also get sweaty so I liken that to rewearing dirty undies…yikes!

The things I will rewear is yoga pants b/c I don’t feel I sweat as much then (plus, not going commando), my sports bra from a yoga session and maybe other long pants that I might wear if I’m going for a walk or whatever.

All that to say, I guess it just has to pass the sniff test and my items wouldn’t otherwise! (Non-workout clothes are a different story…lots of rewearing there) I do airdry before putting things in the hamper and I do love Tide with Febreze. Tide is pretty pricey but worth it, IMO.

you need to start writing the great debate_____

gross. i sweat way to much to reuse my clothes but i guess if you don’t i don’t see why not. i agree washing breaks down the clothes more, i don’t dry my stuff ..

I do re-wear workout clothes, but I almost always do the “smell test”. I figure if I can’t smell anything, noone else can. But I also do a lot of work outs in a gym, so I’m very paranoid to not be the “smelly girl” in the gym. I usually do the smell test right after I work out to determine if they need to go in the dirty clothes pile. But then I have a problem putting the already worn clothes in my drawer with clean clothes, so they end up sitting on my bedside table until I wear them again. Although, I just read the one comment about the girl getting an infection- that creeps me out! But I always wear undies with my workout clothes, so I think that would prevent any infection. Hope that helps!

This thread cracks me up. My general rule of thumb is that it’s ok to re-wear as long as something doesn’t smell noticeably bad when I’m putting it on (like, enough to be distracting) or take the place of underwear (e.g. I won’t re-wear shorts with liners, but tights are ok because I wear underwear with them).

I only wash my workout clothes once a week! I basically have a weekly workout outfit and then switch to a new one the next week. I am super lazy about laundry and I figure I am never close enough to anyone else while working out for them to notice 🙂

I totally re-wear my workout clothes! Usually for like, a whole week (because I only do laundry once a week anyway) and it seems to be okay. Socks get changed more frequently than that though!

Oh heck no! In this age of MRSA, cellulitis, flesh eating bacteria, and so many antibiotic resistent strains of crud–wash those nasty clothes. If your concern is travel, take 2 outfits and a small bottle or dish soap or detergent and hand wash one outfit per day. Ladies, you exercise to take care of your bodies. Why risk infection to save a little time or money?

PS. I do use an athletic detergent on work out clothes because those detergents are designed to work on tech fabrics without damaging. I believe it extends the life of my gear. Love FIT.

Totally depends on how much I sweat and if they dried before it was time to re-wear them! Sports bras I totally wear 2-3 times before washing, pants twice but I rarely re-wear shirts they are totally drenched.

I am not a runner, but I rewear sports bras, fitted pants, fitted capris … tanks, shirts and anything else workout-related. But I work out at home, by myself. I think it’s thrifty! If something smells I wash it. I don’t own enough workout clothes so that’s the major reason I rewear. SO expensive.

I definitely rewear. Especially my nike tempo shorts. My shorts dont get sweaty so what’s the difference? They don’t smell either so I usually think it’s fine. Tops less often because they’re right against my skin, but even so depending on the workout I’m doing I can get at least 3 uses out of them. If I’m going to a class I always wear fresh to spare those around me, but honestly I really don’t smell anything bad about them and can’t afford more!

I’ll re-wear sports bras…but only because I only own 2 that work for me (they’re $60 a pop) and I can’t imagine doing laundry every day so they’re clean all the time! I alternate though – one will be airing out while I’m using the other. After 2 uses they get washed though…so I get 4 days of workouts out of them, I guess. I don’t usually re-wear tops because they’re too smelly – I sweat a lot. but in a pinch I’ll wear one again – like if I have an easy yoga session and I’m not too sweaty. I NEVER re-wear shorts/bottoms though. EVER. I don’t wear undies with my workout pants & re-wearing them just seems way too gross!

I also just discovered “sport wash” for my workout gear. Mostly because of my husband’s NASTY smelling workout shorts. this stuff is amazing. Totally gets rid of the smells that tend to get “stuck” in the wicking material. I don’t necessarily think this makes them any “cleaner” just magically less smelly when they come out of the dryer. …which begs another question…am I the only one that dries my workout clothes in the dryer? Or does everyone air dry?

Maybe it is gross but I do it too! They’re going to be gross at the end of my workout anyway, so by then no one will know that the smell is leftover from last time! I try to wear clean things to the gym where I’m closer to other people, but when just going for a run outside, who would know the difference?

Unless I’m working out with other people, I wear the same workout clothes for a whole week before washing, except I’ll wear clean undies. If my socks are gross I’ll wear fresh socks too, to avoid blisters. If I’m in a group class, I’ll rotate shirts (either fresh or a shirt that has been worked out in once), but not pants/shorts. Then again, I’m one of those people who will wear jeans for like two weeks before washing them, too…

1) I don’t like doing laundry
2) If I’m not interacting with other people, what does it matter anyway?
3) All that washing wears your clothes out so fast, and workout gear is spendy.

To maintain the life of my clothes, I always wash them in cold water with a delicates detergent like Woolite and hang dry. Fabric softener (even a dryer sheet) usually ruins the wicking properties of technical fabric. Thankfully, workout clothes dry fast when you hang them. 😉

My husband and I just had a discussion about this! He says that since I bought new workout clothes with Christmas money, then I don’t have to re-wear them!

I always wear things at least 2 times. Outfit A on days 1 and 3. Outfit B on days 2 and 4 and so on.

I am glad that I bought new stuff for Christmas and now don’t have to have a minimum of 2 dirty outfits hanging off door handles and such.

At the same time, I hate wearing something for only 30 mins – an hour and washing it.

When running, I don’t wear underwear under shorts or workout pants, so I always rewash those. And I’m finally at the point where I have 5 good sports bras and I only run 4-5 days per week, so I always wear a clean one. And I have tons of shirts, so I wash those too.

When I do a non-running workout, I sometimes wear underwear and then will rewear the pants.

But I generally work out and run with others, so I’m usually wearing 100% clean stuff. Plus, I live in Texas and it’s hot here a lot of the year. Clothes are dripping wet when I get home for many months of the year.

i re-wear my clothes too! it just doesn’t make sense to me to have to wash that often! plus i’m not really around other people when i work out. so there 🙂

wow i am shocked by how many people do this! i thought for sure you were alone 🙂
No, I definitely only ever wear anything once. And I am not that heavy of a sweat-er. But if you can make it work, then good for you! I just feel gross.

Haha I’m the same way with bottoms + sports bras. I wash my running tights once a week and run in them 3-4 times a week! Sports bras I hang to dry and then re-wear 3-4 times as well. But tops I usually only wear once, SOMETIMES twice.

I only wear my hot yoga clothes once though! Then straight in the hamper!

For the record I wear . . .

Sports Bras

Workout Pants

2 times before I declare it laundry. Im ok with it as I just dont have time to do laundry.

I cant do this with shirts though . . . im a sweaty beast even when im NOT working out!! :O

Oh good, I’m not the only one, then….Yes, I confess…I do re-wear workout clothes BUT only my sports bra and shorts for no more than 2 consecutive workouts during the week. Join the club!

I reuse certain parts of my workout gear…usually 2 workouts and then I wash them. If I didn’t I’d be doing laundry every freakin’ day!

i ALWAYS wear my clothes at least twice, unless it’s laundry day when i work out! i mean, they’re just going to get sweaty again, so why bother? 🙂

Haha love this debate. I occasionally re-wear, but usually just sports bras or dry-fit shirts. Anything cotton gets nast-ay. But I NEVER re-wear shorts. I only wear the ones with built in undies, and one time I got a UTI from chilling in my sweaty shorts for too long. Never again!

Caitlin,
You are AWESOME.
John

My workout clothes don’t always get a washer/dryer treatment right away but at the very least I handwash them and hang them to dry.

haha A few times I have caught myself smelly especially…ripe. I totally wear my workout clothes multiple times before washing for the same reasons. If I get dressed and think I am indeed smelly, I will make sure I only run outside alone that day. I try not to offend people at the gym!

I will def wear my cold weather running clothes more than once (i.e running tights, under armour tops, and jackets) in the summer though I sweat WAYYYY too much to do that.

I don’t sweat very much so when I got my summer running gear, I only bought a 1 pair of Nike shorts and an Under Armor Compression t-shirt. I would wear the shorts for about 3 runs before throwing them in the laundry, but would hand wash my shirt almost every time (as it took 5 minutes to dry!) Depending on the day, I would transition and go for a long bike ride right after with no problem. I love that shirt and would wear it even when I wasn’t active (cleaned of course).

Now that it’s the winter, I wear pants, tights, the same compression shirt and a thermal top (plus a sweat if super cold). But since I barely break a sweat, they get cleaned with the regular stuff at the end of the week.

