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The train log · Care notes · 2 min read

How to wash sports bras and leggings

Heat breaks the stretch in this cloth before the stitch gives out. A hot cycle or a dryer leaves an underband loose while the seams still look clean. Taking care of the elastic and the molded cups is how a bra keeps its hold through months of training.

Rinse the sweat out early

Cloth left damp in the bottom of a dark kit bag loses its recovery. Sweat sits in the knit, and salt dries into the yarn between workouts. Rinse the piece under a cold tap if the wash cycle has to wait until tomorrow, or drop it into the drum right away. Our bras pull on over the head with no hooks to catch, but damp cloth left bunched up can stretch unevenly under its own weight. A quick rinse clears the salt out before it sets into the underband.

Wash cold in a mesh bag

Cold water protects the stretch. Put the bra into a mesh bag before it joins the rest of the laundry. The mesh keeps long straps from wrapping around heavier shirts or twisting around the agitator. Use a mild liquid detergent and skip the fabric softener entirely. Softener coats the knit with a waxy film that stops the cloth from moving sweat off the skin. Run the machine on a gentle cycle so the hems and cups do not get pulled out of line.

Take the removable pads out

Removable cups need their own space in the wash. Pull them through the slot in the lining before the bra goes into the mesh bag, and wash them flat in the same load. Leaving them inside means they fold, bunch up, and crease during the spin cycle. A creased foam pad rarely sits flat against the breast again once it dries. Fixed molded cup bras stay intact, but you must avoid wringing them out by hand to protect the curved shape.

Dry flat away from heat

Skip the tumble dryer. High heat cooks the stretch yarn until the band goes slack, even if the fabric looks undamaged on the outside. Lay the sports bra flat on a dry towel or hang it over a drying rack by the underband. Hanging a wet piece by its narrow shoulder straps will drag them out of shape over several hours. Keep your activewear away from radiators, direct heating vents, and hot iron plates. The cloth dries quickly on its own when air moves around it.

Check when the hold is gone

Every activewear piece has an endpoint. You can tell a sports bra has finished its run when you pull the underband and it does not snap back firmly. The seams might stay tight and the cups might look smooth, but dead stretch yarn will not hold you during a jump. Leggings show the same wear when the waistband slides down during a run instead of staying planted high on the waist. When the recovery disappears from the band, the garment cannot do its job.

Simple care keeps the hold

Treat the cloth with cold water and give it room to dry flat. Keeping heat away from the underband and washing removable pads flat preserves the original hold of each piece. Good habits at the laundry basin mean the bra you pull on tomorrow fits the same as it did on day one.

Cut for this note

Four pieces from the molded cup high support section, most rated first.

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