Nat Locke: why are we discussing how often you should wash your gym gear? The correct answer is obvious

Every now and then, something is argued in public that seems so obviously beyond debate that it’s a mystery why it’s being discussed at all. And so this week, we ponder the age old question: how often should you wash your gym gear? I’m not even making this up. Actual experts were called upon to provide their educated opinions about this hard-hitting matter. Apparently, the reason for the question is that earlier this year, the French government recommended that their citizens should wear their activewear three times before washing it. As they say in that fine country: sacre bleu! It’s driven by environmental concerns, which is well-meaning, but what about the environment of the Metro carriage after a bunch of bros (freres?) are on their way home from their third gym workout for the week? C’est trés mauvais! If we’re finding positives, I guess at least the French have the option of carrying a wedge of whiffy cheese everywhere to disguise the musk. This might surprise you, but I’m not a university textile expert. However, I can tell you that the correct time to wash your used Lululemons is IMMEDIATELY AFTER YOU HAVE WORN THEM. Unless you are the sort of person who wears their activewear exclusively for non-active situations — no judgment from me, incidentally — please don’t wear your manky exercise clothes repeatedly. You have sweated in them. A lot. And then you’ve left them lying in a heap before you pulled them on again to go back to the gym. Now over to science. I found a study that investigated all the bacteria found in gyms and it’s not pretty. One of them was staph, which commonly causes skin infections. Fun. And guess what? In news that will surprise absolutely no one, they concluded that those who don’t change out of their sweaty clothes quickly after a workout or wash them regularly are at worse odds of developing infections from the bacteria. There’s also an increased risk of fungal and yeast infections. And a high chance your friends won’t want to go for Yo-Chi with you after Pilates. If your prime reason for wearing your gym gear three times before washing is because of the environment, well, thank you. You’re a saint. But also, please just recycle more or something. There has to be a better way. While we’re talking about laundry-related things that really shouldn’t be a debate, but somehow are, have a think about how often you wash your sheets. If the frequency ends in “months” — as in, “I wash them every three months” — consider your priorities. You’re probably sweating more in them than you are in your exercise clothes. Also, stop telling people. Now, I know stripping a king-sized bed, washing all the manchester, and then forgetting it’s in the dryer, then wanting to go to bed and realising you have to make the bed completely when you’re tired and cranky and just want to sleep, is TEDIOUS. But please, if you ever want anyone to sleep in that bed with you, wash the damn sheets. And if you’re someone who doesn’t use a top sheet, then you need to wash your doona cover frequently too. Now, I’m all for a top sheet. But from the guests who have stayed at my house over the years, it’s definitely a generational thing. If I make up my spare bed for a guest under the age of 30, they do not know what to do with the top sheet. They leave it tucked in and sleep on top of it, the heathens. But I digress. Unless you think it’s acceptable to sleep on a pile of dirty clothes, wash your sheets. Towels too. Especially if you like to leave them in damp piles on the bathroom floor for a while. My personal preference is to have several towels on rotation at any given time, using a different one every day for a couple of weeks, then throwing the whole lot in the washing machine at once. But I live on my own. I can be confident that I’m the only person drying my nether regions with any available towel. What a luxury. Jeans, on the other hand, will get worn repeatedly between washes. I’m not extreme enough that I put them in the freezer (it’s a thing, google it) because I’m not crazy about my dirty jeans nestling up against the peas. But unless I drop a cup of coffee in my lap or a dog slobbers on me, I’ll let jeans go on a few adventures before they hit the Fisher & Paykel. I’m not weird about this, by the way. Levis recommend washing them every ten wears unless they are dirty or smell. And they should know. I’m glad we’ve settled these big issues.

Nat Locke: why are we discussing how often you should wash your gym gear? The correct answer is obvious

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