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Guide to Wash Leggings
From lunchtime yoga and school pickups to relaxing at home after a long day, leggings—and yoga pants—might be the most popular staple in most women’s wardrobes. They are a comfortable and versatile everyday essential, making it even more important to understand how to care for them.
With the right steps, you can easily learn how to wash leggings, helping ensure they stay clean, fresh, comfortable and ready for whatever your day holds.
How often should you wash leggings?
The best practice is to wash leggings after every wear, especially if worn during a workout or activity. When worn casually, you can go two to three wears between washes to help maintain the fabric's integrity.
Natural body oils, sweat and dead skin cells may transfer to the fabric during strenuous wear. Over time, these substances are adept at degrading the delicate elastic fibres, like spandex or elastane. This buildup can also create a breeding ground for bacteria, which can cause lingering odours to develop. The most effective way to maintain the hygiene and longevity of your activewear is with frequent and effective washing.
Explore how to use UV light wash to reduce bacteria and odour.
Steps for washing leggings & yoga pants
Adhering to a consistent method when washing leggings and other athletic wear can help them last longer. The first step is to always check the laundry care symbols on the garment's tag for instructions on how to wash a specific pair of yoga pants and leggings. Another good habit is to sort your laundry by fabric type prior to doing laundry.
Follow these four steps to wash your leggings. Remember that blends, such as nylon-spandex or polyester-elastane, respond differently to chemical additives. It’s recommended to always consult a garment's care tag and your appliance’s user manual for specific information and care instructions.
Step 1: Turn them inside out
Before washing your leggings, turn them inside out, as the inside fabric of leggings comes in direct contact with your skin. By washing them inside out, you are forcing the side that accumulates the greatest amount of oils, sweat and bacteria to come in direct contact with the water and detergent. This step also helps protect the garment’s outer surface from friction, helping prevent pilling while also contributing to the preservation of the fabric’s colour and finish.
Step 2: Place leggings in a mesh laundry bag
Using a mesh laundry bag helps add an important layer of protection during the wash cycle. A mesh bag can help prevent leggings from stretching, snagging or getting tangled with items with zippers, buttons or hooks. This is especially smart for leggings with mesh panels, intricate seams or other delicate details. A bag can maintain the garment's original shape and structure while helping minimize wear and tear.
Step 3: Use a gentle detergent
To wash leggings, go with a mild detergent formulated for performance fabrics or delicate items. It is important to avoid using fabric softener or detergents with built-in softeners, as either can coat the synthetic fibres and block moisture-wicking properties, which are essential for workout apparel.
Step 4: Choose the correct cycles
Learning how to choose the right laundry cycles can contribute to effective fabric care. A gentle or delicate wash cycle can work best, and always select the cold water option. Understanding the difference between the delicate vs. hand wash cycles can also help you preserve your athletic wear and other garments. Remember, the synthetic fibres in most leggings, such as spandex, Lycra and elastane, are typically heat sensitive, so make sure to air dry the garment or use a low or no-heat cycle.
Shop Whirlpool® Washing Machines
Every household needs a washing machine to help care for their family’s activewear and other everyday essentials. Select Whirlpool® Washing Machines have impressive features like a Delicate Cycle or a built-in washing machine faucet to help remove loose soils, or select the Presoak Option to soak and wash in one cycle. Customize your washing machine to care for your clothes the way you want in this Whirlpool® Top Load Washer with Removable Agitator.
How to remove sweat odour from leggings
Even after a wash, pesky odours can sometimes remain in synthetic fabrics. If you find this happening with your leggings, a simple pre-soak can help neutralize the odours before the garment is washed. There are several other ways to get body odour smells out of clothes, but a pre-soak is a great start and can be effective.
Some might consider using bleach in the laundry to tackle tough odours, but it can damage the delicate fibres of leggings and is best avoided. Baking soda, on the other hand, is a natural deodorizer that helps neutralize the acidic compounds in sweat that produce odours. To help remove stubborn smells from leggings, pre-soak them for a minimum of 30 minutes in a basin of cold water with a half-cup of baking soda before machine-washing them. Another option is to add the half-cup directly to your washer and run a pre-soak cycle.
Steps to hand-wash leggings
Hand washing can be an effective alternative for delicate or expensive leggings, especially when recommended by the care tag or when you only need to wash a single pair.
Use these four steps to hand-wash leggings:
Step 1:
Fill a sink or basin with cold water and then add a small amount of mild detergent. Next, swish the water, which should result in a light lather.
Step 2:
Submerge the leggings in the soapy water and lightly agitate them with your hands for up to two minutes. Then, let them soak for 20-30 minutes.
Step 3:
Drain the water and rinse the leggings thoroughly with cool, clean water. Continue doing so until there are no more soap bubbles.
Step 4:
Gently squeeze the water from the leggings. Don’t wring or twist the garment, as this may stretch or even damage the delicate fibres.
Shop all Whirlpool® Dryers
Your dryer is a vital part of laundry day, helping you get your family’s clothes back to clean, fresh and comfy. Select Whirlpool® Dryers come with features like Advanced Moisture Sensing, which uses sensors to detect moisture and temperature to help prevent over-drying, while settings like the Wrinkle Shield™ Option help stop wrinkles from forming.
Shop Whirlpool® Laundry Sets
Whirlpool® laundry sets combine the power of a washer and a dryer to help meet the demands of laundry day. Stackable pairs take up a smaller footprint, while select models help keep clean clothes fresh in the washer and wrinkle-free in the dryer. Pair your washing machine’s capabilities with a dryer that has a matching style and features.
Washing leggings FAQ
Review these answers to some common questions about washing leggings to make sure your favourite pair gets as fresh and clean as possible:
Can you put leggings in the dryer?
It's recommended to air-dry leggings to protect their shape, structure and elasticity. A dryer’s high heat can damage the delicate synthetic fibres, reducing their stretch. If, for some reason, you must use a dryer, choose the lowest possible heat setting or a no-heat, air-fluff cycle. The preferred method for drying leggings is to lay them flat on a clean surface or hang them on a drying rack or clothesline away from direct sunlight.
What is the activewear mode on a washer?
An activewear or sportswear cycle is a specialized setting that combines cold water and lower spin speeds to help clean synthetic fabrics without harming them. Select Whirlpool® Smart Washers let you download Specialty Cycles from the Whirlpool® App specifically for activewear, swimwear, sleeping bags and more.
Shop Whirlpool® Laundry Towers
Whirlpool® laundry towers can accommodate tight spaces while still being able to handle the rigors of laundry day. With enough capacity for big and small loads and with features like easy-to-reach touchscreen controls and the Load & Go™ Dispenser, on select models, these laundry towers can help get loads as clean and dry as possible.
This article includes AI-generated content that our human team has reviewed and edited to ensure quality.
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