How often you should actually wash your gym clothes

Making sure you exercise regularly is important for maintaining good health - but it appears that a shocking number of Britons aren’t quite clued up on post-workout hygiene.

A new survey reveals some horrifying habits gym goers in the UK have when it comes to washing their clothes after exercising. Just under half of Brits don’t wash their gym clothes after each wear - in fact, 6% admitted to not washing their sports underwear until after they’ve been worn seven or more times. That’s equivalent to more than four million Brits re-wearing their gym kit again and again… and again.

The research, carried out by Live Football Tickets, asked 2,000 UK residents to find out exactly how often they wash their gym wear. Worryingly, only 53% said they washed their gym clothes after one wear.

A further 20% of respondents said they wear the same gym clothes two or three times before putting them in the washing machine. Meanwhile, 11% said they rewear their sports underwear between four to six times before they get laundered.

The survey also found that men were more likely to rewear their gym underwear multiple times compared to women. Nearly a quarter (24%) of men were more likely to wash their clothes after two to three workouts, compared to 16% of women, and 12% of men were more likely to rewear gym undergarments four to six times compared to 9% of women.

When asked what eventually prompts them to put their sweaty garments in the wash, 55% said that odour was the deciding factor. But less than half (46%) reported that potential germs and bacteria were a reason for washing their gym clothes.

Gym towels, which are usually used to absorb sweat during a workout, also don’t get washed as often as we might think. The survey found that just 18% of Brits wash their gym towels after every use, with 12% admitting they only wash their gym towels once a week.

A further 3% wash their towels every two to three weeks, while a shocking 2% say they have washed their gym towels just once a month or never.

Sweat can lead to the build-up of bacteria in gym wear and towels. This bacteria - which thrives in damp environments - can result in nasty health issues like skin irritation and fungal infections.

It’s not just your own sweat and bacteria you need to worry about. Studies have shown that gym equipment harbours an abundance of bacteria due to the sheer number of sweaty hands and bodies that use them.

One study revealed that bacteria such as salmonella and klebsiella, linked to food poisoning and pneumonia, were found on common equipment including exercise instruments (treadmills, weights, exercise bikes), floor mats and handrails.

The researchers found that staphylococcus was the most prevalent bacteria found on gym equipment. Staphylococcus causes staph skin infections, which include symptoms like hot, red and swollen skin and sores, crusts, and blisters.

To prevent the build-up of bacteria in your gym clothes, you should wash them frequently and allow them to dry completely.

There are some occasions during which you can consider wearing gym garments for a second workout. If you wore the clothes for a low-impact workout during which you did not sweat much, then you can safely wear them for a second workout before putting them in the wash.

However, fitness app Sweat recommends hanging the gym clothes out in the sun between wears to allow the sun’s UV rays to help kill bacteria and dry the fabric out completely.

As for gym underwear, it’s best to follow the same rules as regular underwear and wash them after each wear to prevent bacteria from spreading. Make sure to air dry all your gym gear and make sure both gym clothes and towels are completely dry before using them for your next workout.

Read more about health and wellness:

• Why you should exercise in short bursts and before bed, according to experts (Yahoo Life UK, 5-min read)

• 'Weekend warrior' workouts just as good as daily exercise, study shows (Yahoo Life UK, 3-min read)

• The top health and wellness trends for 2024, including family workouts and AI plans (Yahoo Life UK, 6-min read)