Sports kits don't stay clean for too long- running around on a muddy football pitch or diving over the try line during a rugby match will leave it looking like it's never seen a washing machine!
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But it's important that you do ensure it gets the wash it needs, to avoid odours and bacteria.
Bacteria can grow faster on high-tech polyester sports gear than on regular cotton clothing which could be causing unpleasant odours.
Close contact through team sports could result in fabrics harbouring community based germs and bacteria including the cold and flu virus and even MRSA. In addition, poor gym hygiene can result in a host of bacteria being transferred from gym equipment to gym kit.
According to hygiene expert Dr. Lisa Ackerley: "We now know that polyester based sports kits can be a breeding ground for germs and bacteria which means that they need to be hygienically cleaned which will also prevent the spread of germs to other items in the wash."
With 70 per cent of mums throwing children's clothing in with everything else, and the majority of people only washing the sports kit after every third gym session, Dr. Ackerley advises taking special precautions when washing the sports clothing to help keep the family healthy and the gym kit smelling fresh:
- Ideally wash all sports items together to minimise the risk of cross-contamination to other household items
- Wash at high temperatures above 60 degrees to kill potentially harmful germs and bacteria
- For high-tech, polyester fabrics that need low temperature washing, add a laundry disinfectant such as Dettol Anti-bacterial Laundry Cleanser which kills 99.9% of germs and bacteria even at temperatures as low as 15°C
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