Now that I’m doing hot yoga regularly, my clothes (same top lol + black quarter shorts) and the towel are washed (either hand or machine) before each class.

Oye!

99% of the time I will not re-wear workout clothes. But if I happen to not sweat during a workout (light run, elliptical, etc), then I’d consider wearing them again. And I have done it on vacations. BUT if I get sweaty to the point that the sweat appears on my clothes, they get washed. No question about it!

Bikram clothes go straight in the wash when I get home..I literally peel them off at the Washer!

I had to go and do a load of laundry before I could comment. 😉

Unless I have been on a slow walk or done weights and not sweat, the clothes go in the laundry with everything else. If I need the bra/shorts for the next day I hand wash and air dry.

I’m also a huge germaphobe after growing up in a house where nothing got cleaned and people’s hygiene was questionable at best. However, I have been known to rewear jeans 2 days in a row.

I work 15 days a month in a row on the road. I can’t pack 10 workout outfits. I wear stuff twice, sometimes wash them in the hotel sink if I have time for them to dry out…no big deal. I mean not like I know any of the strangers on the hotel treadmill anyhow! 😉

Totally not a big deal. Think of all the water and energy you’re saving by limiting your wash! Eco-chic!!

I re-wear pants and bra, but I change t-shirt every times I workout…

Hilarious confession! I always have to wear fresh stuff – bra at a very minimum, and if it was a VERY LIGHT SWEAT SESH then i might re-wear the shirt or shorts, but only that 1 extra time at most! I’ve just given in and bought lots of workout outfits. My husband jokes that I have more workout clothes than real clothes : )

Call me a clean freak but i just couldnt wear old gym clothes i just wouldnt feel right:) but hey thats me. I do however think its totally unacceptable to rewear undies that is just plain gross!!

I am also a heavy sweater… I rewear my sports bras at least twice before I wash them, sometimes 3 or 4 times depending on how much I’ve sweat. I ALWAYS reuse my workout pants – usually twice, but never my shirts. That’s mostly because I double my shirt as a towel for my face, so they are completely soaked with sweat and don’t dry out fast enough to use the next day. And I don’t rinse anything before it dries. It might be gross, but so what? I’m okay with it.

I’m sure it’s been said a hundred times by now, but I would at least rinse out all of the gear, and hang to dry. The sweaty bits can get a yeast/ bacteria infection, like jock itch, yes even under the boobs and pits.

I think all good runners re-wear their stinky workout clothes 😉 And good sports bras ARE SO expensive!

Wow, I can’t believe how many comments are attached to this post! haha.

I only rewear sports bras if I’m on vacation. I will rewear shorts/pants once more, but with a brand new shirt and undergarments. I sweat like a beast, and it seriously grosses me out to rewear a salt encrusted sports bra/shirt again!

Seriously the picture of you smelling your armpit is hilarious. I haven’t read the comments section yet but here I go: I do the exact same thing. Ahhhhhhh it feels so good to tell someone! However, I absolutely, positively never do this with my Bikram yoga clothes (including the towels). I tend to just do laundry every night I do Bikram or every other day when it piles up. One confession I have (regarding yoga) is that I rarely wash my yoga mat which I think is pretty sick. I need to do this at least once a week but I rarely do…

Thanks for this honest, awesome post with the pictures! Haha

OK! I re-wear pants a couple of times, maybe 3 or 4? Tops I’ll do twice, and bras 3-ish? I think as long as you’re clean, and wear a good deoderent, then you’ll be fine!

Fun news to share: I spotted an Operation Beautiful note posted on a bulletin board at the university located in Fairbanks, Alaska!!

i totally get why you would re use your work out clothes my washing machine is always full of workout clothes it becomes extreme! re using tops tho? nah i couldnt do it i wash tops jocks and socks every wear, bra and bottoms every second. id be too worried that people who see me at the gym and on my runs would notice i wear the same clothes..glad you dont re use your yoga towel..they do get rather feral
i guess it just helps alot that i still live at home and my mum does my laundry

Ha, I totally wear running tops, bras, pants more than once (especially in the winter). I do draw the line with socks, undies and shorts. If I am working out at the gym or taking a class it is always fresh but if it is just me running then I am a repeat offender.

HA! I just posted last night about how I need to find a detergent to get the stink out of my workout clothes bc they stink! The only way I will re-wear anything is if I only went for a walk and didn’t sweat. And OH GOD the bottoms???? The first thing I thought of was your clean underwear to bed post (as you noted) and if you think THAT’S gross, think about all the crap that’s being left behind on the crotch and ass of your pants/shorts? TIGHTS especially??!!! I love you girl but yeah, I’m siding with BFF and Husband!! 😉

Whenever I run out of workout clothes I buy more….haha Maybe I should consider re-wearing some!

