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Running, hiking, biking, or even hitting the gym are all activities that leave you feeling energized and refreshed…up until the moment that you catch a whiff of something funky. When you realize that it’s your athletic gear you’re mortified. “How can my clothes smell that awful? I swore I just washed them! I guess I’ll give them to the garbage gods.”
Before you throw out your expensive athletic apparel, hear us out! We might be able to help you. Technical or performance fabrics, like polypropylene or merino wool, do a great job of maintaining body temperature and controlling moisture. These fabrics are highly wicking, fast drying, and breathable and will keep you cool and comfortable while you’re pushing yourself to your limit. However, over time a build-up of body oils, sweat, and bacteria will cause your gear to go sour. Continual washing in detergent can impair wicking capabilities and cause the fabric to retain moisture, this can help more bacteria to grow and fester. Gross, huh?
So how do you save your gear from the garbage? Well, for starters, if you are going to use conventional laundry detergent, throw some Nikwax BaseFresh in there too. BaseFresh works with the detergents to remove stubborn stains without compromising the performance of the fabric. BaseFresh also deodorizes and prevents odor build up when in use. It doesn’t stop there! It also enhances wicking properties and increases breathability. It totally refreshes, revitalizes, and renews your athletic wear!
If you would like to learn more about the wonders of BaseFresh, visit our website.
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I need to try this BaseFresh stuff on my snowboarding outfit! It was in a plastic bag in the basement for like a year and it smells musty and yucky….regular detergent didn’t help at all!
Hi Desiree! BaseFresh is best for next-to-skin apparel. It helps enhance wicking, which is great for base layers. However, due to this, you do not want to use BaseFresh on items with a water-repellent finish, as it will cause them to wet out. For your snowboarding outfit (if it’s the jacket and pants) we recommend Tech Wash. It’s formulated for items with a water-repellent finish. We do recommend using BaseFresh on your long underwear after a day of snowboarding though!
Let us know if you have any questions about using Tech Wash.
Stay Dry!
sounds perfect for cleaning my 7 yr old’s festering Boba Fett costume that he has worn for about a year straight. He still smells like a Bantha after washing in Tide.
I would like to try a sample of this. We have 2 ski outfits that could use SOMETHING more than regular detergent. Thank you!
154 Baxter Rd.
Commerce, GA 30529
Hi Wendy!
We are currently offering samples of BaseFresh, simply take our WebQuiz here: http://nikwax.com/en-us/webquiz/index.php
That being said, BaseFresh is best for next-to-skin apparel. It helps enhance wicking, which is great for base layers. However, due to this, you do not want to use BaseFresh on items with a water-repellent finish, as it will cause them to wet out. For your ski outfits (if they are outerwear, like jackets and pants) we recommend Tech Wash. It’s formulated for items with a water-repellent finish. We do recommend using BaseFresh on your long underwear after a day of skiing though!
Let us know if you have any questions about using Tech Wash.
Stay Dry!
Way cool! Some very valid points! I appreciate you writing this article and also the rest of the site is extremely good.