Care For Your Sportswear
Taking good care of your sportswear makes your clothing even more sustainable. Good care is about 30% of the final carbon footprint of your sportswear. Correct care results in better function, protection and prolongs the product life cycle saving both the garment and the environment. Follow these ethical instructions to care for your sportswear.
Good care is about 30% of the final carbon footprint of your sportswear.
Start always by checking the product's care label and following the provided instructions of each garment. Care labels differ for each garment. Wash your sportswear only when they are dirty. Most ecological clothes are easy to keep clean and do not need continuous washing. Often removing the dirt and stains, and airing or freezing is enough, especially when talking about natural materials.
Choose an environment-friendly detergent and dose according to the packet instructions. Environment-friendly detergents don't contain toxic chemicals and are better for your health and the environment. Don't use fabric softener and do not bleach functional clothes. Softeners encapsulate the fibres, and so ruins the fabric's ability to transport moisture and can attract odour causing bacterias. To ensure that your sportswear maintains its shape and to avoid wear and tear, always close zippers, other openings, buckles and buttons before washing.
Environment-friendly detergents don't contain toxic chemicals and are better for your health and the environment.
Plastic microfibers are another issue that has to be considered when caring for your activewear. Microfiber can be found from everywhere on the planet including water, nature, animals and the human body. It still needs further researches to indicate how this entirely affects us, but there are already studies to prove that high levels of microplastic in our body can cause damage to tissues and the immune system. Also, many animals are having digestion problems and difficulties to eat and reproduce due to microplastics. To limit the amount of plastic ending up into our water system during the wash, always use a microfiber-proof washing bag with your synthetic sportswear. View our Guppyfriend washing bag.
When drying your sportswear avoid tumble drying and hang dry your garments. Tumble drying causes colour fading, shrinkage, rubbing, wear and break down of your clothes releasing a lot of microfibers. Hang drying your activewear saves money, time, energy and the longevity of your clothes.
Tumble drying causes colour fading, shrinkage, rubbing, wear and break down of your clothes releasing a lot of microfibers.
The material matters. Each material requires a special kind of care, and these can be found in the care label. Similar materials and colours can be often washed together. Read general instructions for each material below.
Synthetic materials
Elastane, Polyamide, Polyester, Nylon, recycled Polyester and other synthetic materials. Follow the care instructions of each garment. Different materials may require a different kind of care. Wash always with similar colours. Remove clothes promptly after wash and air dry the garments. After a sweaty workout, wash your activewear as soon as possible. Don’t use fabric softener, don’t tumble dry or dry your activewear in the sunlight
Natural materials
Cotton, hemp, linen, bamboo, and other natural materials. Wash in a washing machine with similar colours in a 40˚C. Turn garment inside out, close zippers, strings and buttons before washing. Remove stains and visible dirt with natural stain removal like gall soap. Don't use fabric softener, don’t tumble dry. After washing, stretch back to its original shape and hang dry.
Wool
Materials including wool. Wool has the incredible capacity to self-clean outdoors in the fresh air, most effectively in the cold air or even freezer. Always cold wash your wool garments to retain the wool's natural capabilities. Wool fibre is covered with natural grease that protects the tissue and repels dirt and odours. Use wool detergent to preserve the wool fibre. The preferred washing temperature for wool garments is 30 degrees. Spin carefully. Don't tumble dry. Shape and line dry the clothing after washing.
Taking good care of your clothing let you concentrate on the most important, practice itself and provides longevity for your workout gear. Enjoy your movement, sustainably!
