Sports laundry guide

The label decides

Start with the words sewn into the garment. A missing label is not permission to pick warm or hot.

When a clothing label says “Machine wash” and does not name a water temperature, the Federal Trade Commission rule says hot water up to 145°F (63°C) may be used regularly. In the glossary, “hot” is an initial temperature from 112 to 145°F (45 to 63°C). “Warm” is 87 to 111°F (31 to 44°C). “Cold” is up to 86°F (30°C). Those ranges describe the words on a label. They are not a setting to guess when the label is gone. ^{[1, 2]}

“Tumble dry” with no temperature word means a hot dryer setting may be used regularly. “Low” means the low setting. “No heat” means the dryer runs without heat. “Line dry” means hang the damp item. “Dry flat” means lay it down. ^[2]

A label that says “Do not have commercially laundered” points away from a laundry that uses special formulations, sour rinses, extremely large loads, or extremely high temperatures. The same glossary says to use a residential method or a self-service establishment. That sentence is not a ban on washing a jersey in a laundromat. ^[2]

Footwear, gloves, and hats are outside the rule’s definition of textile wearing apparel. A shoe with no label does not become an unqualified “Machine wash.” ^[3]

The label names water that may be used. This guide does not authorize a hotter wash, a hotter dryer, or a bleach the label rules out.

An ordinary sweaty load

CDC’s athlete page, updated June 27, 2025, says to wash and completely dry your uniform, towels, and clothing after each use, in a dryer, not by air drying or hang drying, and to follow the clothing label for washing and drying. Those two sentences stay side by side. The dryer sentence applies when the label allows tumble drying. A label that says line dry, air dry, or do not tumble dry wins for that item. ^[4]

CDC’s home-cleaning page, January 31, 2025, says to launder with detergent at the recommended water temperature, to dry items completely, and that laundry from a person who is sick may be washed with other people’s items. Wash your hands after handling dirty laundry. That page does not say to hang-dry a uniform, and it does not say a shared towel is acceptable. Sharing the towel, the uniform, or the razor is a different act from sharing a washer. ^{[4, 5]}

Do not share items that touch skin: towels, washcloths, razors, clothing including uniforms, or ointments from open containers. Do not share bar soap. Shower after exercise. Clean your hands after touching dirty clothes. ^[4]

Nike’s workout page, last updated June 15, 2022, says to wash sports bras, shorts, and leggings after every use, and to wash synthetic workout clothes after every use. A cotton T-shirt that never got sweaty is the one rewear that page allows, and only “a couple of times.” This guide does not turn that into a medical rule. It is Nike’s laundry routine. ^[7]

When you get home, take the sweaty clothes out of the gym bag. Nike says a closed, wet bag can grow mold or mildew and hold odor. Hang the clothes until they are dry or until you run the load. ^[7]

Odor, grass, and mud

Sweat odor and a grass stain are not one recipe, and neither recipe moves onto a helmet or a shoe.

Nike’s workout page gives an odor soak of one part white distilled vinegar and four parts cold water for 20 to 30 minutes, then a wash. The same page says about 1/4 to 1/2 cup of baking soda in the washer load can neutralize odor-causing acids, or you can use a laundry booster made for athletic clothes in the detergent compartment. A little baking soda sprinkled inside a sneaker that is not washable is that page’s shoe note. Do not turn “a little” into a measured spoon. ^[7]

Nike’s jersey page, last updated May 12, 2022, uses different amounts, and only for a jersey. One cup of white vinegar goes in the washer with the detergent. The page also says the vinegar can go in the bleach dispenser if the machine has one. Use that dispenser only when it is empty of bleach. For a stubborn jersey odor, the same page adds 1/2 cup of baking soda onto the jersey in that vinegar-and-detergent load. ^[8]

Poison Control says vinegar is an acid, and mixing bleach with an acid makes chlorine gas. Mixing bleach with ammonia makes chloramine gas. Do not put Nike’s vinegar in a dispenser that still holds bleach, and do not add chlorine bleach to a vinegar soak or a vinegar wash. If you breathe the fumes, leave the area and breathe fresh air. Call Poison Help at 1-800-222-1222, or use the poison center’s online tool. Both are free and confidential. Do not guess a home treatment. ^[10]

