How To Wash and Care For Leggings So They Last Forever

You love your leggings like a sister. You want to wear them every day obviously. They’re super comfy and make your legs and butt look amazing. But the more you wear them, the more you have to wash them, which can wear them out quickly. 

A lot of leggings are made from performance material, like our leggings here at KindKit. That means the fabric is specially designed to dry quickly, wick sweat, stretch in all directions, provide gentle compression and generally feel great during tough workouts. It also means this fabric needs a gentler touch when washing to keep it performing at it’s best. 

Here is how to wash and care for your leggings to keep them looking pristine and performing well for years to come.

You Can Put Leggings in the Washing Machine 

Don’t worry, you don’t need to hand-wash your leggings separately. If you wear leggings daily, that would consume your life! It’s absolutely fine to put your leggings in the washing machine, but be sure to get the settings right.

Set the machine to a cold wash and gentle cycle for best results. 

Detergents can be extremely harsh, so washing with a gentle detergent is also a great idea to preserve the condition of the fabric. In fact, why not do this for all of your clothes. I put my entire load of laundry in the same cold, gentle wash with a gentle detergent to make life simple. This method keeps everything in great condition. You’ll also save money on your power bill because you’re not heating up water for a warm wash that you don’t really need. 

Wash with like colours

This is an advanced laundry move and totally optional. If you have dark or vibrant coloured leggings, wash them with dark colours. Your darks will release die in the water when they are washed, so washing darks together will preserve the colour a little bit longer. 

It’s also fine to just shove whatever happens to be in your pile of laundry together in the washing machine if you’re too lazy to separate your darks and lights. That’s what I do.

Do Not Put Your Leggings in the Dryer

Back away from the dryer! While convenient, the dryer is the fastest way to ruin your leggings. The heat of the dryer will damage delicate performance fabric over time causing it to pill and fuzz. It will also cause the colour to fade much more quickly. If that wasn’t enough, the dryer can also shrink your leggings or cause them to change shape. I like to call dryers “legging ruiners.”

Hang or lay your leggings flat to dry

The best way to dry your leggings to preserve their life is to hang them on a line or lay them flat on a towel. Ideally, do this indoors or outdoors in the shade. I realise it’s not always practical to have piles of leggings drying indoors, so do what is reasonable for your situation.

No need to dry clean

I admire your commitment to caring for your leggings, but you don’t need to dry-clean them. Other brands might be different, so be sure to check the label, but most will not require dry cleaning them to keep them in good shape. If you really want to baby your leggings, you could hand-wash them, but again, that’s not really necessary. Save yourself the time and effort, and pop them in the washing machine.

Wash often

You may think that the less you wash your leggings, the longer they will last. Not the case. You should wash your leggings after every wear or every second wear. They sit tight against your skin and they are used for sweaty activities. They will become a home for bacteria quickly, especially if you go commando or minimal underwear. Do yourself a favour and wash them every time you wear them for something active and sweaty. You can wash them every other wear if they’re only being used for chilled activities.

Spot Cleaning

You can definitely spot clean your leggings if you accidentally drop food or drink on them. Just grab a clean cloth or paper towel and dampen it with some water. Add a bit of soap, detergent, spot cleaner (if you have it handy), or soda water. Plain water can be used in a pinch too. Use the cloth on the spot in a dabbing motion until the spot disappears. Simple.

That is how you wash, dry and care for your leggings so they keep looking their best for years.