Gym Bag Odor Be Gone
Is that awful smell coming from your gym bag enough to make you call off the whole “exercise-thing” altogether? Do you notice that the front-desk person has already checked you in before you even walked through the door? At what point do you realize the awful truth – that the terrible, eye-watering smell is coming from me?
While sweat may be the mark of a great workout, a smelly gym bag is no trophy. Sweaty clothes, leaking water bottles, and stinky gym shoes all zipped up in a nylon gym bag can produce some pretty funky smells – especially if you keep your workout bag in the trunk of your car. Not only does the inside of your gym bag smell, but every place that your bag touches can absorb the stench. Whether it’s the trunk of your car, your backseat, the hallway in your house, or even the area under your desk at work, a smelly gym bag can make everything around it, including you, stink.
You don’t have to live with the embarrassment of a smelly gym bag. You can eliminate gym bag odor, by changing your habits, investing in the right gym bag, and trying some natural remedies. If you are becoming known as the stinky girl or guy at the gym, keep reading to find out how you can regain your reputation.
Don’t Sweat the Smelly Stuff
Workout clothes and shoes are designed to absorb sweat. Clothing, socks, and headbands remove the distraction of sweat, helping you to focus on a better workout. But sweaty clothes breed bacteria. The warm environment helps bacteria to breed, causing your bag and your clothes to stink. You can get rid of the smell by just taking out your workout clothes and washing them.
If taking your clothes out every day isn’t an option, consider separating your workout clothes from everything else in your bag by putting them into a plastic bag. It can keep the bacteria off of everything else that you keep in your bag.
Another tip – when you take everything out of your gym bag, consider leaving it outside to air the bag out. A little fresh air can do the inside of your gym bag some good.
Leave your Workout Shoes out in the Rain
Ok – you don’t really want to leave them in the rain, but you do want to leave them out of your gym bag. Shoes carry thousands of different forms of bacteria. Mix them in with gym clothes, a water bottle, and a towel and you pretty much are rubbing bacteria all over your body.
A great option is a gym bag that has a separate compartment to keep your shoes in.
The Canway Sports Gym Bag offers a variety of pockets and separate compartments to keep your shoes and wet clothes away from everything else. The Adidas Squad III Duffel Bag has mesh side pockets on the outside of the bag, which are perfect to slide your smelly gym shoes, sweaty socks, or wet gym towels in.
Buy a special gym bag
Companies that make gym bags know of your struggles with bad aromas. They know that when you keep sweaty clothes and shoes in a confined area, well – it’s going to smell. Some gym bags are designed to keep the pungency down to a minimum.
Apera makes a line of gym bags that are designed not to stink. At least that is what their site claims. Using their sanitized freshness technology, their workout bags offer protection against that stinky smell. Plus, their bags offer a variety of pockets and compartments, which helps you to keep the wet stuff away from the dry stuff.
ALVES YOGA offers a 2-piece washable and reusable combination set of wet bags for the gym. These waterproof bags can keep your wet or smelly garments away from everything else. Wet towels, bathing suits, sweaty socks, or dirty shoes can all have a home away from the rest of your things. They are leak-proof and can be easily washed and dried.
Can I kill the stench, naturally?
There are a variety of home remedies that you can try to get the smell of your gym bag under control.• Tea bags – Drop a few tea bags into your gym bag and night and your nose will thank you in the morning. Tea bags absorb bad odors quickly. As a bonus – if you gym shoes stink, drop a few bags in each one as well. After a few days, tea bags will lose their potency, so you should switch them out.• White vinegar – If you wash your gym bag, which is highly recommended, you may notice that detergent, and the smell, tend to linger. Add a ½ cup of white vinegar to your rinse cycle to help the inside of your bag smell fresh.• Dryer sheets – Keep the inside of your bag smelling fresh by adding a few dryer sheets to the inside of your bag. Stuff a few in smelly shoes. Dryer sheets not only absorb the smell, but they also leave a nice, fresh scent.• Essential oils – If you are into essential oils, combine a few drops with a spray bottle filled with water. Lightly douse the inside of your gym bag with this fragrant spray to freshen it up a little.
Anything else that I can do to keep the smells down?
Yes! If you are ok with using chemicals, consider wiping the inside of your gym bag down with antibacterial wipes. There are also a variety of cleaning products that work wonders with killing the bacteria, and stinky smell, from your bag. Clear Gear is a special disinfectant that can be used for gym equipment and gear. Perfect to use on your gym bag, shoes, or other equipment that you may carry.
Or, invest in a portable air purifier such as pureAir Sport. This mini-purifier can be dropped into your gym bag where it removes the stench from sweat and helps to keep down mold and mildew buildup. It has a four-hour battery life and can be used in confined areas such as lockers or the trunk of your car.
There are some great products on the market that are designed to cut down the smell and bacteria that you find in your gym bag.
MOSO Natural Mini Air Purifying Bag Shoe Deodorizer – This product uses bamboo charcoal to absorb odors in shoes. Whether you are hiking, cycling, or just working out at the gym, these bags can keep your shoes smelling clean and fresh. They are safe for the environment and can be used for up to two years. Their odor zapping skills typically last up to a month before they need to be recharged. Recharging is easy – just leave them out in direct sunlight.
bmbu Bamboo Charcoal Car Deodorizer – These hanging bags of bamboo charcoal are great for eliminating the gym bag smell from your car or trunk. They can be dropped into your gym bag or hung up in your locker to absorb smells. These car deodorizers need to be recharged every month and will typically last a year.
capsole Antimicrobial Odor Eliminator – These handy capsules eliminate moisture and odor that you find in shoes and bags. Containing special Zeolite minerals to absorb sweat and moisture, these special capsules can keep the odor level down without chemicals. Its airflow design allows for better circulation and binding to offensive bacteria.
Related Questions
Is a smelly gym bag bad for my health?
Aside from the over-arching stench, a smelly bag can pose health problems for you. For bacteria, the insides of your bag are the perfect breeding ground. Feeding off of dead skin cells, bacteria love the warm and wet environment in your gym bag. While much of the bacteria inside your bag originates from you, remember where you are at. You may have just wiped down a machine that someone else was just using with your towel. You may be putting your workout bag down on benches, counters, or in locker rooms that can pick up bacteria, fungi, or other viruses that may be lurking in the gym.
A smelly gym bag is a good indication that you’ve got something growing inside of it. Stay healthy by keeping your bag clean.
What features should I look for in a gym bag to keep the smell level down?
You’ll find that multiple pockets and compartments are a great way to keep the smell down. Mesh pockets, especially those on the outside of your bag, help to keep bacteria from breeding. Wet towels and socks stored on the outside of the bag can dry out, which can help to keep the stink down.
Pockets that can be used to store water bottles and liquids will help to keep them from dripping onto your clothes. Some bags have separate shoe compartments, lowering the chance that the bacteria from the inside and outside of your shoes get mixed in with everything else in your bag. Plus, it can keep your clothes and the inside of your bag a lot cleaner.