For grass, dirt, or grime on a jersey, Nike’s jersey page says to soak the stained part for at least 30 minutes in 1 cup of water, 1 cup of vinegar, and 1 tablespoon of baking soda. For a stubborn grass spot, that page says a paste of equal parts baking soda and vinegar, worked in with a clean toothbrush, left at least an hour, then washed. Those amounts stay on jerseys. They are not a compression-shirt soak, a swimsuit soak, or a shoe bath. ^[8]

Mud on a sneaker follows Nike’s shoe paragraph, not the jersey paste. Remove dirt with an old toothbrush. Do not put the shoe in the washing machine if you want it to last. Wipe the uppers, laces, soles, and liners with a mild mix of water and laundry detergent, then air dry. Nike prints no ratio for that mix, so this guide prints none. ^[7]

This edition did not open a blood-stain method. Do not invent one. Name blood, heavy mud, or heavy grass in a pickup note, and do not assume the bag is accepted.

Products that do not travel

Use the amount on the detergent package. Nike’s workout page says extra detergent does not get workout clothes cleaner. It leaves residue that holds odor. That page also says to use a little less than you use for ordinary clothes, and it recommends powdered detergent for Nike Dri-FIT. The powder line is a Dri-FIT note. It is not a rule for every other brand. No tablespoon dose is printed here. ^[7]

Skip fabric softener and dryer sheets on the workout clothes Nike describes. Nike says softener leaves a residue that holds odor-causing bacteria, and dryer sheets clog the fabric so detergent cannot get in. Dryer balls are Nike’s substitute on that page. Under Armour’s compression page says the same family of products can clog sweat-wicking fabric: skip harsh detergent, chlorine bleach, fabric softener, and dryer sheets on those shirts. A cotton towel in a separate load follows the towel’s own label. ^{[7, 9]}

Under Armour’s odor tip for a compression shirt is a soak in gentle detergent and cold water for 15 to 30 minutes. It also says chlorine-free bleach only when needed. Read the sewn label before you use any bleach. “No bleach” means no bleach. “Only non-chlorine bleach, when needed” means chlorine bleach stays out. ^{[2, 9]}

Nike mentions laundry stripping as a long soak of borax, detergent, baking soda, and warm or hot water, up to 12 hours, and says it is not a daily routine. This guide does not give that mix. Do not build it from that sentence. ^[7]

A CDC healthcare-linen appendix, March 19, 2024, is written for healthcare facilities. It describes hot water at 70–80°C (158–176°F) for 10 minutes, and says a disinfectant is generally not needed when soiling is low. That appendix is not a home dial and not a laundromat setting to hunt for. Do not use it to wash a jersey, a towel, or a compression shirt. ^[6]

Jerseys, compression, towels, shoes, and helmets

These are examples from the pages that were opened. Another brand’s label wins when it disagrees.

Nike workout clothes

Separate cotton T-shirts and gym towels from synthetic shorts and leggings. Nike says cotton lint sticks to the athletic fabric. Keep denim, buttons, and zippers out of that load. Turn bottoms, shirts, and undergarments inside out. Wash in cold water on the gentle cycle if you are following that page’s life-of-fabric advice. That advice does not erase a hotter word that is actually printed on the label, and it does not let you go hotter than the label. Dry synthetics, including Dri-FIT, on the lowest heat or on a rack. Nike says cotton clothing may go in the dryer. Do not high-heat the performance fabric. ^[7]

Nike jerseys

Check the label. The jersey page’s general advice is cold water and no dryer, because heat can crack or peel letters and numbers. Turn the jersey inside out. A mesh garment bag is extra protection for letters. Wash it with similar clothes, not with towels, fleece, or other linty loads. Air dry it flat. The vinegar amounts in the odor section belong to this jersey page only. ^[8]

Under Armour compression shirts

Check the tag. Turn the shirt inside out. Cold water, with like colors. The page says hot water can damage the stretch and the compression. Use the gentle or delicate cycle and a mild detergent. Skip chlorine bleach, fabric softener, and dryer sheets. Wash with other performance or lightweight pieces, not with jeans, towels, zippers, or Velcro. A mesh bag is optional. Dry on low, or air dry flat or on a hanger. Do not iron. Do not dry-clean. Wash after you sweat. Do not wring the shirt. The 15-to-30-minute detergent soak stays on this page. ^[9]