I am REALLY surprised so many people rewear workout clothes. The thought of doing it grosses me out..especially socks! I don’t care if others rewear as long as they don’t stink. Normal clothes or workout clothes – smelly is not okay with me. Deodorant and clean clothes can prevent a lot of stinkiness during a workout IMO.

I rewear workout clothes. Even socks! It is too expensive to buy a lot and I have to pay 2,50$ to do my laundry so I can’t do it 3 times a week!! In the summer and at the gym, I wear more tanks than t-shirts so at least it doesn’t stink as much ;).

Wow. No clue so many people did this (from the comments). I’ve done it on travel when I had no choice, but otherwise…pretty gross. I’d worry about bacteria.

I only exercise outside or in my living room, so I almost always re-wear workout clothes. In the summer, I wash shirts after each use and shorts after two, but now that I’m out running in 20 degrees (or lower, I think it was around 18 when I ran this morning), I don’t break a sweat except around my hat line on my forehead.

I will re-wear bottoms and occasionally (like If I’m traveling or out of clean ones) but definitely not tops or socks. I sweat A LOT. I will say, if I’m traveling, sometimes I’ll just rinse my clothes out and hang them to dry since I dont have space for a bunch of outfits. I do think whatever works for you is fine though 🙂

I can’t believe so many people rewear their workout clothes! It definitely makes me feel less like a weirdo since I wear some things a couple of times before I wash them. Such as running pants and running jackets.

The one thing I will never do is wear dirty workout clothes to the gym. I only rewear stuff when I run outside. I don’t want to be the smelly girl in class or on the stair stepper, but I am not judging!

I try not to ever re-wear. Any of it. I’m a sweat machine, and a lot of times I wad my workout clothes up and throw them in my gym bag after a workout…and they sit in there all day…and when I take them out that night they’re still a little wet…*cringe* – it totally grosses me out.

That being said, I will wear shorts again if I have to (i.e. if I’m behind on laundry). I’m actually did that today.

And on sports bras costing too much to have enough to wear a fresh one every day – agreed. I’ve slowly built up my collection, and even those are relatively inexpensive (Target).

Oh I’m completely with you! I live in an apartment building where I have to go all the way to basement to do laundry and PAY FOR IT! So I re-wear for sures. 4-5 times for bras and bottoms. 2-3 for tops. If it is a particularly offensive day I make sure i take the stairs to avoid being caught in the elevator with an unsuspecting neighbour! lol

i wear the sports bra a couple times..not the top or bottom though..expecially the bottom..when i sweat i sweat alot (expecially down there)

Um, no. I do not rewear. I had no idea this many people are comfortable in bacteria-ridden clothes but I almost wish I still didn’t know! Not even a quick rinse in the sink? When I travel for work, I only pack one “outfit” but rinse it out and hang to dry each day. I’m such a sweaty runner that I’d be downright crusty if I did not do that. Ew.

But I guess to each their own! Who’d a thunk I’d be in the minority here!

I definitely re-wear! I don’t go to a gym, so the only person that needs to put up with the stench is me 😉 Plus I only have one good sports bra (that needs replacing now anyway)and not many work out clothes so it doesn’t make sense to wash after each use.

If I was doing that much laundry, I’d find it hard to get motivated to actually use my work out clothes in the first place I think!

I DO NOT re-wear! Ick! I just hate putting clothes I sweated in back on my non-sweaty body. I’d probably have a lot less laundry if I did re-wear but I just cannot do it.

Haha, there are 379 comments on stinky workout clothes!

I rewear stuff if I did weights and didn’t sweat a lot in them. But if I run, I always wash them.

Yup I’m totally a re-wearer too… I don’t have a specific number of times, it really depends on what I’m doing in them and how much I sweat.

I re-wear my sports bras all the time but change shirts, shorts, and socks just because I get SO sweaty in them at the gym.

Haha this is pretty funny. I have to admit I’m guilty of rewearing too. I never rewear shirts (because I sweat WAY too much), but sometimes I’ll rewear sports bras and always get lots of use out of pants/shorts before washing. What is it about pants that we don’t think we have to wash them?!

i re-wear bras A LOT, i need to stop that.

Girlfriend, that is foul! Haha. But seriously. Would you wear your underwear two days in a row? Why are bras/workout clothes different?

