Expert Laundry Tips for Keeping Your Gym Towels Clean

Gym towels play a very important part of gym life. Whether you are a fitness enthusiast, gym owner, personal trainer or a newcomer to the fitness industry, knowing how to keep your gym towels clean is important.

Here are 6 important tips to wash your workout towels to make sure they stay white, clean, and fresh!

LAUNDRY TIPS FOR WASHING GYM TOWELS

1. Wash towels immediately after use

Germs and bacteria are unavoidable inside of a gym - and that’s why you should wash your gym towels frequently, using smaller loads. The longer gym towels sit, the harder they are to get clean.

If you are a gym owner, it is important to maintain a hygienic and sanitary standard for your gym towels. If you have a machine on-site, make sure washing towels is a part of your employees daily schedule. Washing, drying, and folding, is time consuming, but an important part of running a gym.

2. Skip the Fabric Softeners

Fabric softeners contain a high level of silicon which actually prevents water and sweat absorption, the main purpose of gym towels. 

Additionally, fabric softener is toxic and many contain chemical scents that try to mask odor. Instead, use a quality, non-toxic laundry detergent - which will actually get your towels cleaner and fresher than using a chemical-based, over-scented detergent or fabric softener.

3. Skip Chlorine Bleach and use Natural Alternatives

Chlorine bleach can remove gym towel odors, but because it is a chemical-based solvent, it could also be an irritant for gym goers, as gym towels come into close contact with people’s skin.

Additionally, chlorine bleach can degrade the towel’s integrity, making it harder to extend the lifespan of your towel supply.

Instead, use baking soda or vinegar, which helps to keep workout towels soft and fresh, and odor-free. 

4. Wash Gym Towels In Warm Water

Using warm water to wash your gym towels helps kill bacteria, mold, viruses, etc. While hot water can be more effective to clean your towels, it also can decrease their life, fade gym towel colors, and possibly even shrink your towels.

Gym towels have short life spans which means gym owners are constantly replacing damaged inventory. Using hot water for your wash expedites his inventory aging and is not necessary.

4. Remove Stains from Gym Towels

It is inevitable that you will get stains on your gym towels. We recommend using natural methods for removing them. Why natural? Because it’s better for your client’s skin, better for the environment, and better for your budget!

Sweat Stains

Sweat stains can be avoided with the above gym towel washing tips. Regularly washing gym towels, using a toxin-free laundry detergent, baking soda and occasional vinegar rinse will keep your towels sweat stain free.

Blood

Ouch! When blood stains happen, be sure to rinse the towel with cold water immediately. Then as soon as possible mix ¼ cup of water and four tablespoons of baking soda to create a paste. Apply the paste to the stain and allow it to dry for at least 30 minutes. Remove the remaining dried pieces, and rinse with cold water.

Drinks

Soda, juice, smoothies, energy drinks, pre-workout, protein shakes, etc. They can all leave problematic stains behind. Mix one part dishwashing soap to two parts hydrogen peroxide and then wash as normal

Cosmetics

Treat makeup stains with baking soda and hydrogen peroxide, then wash as normal.

5. Invest in new towels when needed

There will come a time for all gym towels when they no longer absorb sweat or when they start to look ragged. This is why you should plan in your budget to shop for replacements regularly.

Along with maintaining your gym towels, you should also regularly monitor them so they can be tossed when there is damage or stains, and also take into consideration theft.

Be sure to buy enough towels to keep your gym stocked with clean inventory for a couple of days. This way, you will never be without clean gym towels. And also, if you choose to use a laundry service, you will have plenty of towels to use.

NO SWEAT

As you can see, there is a lot involved in keeping your gym towels clean and in stock. One of the best ways to maximize efficiency for your employees and guarantee your towels will be clean and bacteria-free, is to use a laundry service.

At OrangeBag, we work with gyms all across Los Angeles. We know how to keep gym towels clean, fresh, and bacteria-free. Using a mobile laundry service like OrangeBag will help take the strain off your employees so they can focus on servicing their customers and you can focus on making your clients happy.

Download the OrangeBag app today and see how easy it is to keep your gym towels clean!