Namaste, not NamaSTINK
All you yogis out there know what it’s like to be in a hot yoga class where you always seem to be in the flow, not only of the practice, but of the stinky gal next to you. Or maybe (gasp) you are that stinky gal!? Not to worry, you are in good company because getting the smell out of yoga clothing is really tough due to the typical fabrics used and laundry habits.A “Hot” Market
Bikram Yoga used to be the only type of yoga practiced in a hot room. But now hot yoga studios are popping up all around, so if you practice yoga, you are going to be sweating. There are plenty of deodorizers on the market – ones that promise to remove odors from your yoga clothing, towels, stinky socks or yoga mats. The problem is that most of them contain nasty toxic chemicals, allergens and irritants that aren’t safe on your skin or safe to be inhaled or touched. Sure there are some deodorizers out there that claim to be “natural”, but the problem is that even these typically contain dangerous chemicals because there are no federal standards for what makes a product “natural”. So how do you eliminate the smell that plagues your yoga stuff without exposing yourself to nasty toxic chemicals that are even scarier than the smell? Good news, yogis, armed with a few important tips, you can safely eliminate that awful stink from all your yoga wear – for good:Yoga Pants, Tops, Bras and Socks
Sweat, the natural oils your body produces and dead skin all contribute to the rank odor that afflicts yoga clothes. Most yoga clothing is made out of Spandex and Lycra, because these materials stretch with you as you go and they are sweat-wicking. Moisture is drawn to the surface of the clothing where it can evaporate. Unfortunately, in a hot, humid yoga studio, there is no such thing as evaporation. The sweat stays within the fibers of your clothing. To complicate matters, sweat-wicking fabrics also repel water, so your extra smelly yoga clothing doesn’t get thoroughly cleaned in the wash.5 Must-Dos to Eliminate the Stink in Yoga Clothing:
- Wash after one wearing and as soon after as possible. Don’t let them sit and fester.
- Put AWAY the fabric softener – You may think the nice fragrance will help, but it’s making the problem worse. Fabric softeners leave a coating on the fibers used in yoga clothing that prevents them from getting completely clean – so yes, they actually lock in the smell. Plus fabric softeners can damage the fibers in your yoga clothes.
- Use less detergent – Your instinct is probably to put extra detergent into your loads of stinky yoga clothes, but resist the urge! It’s making the smell worse. Your washer is set to handle a standard level of detergent, so any more than that causes a residue that won’t get rinsed out. And you guessed it – that residue leads to odor.
- Use low dryer heat – High heat might dry your clothes faster, but it also cooks in any lingering smells. Another reason to use low heat is that often the fabrics used in yoga clothing are plastic-based, which means they don’t hold up well in high heat.
- Before you throw them in the hamper or wash, spray down washable clothes with a natural deodorizer like Force of Nature. It will stop the stench that your detergent can’t handle. It kills off the most tenacious odors without harmful chemicals.
