SYNTHETICS TRAP THE OILS THAT FEED BACTERIA You’ve heard the phrase that “oil and water don’t mix”. Turns out that’s a fundamental concept in chemistry. Your synthetics are designed to repel water, so that water wicks away and evaporates quickly. Water is actively repelled by the chemistry of the fabric, and the fabric doesn’t absorb any water. That property is called “Hydro-phobic” – as in, the water is afraid of the fabric and runs away. But those exact same properties that repel water mean that those fabrics attracts oils! The oils form a very weak bond with the fabrics, almost like the static electricity that holds a balloon on the wall after you rub it in your hair. It’s not much, but it’s enough to cause a problem. COTTON DOESN’T HAVE THIS PROBLEM Because it is a plant fiber, cotton absorbs water. The chemical term is “Hydro-phillic” – as in, the water loves the fabric. Cotton is uncomfortable for workouts (but great for towels) because the fibers swell up with water, getting heavy and irritating. But that also means cotton naturally repels oils. Since the oils don’t stay, the bacteria don’t stay, and cotton usually doesn’t smell as bad as synthetics. (Some towels are cotton-polyester blends, which can be the best of both worlds or the worst of both worlds.) |
REGULAR DETERGENTS DON’T HELP Regular detergents are not as effective on synthetics as they are on cotton. That’s because the way chemists formulate a detergent for a hydrophilic fabric is different than the way they formulate a detergent for a hydrophobic fabric. Since 90% of the fabrics we wear are cotton, regular detergents are optimized for cotton. Most people judge their detergent on whether it gets ketchup stains out of tee shirts or grass stains out of jeans. Rightly so! That’s why regular detergents add stain fighters, optical brighteners, and other additives – so when you look at your clothes after they’re washed, they look clean. But if you’re reading this, it’s because you’re also judging your clothes on the way they smell, and you’ve found regular detergents lacking when it comes to your synthetics. WIN FREES THE OILS FROM SYNTHETICS The fundamental difference between WIN and other detergents is that WIN contains ingredients that separate the oils from the synthetic fibers. Just like pulling that static electricity balloon off the wall, WIN breaks the bond between the oil and the fibers. WIN WASHES THE OILS AND BACTERIA AWAY Once the oils have been freed from the fibers, special detergent molecules called Surfactants go to work. Surfactants are common – all soaps contain surfactants. WIN has chosen its surfactants specifically to get the oils out of synthetics while leaving your gear functioning and feeling great. Just like you wouldn’t wash your pots and pans with shampoo or wash your hair with dish soap, we’ve chosen the right surfactants to wash synthetic clothing fibers. Surfactants are two-sided molecules. One side is hydrophobic (repels water), so it grabs onto the oils. The other side is hydrophilic, so it grabs onto the water in the wash. When the water goes down the drain, so do the oils. And with them, the bacteria. YOUR GEAR WORKS BETTER AND LASTS LONGER Because WIN removes the oils from your apparel, the wicking properties of the fabric are restored to almost brand new. Not only does your gear smell better, it works better. And because it works better and smells better, WIN users keep their gear longer. Source: WIN Detergent |
WIN Sports Detergent can be found at local retailers or on Amazon. For more information on WIN, be sure to check out their website and social media pages.