Towels

Wash them after each use and dry them in a dryer when the label allows tumble drying. That is the CDC athlete instruction, and the label still wins if it says line dry. Do not share the towel. Wash towels in their own load, away from the synthetic workout clothes, because of the lint Nike describes. ^{[4, 7]}

Shoes

Nike says not to machine-wash sneakers if you want them to last. Remove dirt with a toothbrush, wipe with water and laundry detergent, and air dry. Footwear is outside the apparel care-label rule, so a blank tongue label is not a 145°F wash. ^{[3, 7]}

Cleats and the items this edition did not open

This edition did not open a stable care page for cleats, swimsuits, goggles, pads, mouthguards, or mats. Do not copy a jersey vinegar dose, a compression soak, or a CDC dryer line onto them. Leave cleats, goggles, mouthguards, pads, and mats out of the washer unless that product’s own page says otherwise. A swimsuit follows the label sewn into the suit. If that label says do not tumble dry, do not tumble dry it. ^[4]

Riddell football helmets

The Victor-i, Victor, and Victor-Inflate helmet care guide says to use only Riddell helmet cleaner and/or wax. It says commercial cleaners and polishers may damage the shell or the liner. That page does not give a washer or dryer step. Do not send a helmet in a laundry bag. The same guide recommends reconditioning every year by a Riddell Factory Authorized Reconditioner. Other helmet brands were not opened. Use that brand’s own care guide. ^[12]

Safety

Laundry does not treat a skin infection. CDC says not to treat the infection yourself, not to pick or pop a sore, and to see a healthcare provider. Cover cuts and wounds with a clean, dry bandage. Pus can contain MRSA. Report a suspected skin infection to a parent, coach, athletic trainer, or healthcare provider. Early washing of uniforms is a hygiene step on that page. It is not a promise that a home cycle kills MRSA. ^[4]

Never mix chlorine bleach with ammonia or with an acid, including vinegar. Poison Control’s instruction if someone breathes chlorine gas is to leave and breathe fresh air. If someone swallows bleach or is exposed in the eyes or on the skin, call 1-800-222-1222 or use the poison center’s online tool. Both are free and confidential. ^[10]

Clean the dryer lint screen before or after every load. CPSC says lint in the dryer or the exhaust duct can block airflow, build heat, and cause a fire in some dryers. The alert does not name sports gear as a separate cause. ^[11]

What this wash cannot do

• It cannot turn CDC’s dryer sentence and a “line dry” label into one rule. Keep both. The label wins. ^{[2, 4]}
• It cannot turn Nike’s cold gentle cycle into the meaning of an unqualified “Machine wash.” The FTC meaning of that silence is hot water up to 145°F (63°C). This guide does not authorize hotter than the label. ^{[1, 7]}
• It cannot move a cup, a tablespoon, or a 15-minute soak from Nike’s jersey page onto Under Armour compression, or from either page onto a shoe or a helmet. ^{[7, 8, 9, 12]}
• It cannot treat the 70–80°C healthcare linen line as a home or laundromat setting. ^[6]
• It cannot claim a home wash kills MRSA or any other infection. ^[4]
• It cannot supply a cleat, swimsuit, goggle, pad, mouthguard, mat, or blood method that was not opened. ^[4]
• It cannot offer dry cleaning. Wash Bodega does not offer dry cleaning.

Dryer

Read the drying words the same way you read the wash words.

