Smelly kit, smelly kit....

I've upped my distances recently and after a long run on Monday, when it was very hot, I was absolutely drenched in sweat. That didn't bother me too much but after a few more session my flat is starting to disappear under smelly kit.

I know the obvious thing to do is to wash it but being a bloke in a bedsit I can't see me going down the laundrette after every run.

Is that part of being a runner? Having a wash basket that smells of stale sweat? All I need know is to spread my unwashed undies around the floor, add a few unemptied ash tries and a bin full of beer cans and pizza boxes and I'll have a proper blokey flat.
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Comments

  • Yes, Burnley, it is. If you're really a runner and a bloke, you have a good sniff at the unwashed kit (especially underarms, socks, and, er, THAT part of your shorts) before deciding whether to consign it to the laundry bag or take it on one last outing.
  • does that mean i'm not the only one who runs in the same t-shirt more than once before washing it?
  • Scotty4Scotty4 ✭✭✭
    Gross !!!

    Fresh T-Shirt every time. Although my shorts and socks get a rinsing in the sink after every run and are only machine washed maybe after 4 or 5 outings.

    Smell you later.... :)
  • yuck, you wear your socks again!
  • I'm afraid I wash my after every outing and with plenty of fabric conditioner and even tumble drier sheets for good measure. Once I forgot to wash it and wore it again and I could have thrown up as it was a v. hot day and I felt like everyone in the gym knew it was me. Never again!
  • I must admit to going for a second do with a few t-shirts when I was only running for 30-40 minutes (with a good dose of the nasty aftershave that my mum got me for Christmas) but I can hardly stand being in the same building as my shirt from Monday's two hour session.

    I think it's time to start handwashing again, or maybe I'll not bother getting undressed before getting in the shower next time.

  • Burnley

    Not it isn't part of being a runner. You not a real runner until you start hanging your sweaty kit on a radiator and filling the whole house.

    But note the following:
    1. A running vest may be used for a minimum of three days.
    2. If it rains that takes the place of washing.
    3. Make sure you leave the vest on the floor for a few hours before putting in on the radiator - this will give the whole vest chance to marinate.
  • Recyling (kit) is good for the environment!
  • Washing (kit) is good for my wellbeing!
  • Personally I can't see the point in washing things every time - life's too short to be bothered with Ariel Color. Besides it only takes a few minutes of wear and the stuff stinks again, so I'm with Burnley on this one, even on the sock issue - but a full ashtray? Absolutely not...I don't even own an ashtray. Smoking has got to be the most disgusting activity known to man and tobacco companies are the most immoral enterprises on the planet.

    SY3
  • I mean well, full of good intentions, but yes I've been there, sniffing the three sets of kit to see which is the least smelly - Can't beleive I said that, - a real Oprah moment!!!!
  • I've taken to sticking really smelly kit straight in the sink with a kettle full of hot water mixed with cold just to rinse out the worst of it before drying it. The sweat seems to come out easily, and no powder's needed unless the kit's muddy. The smell otherwise was just too much!

    You can tell it's been a good work out when you can actually wring the sweat out, or of course you can always do the equivalent of the pasta test - through the t-shirt at a wall and see if it sticks :o)

    Incidentally, was the title of this thread a rather surreal reference to a certain song by Phoebe off Friends, or is my mind just going off the rails??

    Iain
  • Get a washing machine Burnley, or you'll never get a girlfriend.

    Who was it said the definition of a slut was a girl who fished things out of the dirty laundry basket and put it on again?
  • I have succumbed and bought some hand-washing liquid - having sworn I would never hand-wash anything ever again (life's too short!). My stuff goes straight in the sink to soak whilst I am bathing / showering. Quick rinse and spin straight afterwards and hang it up. It gets a go in the machine after 2 or 3 handwashes. Had no problems so far!
  • HillyHilly ✭✭✭
    Well Martin I'm obviously not a proper runner as my kit is straight in the wash after every wear. Wouldn't dream of putting dried stale kit back on. YUK!
  • Wow, so many replies.

