The Advantage Of Athletic Shirts

Athletes try to find ways to enhance their performance without resorting to illegal performance-enhancing drugs and one such innovation that many find useful is the use of a high-performance athletic shirt. These shirts are sometimes called compression fit shirts or slim-fit shirts, but what makes these clothing different is not on how they fit a person’s body but on the materials these shirts were made of.

What Are Athletic Shirts And How Can They Be Washed?

Working out or engaging in strenuous physical activity is synonymous to working out a sweat - lots of it. Although these highly specialized athletic shirts can wick away sweat from the clothing material, some of the moisture are retained - including a host of bacteria, minerals and bodily fluids that would turn into a flotilla of smelly substances that cling to your athletic shirt.  

Characteristics of Athletic Shirts

High-performance athletic shirts and clothing are like the high-tech side of clothing not only in terms of the materials they are made of and what they can do, but also in the sleekness in style and looks that they can give the wearer. These shirts give a highly urbanized and ultra-modern look, feel and edge that no other clothing can give.

A high-performance, compression athletic shirt is more expensive that standard cotton t-shirts that are commonly used in sports and other physical activities. The extra cost is due to the cutting-edge technology used to manufacture the fabric, as well as the other features that it can provide that no other types of clothing have. This includes:

 * Wicks away moisture from the fabric

* Breathable

* Fabrics have anti-bacterial properties

* Shirts are constructed seamlessly unlike ordinary shirts

* Tight compression and body-hugging fit

How to Wash and Remove Smells from Your Athletic Shirt

Although most of the moisture and sweat are whisked away from the shirt, some of the odor-causing bacteria are retained or trapped in between the fibers of the fabric. If left unattended, these bacteria will result to a foul smell that would drive away anyone who gets a whiff of the smell emanating from the fabric.

It is important that the athletic shirt be washed properly as soon as possible to prevent the buildup of foul smells. If washing is not possible at the immediate moment, it would be best to separate the shirt and hang it to dry than mixing it in with other used clothing. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions of how to wash these clothing, or you could make use of the following tips:

* Soak your shirt on a cup of baking soda dissolved in warm water using the pre-soak setting of your washing machine or using a separate washing vat. The baking soda will absorb the smell from the fabric.

* For heavy, moldy or mildew smells that are hard to remove, add a cup of vinegar to warm water and pre-soak your shirt. This is then followed by a regular wash cycle using gentle detergents or specially formulated detergents intended for high-performance athletic clothing.

* Avoid using fabric softeners as it can take away the wicking properties of the fabric.

* Do not use your dryer but hang the athletic shirt to dry. The wicking properties will remove the moisture away, and at the same time maintain the shape of the clothing. Use a pant or skirt hanger with multiple clasps or hooks for better results.