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Yoga Pants

Cleaning Yoga Pants

After a recent article in the Wall Street Journal titled “The Dirty Secret of Yoga Pants: They Smell” authored by Ellen Byron, Westbank Dry Cleaning needs to further inform and enlighten our dry cleaning fans about Yoga Pants!

Yoga pants also referred to as  ‘athleisure’, made it to the Miriam-Webster dictionary in 2015.  In 2015, the industry sold $67 billion in the United States, which was up about 40% from the previous year. New types of fabrics and many combinations enhance the form-fitting look. These new fabrics ‘grab away your sweat’ and whisk it away from your skin. The problem is that the fabric also ‘holds on’ to odors and smells when not laundered and dried properly.

There have been new technological advances made in the last several years by companies that prioritize gym and work-out clothing.  A big addition has been adding in nano ‘microscopic’ particles such as silver.  Silver is a major anti-bacterial element that kills germs that are present on your skin. Killing germs before they grow and proliferate on your skin and grow ‘odorous’ and offensive is key.  Modern-day yoga pants utilize man-made lycra and nylon and other stretchy fabrics that need special washing. With the addition of silver, infusing the threads with silvers anti-bacteria properties has been very beneficial.

We sweat daily, it’s necessary for our bodies to cool off and rid our waste product and cellular debris with bacteria and proteins. Sweat itself doesn’t smell. Bacteria and proteins when excreted make the smell. The problem originates when we don’t properly dry and then launder our garments before the foul odors set in.

Washing Yoga Pants

At Westbank Dry Cleaning, we take care of your athleisure and many other fine garments with the utmost care by completely understanding and enhancing the commercial laundering process. Moreover, we have the right laundry equipment and supplies!

We fine-tune our industrial strength washing machines to wash delicate athleisure wear by calibrating the right drum rotations by timing the wash and spin cycles correctly.  Additionally, at Westbank Dry Cleaning, we also control the wheel rotation and wash time.  

Other major components of washing your specialty items that we monitor at Westbank is the temperature of the water, the pH and the detergents and solutions used. The water temperature should be warm depending on the fabric as the enzymes work best, and therefore, if the water is too cold the enzymatic reaction is too slow; at high temperature, the enzymes are denatured and stop working.

Westbank monitors the actual content of the water as “City water contains iron and other solids from soil and rocks. Using city water without treatment can stain certain materials, shorten their serviceable life, and alter the way in which water reacts with soap and other chemicals. On a regular basis, we test the hardness of the water. We use chemicals to treat the city water coming into our plants.” Josep Tarraso Plant Manager  Westbank Dry Cleaning.

Professional Washing Yoga Pants

Enzymes based agents in this Westbank Dry Cleaning special laundering formula “break down proteins, starches and fats by breaking up the large insoluble molecules into smaller, more soluble ones” [Source: The Chemistry of Stain Removal from CompoundChem]

Using the correct timing on all of the laundry processes prevents the odorous culprits from reattaching themselves to the threads, and thus, being ‘baked’ back into the fabric when you dry them at high temperatures. At Westbank Dry Cleaning we use industrial strength enzyme-based detergents. These thoroughly remove and prevent ‘re-blooming’ of odors in your yoga pants. 

Finally, the drying process (where controlling the heat and humidity play an important role) for proper cleaning.  For your Yoga Pants and other athletic wear, let the professionals at West Dry Cleaning use their professionalism to really clean these items.  

Sources:
https://www.active.com/fitness/articles/why-do-you-sweat
http://www.4streets.com/
http://www.compoundchem.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Chemistry-of-Stain-Removers.png
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/science/triple_ocr_gateway/beyond_the_microscope/enzymes_in_action/revision/2/
http://www.si.com/edge/2014/10/24/lululemon-stops-stink-using-silver-infused-yarn
http://www.today.com/health/some-anti-odor-workout-gear-may-put-you-risk-study-6C10945742