Tools and Equipment The 9 Best Sport Laundry Detergents of 2021 Get the stink out of your workout clothes By Lily Moe Lily Moe is a former fitness coach and current health editor. She writes about fitness and health products for Verywell Health, Verywell Mind, and Verywell Fit. Learn about our editorial process Lily Moe Fact checked by Fact checked by Emily Swaim on August 06, 2020 linkedin Emily is a fact checker, editor, and writer who has expertise in psychology, health and lifestyle content. Learn about our editorial process Emily Swaim Updated on August 21, 2020 Print More in Fitness Tools and Equipment Beginners Motivation Sports Nutrition Fitness Trends Running Strength Walking Workouts Cardio Flexibility Yoga Pilates Health and Safety Special Features View All Our editors independently research, test, and recommend the best products; you can learn more about our review process here. We may receive commissions on purchases made from our chosen links. Our Top Picks Best Overall: WIN Sports Detergent at Amazon "The dye-free formula is specifically designed to remove smell from synthetic fabrics." Best Budget: Sweat X Sport Laundry Detergent at Amazon "One capful per load is sufficient to clean even the dirtiest of workout clothes, making it an affordable choice." Best Multipurpose: NATHAN Power Sports Wash at Amazon "You can safely use this detergent on workout clothes, protective sports padding, gloves, braces, and other equipment." Best for Bad Smells: OxiClean Odor Blasters Stain & Odor Remover at Amazon "Contains an oxygen-based stain remover that’s determined to get the sweaty smell out of your workout clothes." Best Heavy-Duty: Tide Heavy Duty Liquid Laundry Detergent at Walmart "With stain-fighting enzymes, increased surfactants, and polymers, the detergent promises to get out the worst stains and odors." Best Bulk Buy: Boardwalk Low Suds Industrial Powder Laundry Detergent at Amazon "This 40-pound pail of powder laundry detergent is perfect for big families looking for something that'll last a long time." Best Natural: Sport Suds Laundry Detergent at Amazon "The hypoallergenic, nontoxic, fragrance-free formula guarantees that your clothes come out of the washer odor-free." Best for Allergies: Arm & Hammer Sensitive Skin Free & Clear at Amazon "This dermatologist-tested formula is free of dyes and perfumes, and it's perfect for those with hypersensitive skin." Best Pods: Tide PODS Plus Febreze Sport Odor Defense at Walmart "One pod adds the equivalent of up to 10 cups of leading liquid laundry detergent, leaving your clothes fresh and odor-free." It’s no surprise that gym clothes often smell far worse than our everyday apparel. Even if your exercise routine does not involve wind sprints or similarly sweaty activities, your workout clothes will likely soak up much more sweat than the rest of your wardrobe. We all know that sweat can cause body odor—this is mostly because the bacteria on our skin feeds on chemicals in our sweat, and their byproducts have an unpleasant smell. The sweat and byproducts can stick to our clothing and make fabric smell even after we've removed our clothes. Washing that sweat out of your workout clothes is crucial for fresh laundry out of the dryer. This often requires a hardier laundry detergent than what you use on your everyday clothes, formulated specifically to clean your workout apparel and to get rid of smells and stains that sweat can leave behind. Here are the best sport laundry detergents for avid exercisers. Best Overall: WIN Sports Detergent Buy on Amazon WIN is a best-selling sports detergent, and for good reason. WIN’s odor-fighting, dye-free formula is specifically designed to remove smell from clothes made with synthetic fabrics. Their detergent removes the sweaty oils from your clothes, leaving them smelling fresh and ready for your next workout. You can also use WIN on other types of fabric, including cotton. This detergent is compatible with HE washers and will work well no matter what water temperature you use. The detergent comes in three versions—active fresh, active teen, and free and clear. The 9 Best Deodorants for Women of 2021 Best Budget: Sweat X Sport Laundry Detergent Buy on Amazon Buy on Dick's Specifically designed to rid your clothes of odor-causing bacteria, Sweat X Sport Laundry Detergent restores your workout clothes to their original freshness. The formula is organic, safe for sensitive skin, and is lightly scented with essential oils for a fresh, natural smell. This detergent can be used in all water temperatures and is compatible with traditional and high efficiency (HE) washers. One capful per load is sufficient to clean even the dirtiest of workout clothes, making this super-concentrated detergent an affordable addition to your laundry room. A single bottle of detergent will last you for approximately 45 loads. Best Multipurpose: NATHAN Power Sports Wash Buy on Amazon Buy on Nathansports.com It doesn’t matter what kind of fabric you’re looking to clean, the Nathan Power Sports Wash is a safe bet. With a neutral pH formula and all-natural ingredients that remove 99% of odors and stains, you can expect clean, fresh clothes that retain their vibrant color. The