Washing your dirty, stinky running laundry in public

Like you, I am also a long-distance runner. My question is how do you take out that stinky smell from our running gear (shirts, socks, shorts and shoes) after a run? I’ve noticed that ordinary washing doesn’t cut it. Any suggestions?

— Raul Patrick Concepcion

Patrick e-mailed Home 911 about five weeks ago and I have to apologize for answering only now even though I researched the solutions the same day I read his e-mail. The letter writer is a personal friend; we belong to the same running group, and he is looked up to in the running community for his quiet and generous ways in sharing his knowledge about running. Together with his brother Ton Concepcion, he organizes the Condura Race, which did its second run last March. 

Known as the Running Shield, Pat the corporate executive once dropped his pants and sat in the can, and showered with his running shoes — all for Ben Chan (not the retailer) for a photo series about runners. Pat has such a big love for running and a sense of humor that he allowed himself to be photographed spooning his running shoe and completely ignoring his lovely wife Mabu, who was reading in bed! He also revealed on his running blog that he once took Viagra before a race!

So, I am not hesitant to ask him: Really, Patrick? Your running gear stinks that much? Because mine doesn’t!

Anyway, technical shirts — like Nike’s Dri-Fit and Adidas’ Climacool — are made differently from ordinary cotton shirts (which get literally heavy with sweat). As runners know, this technology wicks sweat away from the body to keep it cool, but in doing so bacteria is trapped in the fibers, hence the stink. (Dear God, don’t even get me started on the smell of Champion sports bras!)

What you can do is to add a cup of white vinegar, which helps neutralize odors, in the washing machine when the rinse cycle starts. Or you can get one of those detergents (available in the US, but not here, unfortunately) that are specially made for technical clothing: Win High Performance Sports Detergent (“the official detergent of the US Olympic Team,” so how’s that for an endorsement?), which uses oxygenation to remove the smell. There’s also this product called Mule Team Borax to neutralize the odor.

A weird solution I found on the web (but did not test — so let me know how it goes, will you?) is to spray your sweat-stained clothing with clear mouthwash, whose antiseptic properties “will neutralize the odors.”     

Apart from vinegar, you can add 1/2 cup of baking soda when presoaking your load of laundry.

But you know what really works for me and not just with running clothes? It’s adding a little Clorox at the start of the wash cycle. Just make sure it’s the one for colored clothing, or else you’ll be running with a weirdly white-streaked shirt instead of your usual all-black gear.

With regard to socks, just throw them into the wash with your running shirts. A tip to beginning runners: Don’t use cotton socks because these absorb sweat and really stink, apart from giving you blisters on long runs. Use the synthetic socks made especially for running. I use Adidas’ aloe or eucalyptus blended socks, which are unfortunately not available locally (I don’t know why, since the local Adidas office should know very well what runners need). I buy them in the outlet stores in the US and order them from Amazon.com; they cost about $12 for a pack of two pairs.

As for the rubber shoes, another runner, whom we call the “Kenyan Runner” because of his name — Zimbodillon Mosende — but is actually an Ilonggo, e-mailed the group to ask about the proper way of washing running shoes. Before I met him at the Feati Run in 2008, I had to ask other people, “Kenyan ba talaga siya?” Of course, this was all before Zimm told me that his brother’s name is Kircheultz, which led me to ask quite frankly, “What was your father smoking when he named his children?”

Zimm received a load of responses from runners. Mark Parco, who did the Singapore Marathon in December ’08 with his wife, Tiffin, says, “In the ‘80s it was difficult to find nice running shoes. We would wash our rubber shoes with a toothbrush — like works of art that had to be gingerly cleaned.”

Joms Paras, who ran an amazing 4:02 at the recent Milo Marathon, says, to “use a toothbrush and classic Colgate for white sneakers.” It’s not a joke, Zimm. Colgate doesn’t only keep your teeth white, it also does that for canvas shoes.

I should add that back in the ‘80s I would hang my Tretorns at the back of the refrigerator because direct sunlight would cause yellow streaks. I agree with another runner, Lito Ordaniel, to add a little Clorox in the water when washing your shoes.

It might help to air them out after every run, which means unlacing them totally, pulling up the tongues, and keeping them outside or in front of an electric fan to dry out the sweat.

* * *

Home 911 answers questions about the home — cleaning problems, DIY projects, decorating ideas, home store resources, and things you’ve always wanted to know about but never had the friends to ask. Home 911 will ask the experts on your behalf. For questions and suggestions, e-mail philstar_home911@yahoo.com. Please include your first name/pseudonym. All questions will be answered through this column — Tanya is too lazy and too chatty to answer individually.