laundry question

[Minnie824]

So I have teen girls who of course wear a lot of leggings like lululemon and do activities where they wear nike pros, etc. So washing them...I can't put them in the dryer they'll shrink. So I normally lay them out to dry then fluff dry on low heat after a few hours. But...then they stink! They smell musty constantly after doing that. Any suggestions on how to get these things dry w/out shrinking them or having them smell?

 

[cluvsdisney]

I would hang them up to dry so air flows around them while it dries.

 

[NHdisneylover]

Yep. Get a folding laundry rack and hang them. When weather cooperates, set it outside to let sun or wind dry them fast (turn them inside out to keep the sun from fading them). Otherwise just set up anywhere in the house with decent airflow

 

[Hikergirl]

Hang them to dry instead of laying them out.
I air dry alot of things and then just stick them in the dryer with a dryer sheet to soften them.

I would also clean the inside of your washer. It is possible that there is mildew/mold in there and since the items aren't going into the dryer it is staying live on those clothes.

 

[poohfriend77]

My DDs don't have any Lululemon, so maybe their requirements are a little different. But we have Nike, UA, GK, and Old Navy brands of leggings, volleyball shorts, and gymnastics leos. I wash them all in cold (with a scoop of baking soda if they stink) and dry on med-low.

I figure they NEED to shrink a bit to get back to their original shape, and they are made to stretch the next time DDs wear them. The only thing I NEVER dry is DD's competition Leo for gymnastics, because I don't want the "bling" to fall off.

Maybe they don't last quite as long that way, but it's a trade off I'm willing to make. I can't imagine trying to hang/dry flat the amount of spandex-based laundry my girls produce in a week, lol.

 

[nkereina]

I dry my Lululemons with no dryer sheet. I use the activewear setting on my dryer, which is just medium heat. Lululemon provides drying instructions with each purchase specific to the material of the clothing you're buying, so it's possible some fabric types can't be dried but you can check with the store to be sure. I wear the Align pants and my washing instructions say they can be, and they have not shrunk. I would think most activewear are a polyester/spandex type of material? If that's the case, they should be able to be dried and won't shrink.

 

[North of Mouse]

I never put anything with spandex in the dryer - is super hard on them. I hang them out in the sun when possible - the same goes for all our dressy clothes. Hate the way they come out of the dryer (even low heat) also just need touch up ironing, if any.

 

[scrapquitler]

So I have teen girls who of course wear a lot of leggings like lululemon and do activities where they wear nike pros, etc. So washing them...I can't put them in the dryer they'll shrink. So I normally lay them out to dry then fluff dry on low heat after a few hours. But...then they stink! They smell musty constantly after doing that. Any suggestions on how to get these things dry w/out shrinking them or having them smell?

I hang my Lularoe on the shower curtain rode to dry.

 

[marcyleecorgan]

A nice sunny spot in the garden, hung out to dry for at least 3+ hours should fix this!

 

[stsomewhere]

I hang my daughter's lululomon in the basement by the heater vent or outside on a nice day. I leave enough space inbetween so tht the air can circulate.

 

[usnuzuloose]

I hang all my clothes to dry except undergarments. My clothes would shrink. But I would let them air dry on a hanger.

 

[smokeyblue]

I just started wearing stuff like this to the gym and I had the same problem last week. I had to do an emergency leg shave because I had to wear a fresh smelling pair of capri length instead of the full length leggings I planned to wear.

I have accidently left a pair of my capri length RBX leggings in the dryer and they turned out just fine and did not shrink. I dry pretty much everything but towels on low and they came out just fine.

 

[nkereina]

I'll also add that if you have a no heat or air dry or air fluff (or similar) setting on your dryer, that you could throw them in there with a dryer sheet for 20 minutes or so. I do this will all clothes that I hang dry and it makes them smell nice and makes them less stiff.

 

[Marchand63]

Also on the hang them outdoors if possible. I love the smell of our sheets when I can air dry them.

 

[BadPinkTink]

I agree with PP. I have never used a dryer for my clothes. I have only ever used one of these to air dry my clothes

https://www.amazon.co.uk/CLOTHES-INDOOR-FOLDING-LAUNDRY-DELUXE/dp/B00FVSUCTU



I put it in an area such as a hallway or spare bedroom, somewhere there is an air flow. It can also be placed outdoors, on a balcony for example.

For larger items such as sheets I drape over the shower rails or over indoor doors.

 

[bigbabyblues]

I don't wear many leggings, but I hang DS' soccer gear and a lot of our other things out on the clothes line to dry unless it is raining or too cold. If I have to hang it inside, I put it on a hanger with clothes pins and hang it on the mantel over the fireplace.

 

[bcla]

I'm quite particular about my clothes being dried. With the exception of heavy weight 50/50 sweatshirts, anything I have that's at least 40% polyester goes on a portable clothes rack in the laundry room and I've also got a small fan. Something like this from Ikea:

The fan can be anything, but what I use today is a table fan with three speed settings:

The fan speeds up drying of course. Thin weight poly might not necessarily need a fan, but I've got polyester sweatshirts and my wife has some poly fleece leggings that are pretty thick. Blowing directly speeds up drying, but even a larger room fan with a low speed will help with air circulation.

It may not need it if it's odor treated, but even those (usually nano-silver treatments) wear off.

 

[queenofthehive]

Soak clothes in water and vinegar (1:10 ratio) for 30 minutes and then wash. Hang in sun/outside to dry. Do not use fabric softener and watch amount of laundry soap as more is not better in this case. Try to wash clothes as soon as possible after wear.

 

[Queen of the WDW Scene]

Hang them.
Let them dry fully.
Then toss them in to fluff for just a few minutes.

 

[LittleMissMagic]

A few suggestions from someone who also has a lot of sweaty workout clothes to wash -

If she's bunching up her wet workout clothes in a gym bag and letting them sit all day, that's definitely not helping with the smell. If possible, they should be hung to dry as soon as she takes them off, or at least as soon as she gets home. But throwing sweaty gym clothes that haven't had time to air dry straight into the hamper is probably what's causing the stench.

Up your detergent. Tide makes Pods that are labeled "Sport", specifically for this problem. Use 2-3 per load.

Like others have said, use a drying rack. You're probably doing this already.

Depending on the fabric, I will actually toss some of my leggings into the dryer on low heat, and I haven't experienced a problem with shrinkage (though I'm sure the dryer isn't great for prolonging their lifespan).

Hope that helps!