Introduction
Whether you use your Lululemon leggings at the gym or home, or you wear them as part of your outerwear rotation, it is important to keep them both clean and in pristine condition.
Since they are made from high-quality fabric and undergo extensive product testing and quality control, they are not cheap. Whether they are Luon, Luxtreme, or Nulu, the synthetic fibers they're made from that allow them to stretch and enable sweat wicking also mean that odors become trapped and therefore need to be washed regularly.
Lululemon's athleisure clothing line is very delicate when it comes to washing. Synthetic fabric is prone to pilling and stretching, and can even shrink if not cleaned following care labels properly. The garments can also see their elastic fibers wear out over time.
But do not worry! We'll provide some tips below on how to wash your Lulu yoga pants or leggings to make sure they are always ready for you.
How to Wash Your Lululemon Leggings
Stain Removal & Hand Washing
While hand washing your Lulus ensures that no damage comes to them during the spinning and other rigors of a machine wash, rest assured knowing they are designed to thrive in a washing machine.
We would only recommend hand washing if you are targeting a specific stain or spot on your yoga pants. If you are doing this, use as little laundry detergent as possible, as excess soap reduces your leggings' moisture-wicking abilities.
Now before running the washer, remember to check the care labels. If you have removed the tear label, you can always find care instructions for your specific garment on lululemon athletica's website.
Preparing the Wash
A general best practice is to separate your laundry. It is best to run a load with just your activewear or workout clothes with similar fabrics. Make sure the load size is not too large and that your clothes will have enough room in the washer. Next, ensure zippers or Velcro are not facing outwards, turn your clothes inside out, and pre-treat any stains that might be tough to remove from your leggings.
Choosing the Proper Water Temperature
We highly recommend washing your prized Lulu leggings with cold water. Not only are most detergents designed to be effective in this temperature, but you also avoid any risk of clothes shrinking or color bleeding. In addition, avoiding hot water is good for the environment and will result in lower utility bills for you, too.
Using the Right Detergent
When it comes to selecting your detergent, most will do the job. However, if you want to be extra careful, you could look for delicate detergents (but again, they are not required).
A great thing about your Lulu leggings is that they do not require fabric softener. We recommend against using it, as it can damage fabrics like Lycra and Luxtreme with a hard-to-remove coating post-wash.
Selecting the Appropriate Washing Machine Setting
The ideal washing machine setting for your leggings and other athletic apparel will be gentle or delicate wash cycle. Avoid risking damage or wear on the clothing fibers by always using this cycle setting.
Proper Drying
Drying is where a lot of Lululemon items get damaged. A best practice is to avoid the dryer and always flat dry or hang dry. If you are in a rush and this is not feasible, then you can place your leggings in the dryer but use the most gentle, low-temperature tumble dry option (remember heat is not good for fabrics like Lycra).
Storage
This one isn't as important, but it is best to store your Lululemon leggings folded in a drawer. Ideally, you stack them together so like-fabrics on top of each other prevent pilling. This recommendation also holds for traveling and packing a suitcase.
What Not to Do: Washing Mistakes to Avoid
We have covered how to wash, now let's go over what not to do with your beloved yoga pants:
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Excessive heat: As we mentioned above, your Lululemon garments do not need heat – this goes for water when machine washing and air when machine drying.
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Using additional cleaning chemicals: We covered fabric softener above, but we mean it when we say all you need is laundry detergent. Keep your Lululemons away from bleach or other chemicals. This holds if you are hand washing, too.
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Washing with abrasive items: We have alluded to this above, but we cannot emphasize how important it is to avoid having your leggings spinning in the washer with items like towels / terry cloth, denim, or Velcro. It doesn't hurt to place your leggings in a delicates mesh bag for extra protection.
- Leaving damp clothes in the washing machine: Remove your athleisure from the washer as soon as the load is done to avoid bacteria and mildew from setting in.
Activewear Care with Rinse
Well, there you have it! Follow this guide closely and you will keep your Lululemon leggings ready for your next yoga class, workout, or walk in the park.
There is one last tip we can share to ensure quality cleaning and care for your athleisure – use a professional laundry service, like Rinse. We have years of experience cleaning prized garments such as Lululemon leggings.
The best part – we offer the ultimate convenience for your laundry needs by offering pickup and delivery services to your doorstep, all 7 days a week. All you have to do is place your clothes in a Rinse bag and leave it at your door – you don't even need to be home!
Contact us at Rinse today to see our skill in action.
Image Source: lululemon athletica inc.
