4 min read
Keeping compression knit alive in the wash
What kills stretch, what does not, and why fabric softener is the real villain.
What actually wears a legging out
Stretch fiber gives up for three reasons: heat, oils and softener. Hot water and a hot dryer relax the fiber so it no longer springs back. Body oils and sunscreen build up in the knit and do the same thing slowly. Fabric softener coats the fiber, which is exactly what you do not want on something that has to grip and recover.
Abrasion matters less than people think. Leggings rarely die of wear; they die of heat.
A routine that works
Cold wash, inside out, on a normal cycle, with ordinary detergent and no softener. Line dry, or take them out of the dryer while they are still slightly damp. Do not iron a compression knit, and do not leave a sweaty pair rolled in a bag overnight if you can help it.
Washing after every session is fine. Cold water and no softener cost you nothing and buy you a year.
The one thing not to do
Never dry-clean or bleach a compression knit. Both attack the stretch fiber directly, and the damage does not show until the first time you squat in them.
The short version
- Cold water, inside out, ordinary detergent.
- No fabric softener: it coats the fiber that does the gripping.
- Line dry where you can; heat is what ends a pair.
- No bleach, no dry cleaning, no iron.
More fit notes
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Raised zones knitted into the fabric, and why that is different from a tighter pair.
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The three ways a band gives up on you, and which one is a design fault.
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