Style Clothing Care The Laundry Mistake That's Ruining Your Sports Bras Extend the life of your athleisure with this essential laundry tip. By Rachel Sylvester Rachel Sylvester Instagram Website Rachel Sylvester is a senior lifestyle editor at REAL SIMPLE, and has been writing and editing lifestyle content for more than a decade. Before joining REAL SIMPLE, Rachel began her editorial career at The Knot, where she served as an editorial intern, editorial assistant, associate editor, and finally, real weddings editor for the brand. Her writing has been published in Marie Claire, Women's Health, Food & Wine, Southern Living, and Travel & Leisure. She has also appeared as a guest on Good Morning America, The TODAY Show, NBC News, QVC, Pix 11 News, Fox 29 News, Yahoo! Finance, Cheddar, and Good Morning Arizona. Real Simple's Editorial Guidelines Published on February 7, 2019 Share Tweet Pin Email Like a worn-in pair of sneakers or a well-curated playlist, top-notch athleisure is the key to any successful workout. In fact, a sweat sesh is only as good as the quality of your activewear, especially when it comes to the durability of your sports bra. But as much as you rely on your go-to sports bra to keep you dry and supported throughout just about any activity (Pilates classes and couch-lounging sessions included), you may be sabotaging the lifespan of your most beloved bras. 7 Ways You're Washing Your Workout Clothes Wrong It turns out poor laundry habits can wreak havoc on your clothes, and according to Drew Westervelt, founder of hypoallergenic laundry detergent HEX Performance, the cardinal rule of washing clothes is one that's regularly broken by even the most adept laundry pros. "Never ever use fabric softener," he says. "Regular fabric softeners were not made for today's workout clothes." The reason for this is because most workout clothes are now made with synthetics, a new type of fabric that's not well-suited to harsh softeners. Instead, Westervelt suggests ditching your bottle of fabric softener in favor or a fabric booster that's better suited for moisture-wicking synthetics like sports bras. 5 Easy Laundry Tricks for Longer-Lasting Clothes Another way to ensure your undergarments last well beyond the duration of your gym membership is to wash them in a mesh lingerie bag ($9; amazon.com). "Sports bras are probably your most durable bras, but they can still use a little care when machine washing," Westervelt says. Rather than tossing your bras in the wash alongside everyday t-shirts, leggings and jeans, clean sporty delicates in a separate bag on a washing machine's gentle cycle. If you're concerned about inevitable wear and tear, opt for hand washing, and air dry your sports bras when possible. "Unless you plan to wear your sports bra in the 30 minutes after washing, air dry it," Westervelt says. "Sports bras dry quickly, so just grab it out of the wash and lay flat to dry." Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit