The following care instructions pertain to ALL activewear, not just ours, so we highly recommend becoming familiar with them.
We've also include 10 ways to give used activewear a second life, scroll down for details!
1. Inspect your purchase on delivery.
The timely return of unwashed and unworn faulty garments ensures brands can repair and resell them as part of zero-waste, circular fashion initiatives. Please inspect your garments on arrival, even if you don't plan to wear them right away.
2. Avoid yanking on the seams.
Activewear is made from stretchy materials held together by thin threads. If you yank too hard on the seams, the thread will break. In fact, it's intentional for the thread to be weak enough to break rather than rip the material, as it's easier to sew a seam than to repair a hole in the fabric. Please put on your leggings with the same care as a pair of pantyhose, and avoid stepping on the ankles as you pull them up.
Please visit our sewing page for how to repair a seam or mend a hole.
3. Cold water soak prints and colors before getting sweaty.
It is best to cold water soak printed and colored garments before getting hot and sweaty. This will set the ink and prevent it from shifting to the edge of a sweat patch.
4. Washing instructions
Always wash your activewear in cold water and hang to dry, or machine dry on the no/low heat setting. Hot temperatures will breakdown the spandex and cause the garment to lose it's elasticity. Avoid softeners and dryer sheets as well, as these could cause any reflective details to peel off.
5. Keep microplastics out of the ocean
Polyester garments can shed microplastics in the wash. To help keep these from ending up in the ocean, we strongly recommend using a Guppy Friend wash bag for washing all of your polyester garments.
6. Stain removal
Remove stains by soaking in water with a scoop of Oxyclean and the recommended water temperature for the type of stain.
7. Activities to avoid
Rubbing against abrasive surfaces: It's best to avoid crawling on knees or sliding on your bum, especially on any kind of abrasive surface, as this could damage the material. Smooth, solid color and thicker materials will withstand contact longer, while softer, printed, and thinner materials will wear out more quickly.
Rubbing prints consistently against any surface.
Prints are a surface treatment on the material, so any consistent rubbing of the surface of the material, such as wearing with a backpack, could rub off the print. If this is a concern, opt for a style where the contact points are a solid color (dyed) material. We offer styles with printed legs and solid waistbands for this purpose.
Cycling
Cycling apparel has special chemical treatments to prevent prints from rubbing off, which we don't use as we're not a cycling brand and we try to avoid the use of chemicals. If you wear our printed styles for cycling, it is likely the print will rub off from contact with the seat.
8. Respect the products limitations
Every type of product has it's purpose and limitations, please try to be mindful:
All activewear has a life expectancy depending on a few factors:
A general rule of thumb...
• If washed and worn everyday, the garment will last 3 months.
• If washed and worn twice a week, the garment will last a year.
• If washed and worn once a week, the garment will last two years.
• If washed and worn once a month, the garment will last 8 years.
Avoid comparing to that dress you bought 20 years ago and have worn twice for a couple hours, as that's not a fair comparison. You need to consider how many hours it's worn, the type of use, and how often it's washed. For example, the soft and comfy leggings we were every day, all day are not going to last as long as the leggings we only wear a couple times a week for an hour or two.
10. Good quality and expensive do not mean indestructible.
We like to use the anology that a $200 silk blouse will feel nicer than a $20 blouse, however if you wear either of them to go bushwacking, they're both going to rip.
The quality and cost of activewear refers to many things, but not it's ability to hold up against sharp, pointy objects or abrasive surfaces.
Quality and cost factors:
11. Circular Fashion Ideas - what to do with used activewear:
There are many reasons you may be ready to part ways with an item. Here's ten suggestions for giving it a second-life:
With so many options, we hope you'll never, ever just throw them out!