    Iain, yes the title was a 'surreal reference' to that song. I'm not sure how that got into my head as I never watch the show.

    Laura L, very kind of you to imply that I'm a slut with no hope of finding a girlfriend ;0) I'm sure my missus would be very pleased to hear it.

    I think I'm going to go with Iain on this one, after a two hour session my stuff is drenched in sweat, if I can soak that out in the sink and avoid that stale sweat smell then that'll do me until I can get down the laundry.
  • Hell ! Just jump in the shower with top and shorts still on !! Worx for me .....you do shower don't you ?
  • Shower? of course! Every sunday, whether I need to or not. ;0)

  • Today at the gym i used an old water bottle that has been in my dirty old bag for months.......... my 1st mouthfull tasted like old socks ! ! ! !
  • I have to admit that I throw mine on the bathroom floor when I come in, and my cat loves to roll in the sweaty smelly kit. So not onyl do I have smelly kit I also have a smelly cat.
  • The first thing my wife says as I walk through the door, after a training session is “Don’t come near me smelling of sweat, and you can get that kit straight in the wash”

    But I have been known to rummage in the dirty laundry basket for a favourite training top from time to time ;o)

    Will
  • Hmmm, I don't even own a laundry basket, so I guess I'm disqualified from possible slutdom. I put everything in an old bag from Next - so I suppose that rummaging around for clothing in a Next bag is simply sad.

    But my kit hardly ever even makes it into the bag - if the floor is good enough for me to walk on, it's good enough for my kit to lie on! I like to pretend that it sleeps better that way.
  • I'm a squeaky clean wash it every time. With two of us filling the basket with sports kit, we do a machine wash about every 2 or 3 days. On coming into the house, after the stretching (wet patch on carpet in living room), it's to the bedroom and soggy gear is draped artistically round the edge of the plastic laundry basket to dry before going in the machine when there's enough for a big wash.
  • German houses are designed for runners because most have a separate (large) laundry room, so there plenty of room for smelly kit - my motto is that if I throw it in the room and it walks out again then it needs a wash!
  • RedheadRedhead ✭✭✭
    I think that some of the runners at the race on Saturday hadn't washed their kit because they were very stinky! I also think they'd forgotten to wash themselves.
  • Good training tactic no 1 - no one will try to overtake if you stink. Bad training tactic no 1 - people will bust a gut to overtake if there's a bad odour. Personally I don't care about reusing kit at all although I think I'd draw the line at alison roberts's cat rolling on it. Hope s/he hasn't got fleas (the cat that is)

    SY3
  • I truly believe that too much washing is not good for any fabric. As I run alone most of the time it does'nt really matter if a shirt or a pair of shorts has been worn two or maybe three times. But fresh socks are a must for every run. I do agree that on a race day that every one should wear a completly fresh kit as it is only polite to those running with you. I also find new clothing to be a mental boost,if you feel good about yourself it helps you mentally
  • My husband washes my kit for me when I arrive home on a Friday (work away from home) after some of it has been in a plastic bag from Monday, smells disgusting, but clean kit every time for me.
  • Coco-CatCoco-Cat ✭✭✭
    Mostly use clean kit as with two of us running we have enough to do a wash every couple of days, but have been known to re-use sports bras, shorts and t-shirts, but never socks (I get blisters anyway).

    Why do some of you handwash/handrinse kit when you've got machines? Surely they've got short rinse-only cycles which would do the job quicker and easier? Very useful for just rinsing swimming cossies and towels too.
  • Wash mine every time - you have to when you smell as bad as I do ( as MrSS keeps reminding me. But have recently encountered new problem - even after washing the stuff still smells - and it's not worn out so I don't want to buy more. Trying Ace Bleach at the moment but which you could buy a wash in micro-ban type additive.

    Confession time - I'm so lazy, Mr SS once emptied the tumble drier wanting me to put things awya in drawers etc - but I couldn't be bothered so put it all back in the wash basket for him to wash again! Which he did!
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