(Disclaimer: We were provided with product samples from Tide. As always, we only share with you the information about products we have tried and trust ourselves.)
Apparently rebloom is an actual term. A term that I should use regularly because I deal with it on a daily basis. What am I talking about? After you’ve washed your workout clothes and they’re fluffy fresh and smell like lavender and daisies, you go work out and about halfway through your warm-up you think to yourself, “Oh my god, I smell bad.”
That’s rebloom. Before I knew there was a term to describe it I was intrigued (mostly annoyed, but we’ll go with intrigued) by this effect and wanted to know more about it. Who better to ask than laundry experts?
I asked Tide if there was anything special I could or should be doing with my laundry to save my clothes from the near fate of the trash can ($60 lululemon sports bra, you must last longer than five months, you must).
I wasn’t expecting the in-depth answer I received. Tide’s done a ton of research to find out the level of soil our bodies produce and why it stays in our clothes and linens even after we’ve washed them. We sweat, a lot, but we also produce a lot of salt, grease and dead skin cells. Trust me, I’m thoroughly grossed out, too.
A few simple things that go a long way in combating rebloom include immediately washing your sweaty clothes out in cold water after use. Then hang them up to dry. Avoid letting them sit bunched up anywhere as best you can.
I’ve also heard of a few at-home remedies in the washer that friends have sworn by, although I’ve never tried any of them myself.
On a regular basis, you can try adding a cup of white vinegar and 1 tablespoon of baking soda to your load of laundry when you wash them with detergent.
For more soiled clothing that already suffers from rebloom, before you wash them with detergent let them sit in cold water filled with a cup of vinegar, 1 teaspoon of hydrogen peroxide and 1 teaspoon of baking soda. After soaking for an hour, then rinsing in cold water, wash them as you normally would.
But Tide’s research has also culminated in a product line-up in partnership with Downy to combat the inevitable occurrence of rebloom (let’s be honest, if you’re #livingasweatlife, this has probably already happened to you).
Tide’s three-part combo is designed to be used in sequence to remove the bacteria that’s collected in your laundry and to keep it from coming back. Tide PODS Plus Febreze Odor Defense removes the bulk of soils, Tide Rescue with Febreze Odor Defense is a form of oxygenated bleach that breaks down more stubborn soils at the fiber level and Downy Fresh Protect with Febreze Odor Defense is an additional shield that neutralizes odors.
I used all three in a row and while it did add a couple extra steps to my laundry process (is it just me or is it literally the most annoying part of the week … er … month …?), it made a noticeable difference.
Even two days after I did laundry, I came home to my room and the scent of freshness was still powerful. I made the commitment to taking better care of my workout clothes since then and my friends who work out next to me are thanking these divine innovations, too.