If the label says “Tumble dry” and nothing more, a hot setting may be used regularly. If it says “low,” use low. If it says “no heat,” use no heat. If it says “line dry,” “dry flat,” or “do not tumble dry,” do not put that item in a hot dryer to satisfy another page. ^[2]

CDC’s athlete page still says to dry uniforms, towels, and clothing in a dryer rather than on a line, after each use, and to follow the label. Use the dryer when the label allows it. When the label forbids it, the label wins. Nike’s workout page tells you to keep synthetic and Dri-FIT heat low or to air dry, and it allows the dryer for cotton clothing. Nike’s jersey page says to avoid the dryer and dry flat so letters do not crack. Under Armour says low heat or air for compression shirts. Those are three brand instructions plus one public-health instruction. They are not a single dial. ^{[4, 7, 8, 9]}

At a laundromat, the item label still controls. Do not dry a helmet, a shoe, or a do-not-tumble garment there. Clean the lint screen every load. ^{[11, 12]}

Optional pickup and drop-off

This section is optional information for Wash & Fold pickup and delivery, and for drop-off, from Wash Bodega in Southwest Houston. Publishing this guide does not create a gym-linen service, a team-laundry service, or a promise to accept every item this guide discusses. A facility that needs a linen program uses the commercial quote. This page does not describe that program.

Send only items the care label allows in a machine. Leave at home anything with no label, helmets, shoes, cleats, pads, goggles, mouthguards, mats, and any item whose label says do not wash or do not tumble dry. Tell the order notes what is in the bag before you send mud, grass, or anything heavily soiled. Do not assume those bags are accepted.

Drop-off Wash & Fold is $1.29 per pound next-day and $2.29 per pound same-day. Pickup and delivery is $1.69 per pound, with a 15 lb minimum ($25.35). Free pickup is not free laundry. The 15 lb minimum applies on both. This November 2026 print is a snapshot. The live pickup page governs. Store access at all hours is not a pickup window. Staff on site is not a phone schedule or a drop-off intake schedule.

Sources

The titles and links below were opened for this edition on November 1, 2026. An older page can still be the page that was checked. The textile label and the current product package control when they disagree with this guide.

These sources explain the steps. They do not endorse Wash Bodega.

1. FTC, 16 CFR 423.6. https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-16/chapter-I/subchapter-D/part-423/section-423.6
2. FTC, Appendix A to 16 CFR Part 423. https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-16/chapter-I/subchapter-D/part-423/appendix-Appendix%20A%20to%20Part%20423
3. FTC, 16 CFR 423.1. https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-16/chapter-I/subchapter-D/part-423/section-423.1
4. CDC, Athletes: MRSA prevention and control, June 27, 2025. https://www.cdc.gov/mrsa/prevention/athletes.html
5. CDC, When and how to clean and disinfect your home, January 31, 2025. https://www.cdc.gov/hygiene/about/when-and-how-to-clean-and-disinfect-your-home.html
6. CDC, Appendix D, linen and laundry, March 19, 2024. https://www.cdc.gov/healthcare-associated-infections/hcp/cleaning-global/appendix-d.html
7. Nike, how to wash workout clothes, last updated June 15, 2022. https://www.nike.com/a/take-care-workout-clothes
8. Nike, how to wash a sports jersey, last updated May 12, 2022. https://www.nike.com/a/how-to-wash-a-jersey
9. Under Armour, how to wash compression shirts. https://www.underarmour.com/en-us/t/playbooks/apparel-gear/how-to-wash-compression-shirts/
10. Poison Control, chlorine gas. https://www.poison.org/articles/chlorine-gas
11. CPSC Publication 5022. https://www.cpsc.gov/s3fs-public/pdfs/5022.pdf
12. Riddell, Victor helmet fitting and care guide. https://content.riddell.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Victor-Platform-Helmet-Fitting-Guide-min.pdf

What this guide does not claim

• One cycle for every uniform, towel, and jersey.
• A cup or a minute moved from one brand’s page onto another brand.
• That a home wash or a laundromat dryer kills MRSA or any other infection.
• That 70–80°C (158–176°F) for 10 minutes is a household setting. That figure is in a healthcare linen appendix. ^[6]
• That Nike’s cold-water advice cancels an unqualified “Machine wash,” or that CDC’s dryer sentence cancels a line-dry label. ^{[1, 2, 4]}
• A cleat, swimsuit, goggle, pad, mouthguard, mat, or blood recipe. Those pages were not opened for this edition.
• A borax stripping mix. Nike names the trend and says it is not daily. This guide stops there. ^[7]
• Dry cleaning. Wash Bodega does not offer dry cleaning.
• Acceptance of helmets, shoes, or infectious laundry.