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How to Properly Care for Your Running Clothes
Follow these tips to make your running clothes last longer

By Christine Luff, About.com

Updated March 14, 2009

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If you run regularly, it's a good idea to invest in some technical running clothes. Unlike cotton clothing, synthetic fabrics, such as CoolMax or Dri-Fit, wick moisture away from your skin, so you'll stay dry and comfortable during your runs. However, technical running clothes are not cheap, so it's important to care for them properly. Here are some tips on how to make your running clothes last longer:

Stick to cold water.

Wash your running clothes in cold -- not warm or hot -- water. Never dry clean technical fabrics.

Separate darks and lights.

Wash your running clothes inside-out with like colors. Don't use bleach -– even on your white technical running clothes.

Wash with a technical wear detergent.

Technical fabrics are great for running because they wick away your sweat but, unfortunately, bacteria (which causes the smell) gets trapped in the fibers and can be hard to get out. Try using a special detergent formulated for technical wear, such as WIN High Performance Sport detergent, to remove embedded sweat odor. Those types of detergents will not degrade sweat-wicking or water-repellent properties.

Don't put your running clothes in the dryer.

Allow your technical running clothes to air dry. Putting them in the dryer will reduce the effectiveness of the sweat-wicking technology.

Use a cool iron only.

Most likely, you won't have to iron your technical running clothes. But, if you ever need to, only use a cool iron.
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