Knee sleeves are a great accessory item that offer compression for your joints on squat days, but sometimes we forgot to wash them. Knee sleeves are commonly made out of neoprene, which will absorb moisture and start to smell if we don’t care for them.

After wearing (and sweating) in your knee sleeves, it’s important to prevent mildew from growing. Don’t throw them in your gym bag right away. Make sure you turn them inside out and allow them to air dry.

Washing your knee sleeves after each time you wear them may be excessive. Shoot for washing them after every 3-5 wears. You can throw them in the washing machine on gentle cycle or hand wash them. Use a mild laundry detergent and add 2-4 ounces of distilled white vinegar, which will help kill mildew and odor. Skip the dryer and allow them to air dry.

Neoprene is durable and washing your knee sleeves regularly will improve the condition and reduce the smell.

By Conner Edelbrock