Having a jock in the family usually means a good part of your day is wasted in cleaning the sports uniform. The spots, grime, dirt and smell are almost impossible to get rid of and it requires a huge amount of effort to be able to produce a clean and fresh one every other day. It is even worse if you are the jock and live alone. So to make life easier, we have created a guide that will make cleaning uniforms as fast as snapping fingers!
The basic cleaning
This is, as we call it, standard procedure. Get a hold of the uniform as soon as possible and do not keep them waiting for a long time. As we all know it, it will be much easier to clean if we maintain this rule. The washer will get most of the stinky mess clean before it really settles into the uniform.
Dealing with stains
But sometimes, washers are just not enough to cleanse a sports uniform. You may need to deal with stains and spots. Nonetheless, before you go for the second round of cleaning, educate yourself on the topic of stains. In this way, you will be able to use the most appropriate method to get rid of your problem.
- Grass stains
This is common for most football players and while it is a part of being a football player, we cannot just sit around with a green stain. In order to tackle this, you will be making a paste using ¼ cup sugar combined with water. This will make an incredible scrub that will rid you of the green stain. After a minute of scrubbing with a brush with soft bristles, the clothes should find themselves in the washer without the sugar scrub being washed off beforehand.
- Dirt and red clay
Any sport that requires to be played on a field, will have players coming home with soil, dirt and clay on their uniform. If not cleaned immediately, the stains will become harder to remove. So get to work as soon as possible, by dusting off whatever dry dirt there is on the clothes. Following this, you will need to make yet another paste composed of a cup of vinegar and 3 tbsp. of iodized salt. Cover the stains with this very mixture and let it rest. After half an hour, wash the paste off using cold water. Also, you may have to repeat the process depending on the intensity of the stain. If the first round does not get it, the second or third wash will.
For those never-about-to-go-away spots, combine 1 tbsp. of Borax granules and a cup of water. Immerse the stained areas in the solution and the spot should go away. Any more lingering spots can be vanished using a gallon of water mixed with a single cup of ammonia or bleach if it is a white-coloured garment. Simply soak the affected areas and watch the magic of all the cleaners. After all, this, rinse as you usually would.
- Bloodstains
Injuries are bound to happen and sometimes it may involve blood. It is definitely easier to clean if the blood has not dried out but if it has, the solution is hydrogen peroxide. Saturate the stain well with the peroxide and sprinkle a generous amount of table salt. Wait for about 15-30 minutes which will give the salt enough time to soak the colour. Move on to rinse the garment in cold water after you dust the salt away. You could also use a cloth dipped in peroxide and blot away the stain.
Odours
Besides stains, odours are also huge trouble. The strong stench of sweat can be once again be removed using vinegar. The bleach dispenser of the washing machine needs to be filled with a cup of it, then continue with your normal procedures, using detergents, etc. Vinegar has a way of dissolving odour and in this case, would work better than any other thing. If you think the smell is unbearable and would not vanish using vinegar, move on to baking soda. Use half a cup and strew it on the clothes while they are in the washer. The smell should be gone immediately after.
As a side note, always air dry the uniform and gear. The heat from the dryer may take away the spandex’s elasticity or damage anything printed. So, for your own sake, just let all the athlete garments air dry.