I only ever re-wear pants, and only twice at the most. I re-wear a bra in an ABSOLUTE emergency. Re-wearing workout clothes seriously freaks me out. They are so stinky, sweaty and dirty – plus the sweat just rots them!

I love that you are open and proud about it, though 🙂

Ummm eww, not only do I not re-wear I usually won’t even leave my stinky clothes in the hamper I set up my laundry so that I can wash a load that includes my workout clothes immediately after exercising.

You are a VERY brave girl! I do not re-wear. I wash my workout clothes as soon as I get them off my body. I wish I didn’t mind it. I hate doing laundry! haha Do you re-wear socks too? I have heard that that will get ya athletes foot!!! Scary! haha Love this topic! Too funny.

As soon as I get home from working out I go in the shower and my workout clothes go in the shower 🙂

Hellllo thank you for this! I thought I was the only stinko on the block! I re-wear evvvvvvvverything! I am verrrry large busted so sports bras that fit and support are extremely expensive meaning I have two(read: meaning I wear them a gazzzzilllion times before I wash them.) Luckily I have enough t-shirts to wear a new one everyday for a year. But I only do laundry once a week max and will re-wear my favorite pants two to three times a week, but normally I judge them by the smell! You’re not the only one, and I’m sure glad I’m not either!

Oh man. Can’t even fathom doing this. Solely because I sweat like four hairy men and my clothes are STANNNNKKKY.

I’m so glad you did this post (even though I’m a little late in reading it). I wear my work out clothes (top and bottom, and socks) twice, throwing them in the laundry every other day. I’ve always wondered how other people went about it. It’s too expensive to buy work out clothes for every day of the week. I first started doing the every other day thing when I noticed my back breaking out. I don’t sweat a lot so I figured I could get away with it before. Wrong!

My sports bra is another matter. I usually wear it much longer than I should. I cringe just thinking about it. I wash it once a week. I need to invest in at least a second one but the good ones are crazy expensive.

I re-wear my workout shorts and sports bras. Usually not the shirts though. Im a big sweater buut not a big stinker except for my VFF feet! 🙂 The one set I never rewear is the clothes I wear to spinning – they get DRENCHED.

I don’t care if other people re-wear stuff but personally I won’t wear anything again after I take it off…even if it’s only for a few hours…I am completely neurotic when it comes to laundry…and if people look or smell like they have esPecially lax rules about personal hygiene you probably won’t catch me being overly affectionate…

This is my first comment I think, and I have to say I totally agree with you and loved reading this! Glad I’m not the only one 🙂

The problem with stinky workout clothes doesn’t even necessarily derive from re-wearing. It is a natural problem with polyester fabric. The fibers of the fabric are hollow and are able to trap odor causing sweat, proteins, bacteria, etc. It is difficult to wash these out of the hollow core of the fibers.

But, there is a solution. There are many polyester excercise clothing that contain some type of odor control properties. For example, at least some Hot Chillys Base Layer Tops and Pants contain “Bio Del Mar” antimicrobial and odor control properties. The yarn fibers are permanently treated with antimicrobial properties that are dervied from proteins in crustacean shells. These proteins naturally inhibit the growth of fungi.

If the smell doesn’t bother you and you are not concerned about others smelling you – no worries.

I’ve had several female running partners and they were fastidious about their personal hygiene so then never wore running clothes twice.

My male friends were the same. In fact I have given them advice so that they smell fresh and clean.

One point: You say you wash your yoga towel every time presumable because it comes into direct contact with you skin and sweat. So do you running shirts, exercise bras and thongs. Why not wash them every time too?

Danni

I was just on a Google journey, found this and had to comment! (I recently picked up Tinea, likely due to handling my husband’s rancid hockey gear, joy.)

The best inspiration NOT to wash after every workout is to be aware of your Western privilege and the environment. And this is absolutely not meant to be scolding! Just a bit of perspective 🙂 Tthink of those who don’t have enough water to drink and those who have no need for their morning run/yoga because their work is backbreaking and their diet does not allow for overeating.

Don’t be over squeamish about a re-used item of clothing (except underwear of course). Yes you want to avoid health risks such as bacteria but that doesn’t require as much washing as some seem to believe. Be okay with nature, think about your impact on the world and be thankful for your lifestyle! 🙂

I do the same thing,,, I wash once a week and will wear the same workout clothes 6 times before washing it,, but i do lay it out to dry and it is completely dry the next day…