How to Remove Stains from Gym Towels

It’s inevitable that gym towels will get stained over time. Stains can make your towels look dirty and unkempt whether it’s from a drink spill, blood stain, or sweat. We’ve compiled a comprehensive list of different methods, as well as tips and tricks, to remove various stains from your gym’s towels.

Common Causes for Stains and How to Remove Them

Below is a list of the most common gym towel stains. Here’s how to remove them:

Sweat

Naturally, sweat is the most common source of a stain. Over time, it can seep into your towels and discolor them. To remove fresh stains, try applying ammonia to the towel to remove discoloration. For old stains, use white vinegar as your cleaning agent. Once ammonia or white vinegar is applied to towels, rinse them and use a bar of soap or stain remover to eradicate the stain. After you have completed this process, wash your towels in hot water. If you have stubborn stains, add an enzyme cleaning product to your hot water cycle.

Makeup

Makeup such as foundation, mascara, eyeliner and lipstick is another major cause of stains. When makeup has stained a towel, act quickly by adding a liquid detergent to the stained area. Let it soak for a few minutes and then put the towel in a hot water cycle using detergent and bleach.

Blood

Injuries can occasionally occur in the gym. Scrapes and cuts could leave blood stains on your gym towels after your members use them. To wash off a fresh stain, soak it immediately in cold water. For dried blood stains, soak the towel with an enzyme cleaning product before washing it.

Drinks

Nowadays, energy drinks and pre-workout shakes are popular among gym-goers. These drinks tend to contain coloring and one little spill could stain your towels. To remove a stain, begin by using cool water to sponge the affected area. Then treat the stain before washing using either a stain remover or liquid detergent.

General Tips for Removing Stains on Gym Towels

The previous section covered methods for removing specific types of stains on your gym towels. Here are general do’s and don’ts for removing any type of stain from your towels:

Do’s

• Act Quickly – stain removal works best when the stain is still fresh and hasn’t set into the fabric.
• Use a Grease-removing Detergent – this type of detergent can help remove oil-based makeups.
• Test Your Cleaner – test your cleaning detergent on a small area first since some may cause discoloration.

Don’ts

• Don’t Go Overboard with the Detergent – detergent can build up in the fibers of your towels, making them less absorbent and feel rough.
• Don’t Use Hot Water to Soak Blood Stains – hot water will set the stain into the towel fabric.
• Don’t Leave a Stain on Your Towels for Long – along duration of time can permanently stain your towels.

Now you know the most common reasons for stains on gym towels, how to remove them, and general do’s and don’ts for removing various types of stains on your towels.

However, if many of your towels have become damaged past the point of stain removal, it may be time to order a new shipment. Take a look at our gym towels.