formula strips oils and dirt from your workout clothes without breaking down the material or compromising the moisture-wicking and water-resistant qualities of the fabric. The detergent is free of bleach, fabric softener, brighteners, and scents. You can also safely use it on protective sports padding, gloves, braces, and equipment that needs to be washed. The 7 Best Shoe Deodorizers Best for Bad Smells: OxiClean Odor Blasters Stain & Odor Remover Buy on Amazon Buy on Walmart Buy on Target OxiClean’s Odor Blaster laundry detergent contains an oxygen-based stain remover that’s chlorine-free and color-safe, determined to get the sweaty smell out of your workout clothes. It's also highly effective at getting musty scents out of old towels and body odor out of everyday clothes. OxiClean recommends that you use it as a pre-wash soak for extra sweaty clothes, soaking for six hours for best results. The detergent works well with all washing machines and comes in a convenient 5-pound tub. Best Heavy-Duty: Tide Heavy Duty Liquid Laundry Detergent Buy on Walmart Buy on Lowe's Made with four stain-fighting enzymes, increased surfactants, and polymers that make up a formula that promises to get out the worst stains and odors—from caked-on dirt to red wine—this detergent is the definition of heavy-duty. You can use it in any water temperature and in either a standard or HE washer—you can also soak your stained clothes with the detergent for even more pointed stain removal. The 115-ounce tub promises to last for approximately 60 loads of laundry. The 13 Best Anti-Odor Workout Clothes of 2021 Best Bulk Buy: Boardwalk Low Suds Industrial Powder Laundry Detergent Buy on Amazon Buy on Walmart For big families, buying laundry detergent can seem like a weekly occurrence. With Boardwalk’s industrial laundry detergent, you won’t have to worry about restocking every few days, no matter how many kids you have in high school sports. This 40-pound pail of powder detergent is marketed as a janitorial product and has the hardy formula to get out stains and sweat from your workout clothes, leaving them with a fresh, lemon scent. Best Natural: Sport Suds Laundry Detergent Buy on Amazon Buy on Walmart This hypoallergenic, nontoxic, fragrance-free formula guarantees that your clothes come out of the washer odor-free. It strips your workout wear of bacteria and oils that make them smelly, leaving them fresh without the help of harmful chemicals. It is safe for those with sensitivities, and it is compatible with individuals concerned about the ethics behind their detergent—it's made from entirely naturally occurring ingredients of non-animal origin. One pouch of Sport Suds washes over 140 full machine loads. The 8 Best Sneaker Cleaners of 2021 Best for Allergies: Arm & Hammer Sensitive Skin Free & Clear Detergent Buy on Amazon Buy on Walmart Buy on Target It can be hard to find a laundry detergent that is strong enough to get out sweat without any irritants, especially for those with hypersensitive skin. Arm & Hammer’s Sensitive Skin Free & Clear makes that search easy, with its dermatologist-tested formula that’s free of dyes and perfumes. The formula keeps the signature Arm & Hammer baking soda freshness, stripping away sweat and other body odor smells that stink up your workout clothes. You can use it to soak clothes, as well as in standard and HE washers with any water temperature. The 13 Best Anti-Odor Workout Clothes of 2021 Best Pods: Tide PODS Plus Febreze Sport Odor Defense Buy on Walmart These Tide Pods have the added power of Febreze, bringing even more freshness to those smelly gym shorts. In only one wash, the pods can renew your clothing’s scent—even if they’re a week or two old—thanks to Tide’s 4-in-1 technology that cleans, brightens fabric, fights stains, and freshens clothes. The pods dissolve completely in all water temperatures, with one pod adding an equivalent of up to 10 cups of leading liquid laundry detergents. Depending on how big (and how smelly) your load of laundry is, you may need to add a second pod for added freshness. The Tide Pods are compatible with both regular and HE washers. Why Trust Verywell Fit As a former fitness coach, long-time wellness enthusiast, and current health editor, Lily Moe understands the importance of products that meet your individual requirements. As a marathon runner, she knows that workout clothes need more TLC than other aspects of your wardrobe, requiring a laundry detergent that does the tough job. Lily also has sensitive skin, so she personally only uses free and clear detergents. Most importantly, Lily always looks for research and first-hand reviews when it comes to deciding on a product. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Get exercise tips to make your workouts less work and more fun. Sign Up You're in! Thank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. What are your concerns? Other Inaccurate Hard to Understand Submit Article Sources Verywell Fit uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Kubota H, Mitani A, Niwano Y, et al. Moraxella Species Are Primarily Responsible for Generating Malodor in Laundry. Appl Environ Microbiol. 2012;78(9):3317-3324. doi:10.1128/AEM.07816-11