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Why You Need to De-Germ Your Gym Bag ASAPWorking out may be good for your health, but the icky pathogens that you're bringing home definitely are not |
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You know the smell of your dirty gym socks? That's the wonderful eau de parfum of the waste emitted by all the oil-eating bacteria on them. Schmidt says that using "smell-o-vision" is one of the best ways to ID if germs are present on your gym clothes.
Tierno says that wearing long sleeves and long pants to the gym "catch" all the germs from contaminated equipment. This is good, because it keeps those microbes from coming in contact with your skin. He's done cultures on equipment all over the gym, and discovered all kinds of icky, illness-causing germs (think: staph and the stomach flu, which he says is very easily spread).
Just be sure to toss your clothes in a cloth or plastic bag when you're done: You don't want all those germs you picked up to contaminate the inside of your bag. And don't forget to wash your hands. If there's one piece of advice Tierno was most adamant about, it was hand-washing.
You can also invest in antimicrobial materials, Schmidt says. Lululemon's Silverescent line has silver woven into it, which kills bacteria and, thus, keeps your workout clothes from getting stinky. Another effective antimicrobial is copper. And while polyester doesn't breathe very well, it actually resists oil better than natural fabrics, Schmidt says. This means less bacteria and less lingering stench.
When you wash your workout clothes, your regular soap and water can work fine. But "fine" is usually synonymous with "not so great." Detergents with germicidal ingredients, like the all-nartural Mr. Black Sport Wash, are going to work better because they blast more germs (plus, they help take the stink out of your clothes).
SEE NEXT PAGE: Your Sneakers Are Essentially "Toxic Waste Sites"
