Man, rugby shorts take a beating, don’t they? Mud, sweat, grass stains, maybe even some blood – they end up looking downright nasty. Mine were getting stiff and smelling funky after every game. Figured I should sort this out properly.
The Messy Starting Point
Okay, so I dragged my filthy shorts out of the gear bag. Seriously, they looked like they’d lost a fight with a swamp. That mud was caked on hard, and that sweat stank was powerful. Just chucking them in the washer hadn’t been cutting it.
Figuring Out My Steps
Right, time to actually try cleaning them right. Here’s how it went down:
- Shook the chunks off outside first. Seriously, why didn’t I always do this? I slapped them hard against my fence post. Big clumps of dried mud and grass just flew everywhere. Way less crap to deal with inside.
- Hosed them down cold. Grabbed the garden hose. Didn’t use warm water, just straight cold. I sprayed them thoroughly, front and back, especially focusing on the worst patches. Cold water helps stop stains setting in, apparently.
- Pre-treated the stubborn bits. Saw some dark patches and a nasty grass stain. Didn’t go for fancy stuff. Dabbed on some regular old liquid laundry detergent straight onto those stains. Rubbed it in gently with my finger and left it for like 10 minutes while I sorted other gear.
- Flipped them inside out. Heard this helps get the sweat out better from the liner. Made sense, so I turned them inside out before putting them in the machine.
- Cold wash, gentle cycle. Popped them in the washing machine alone (no other stuff rubbing against them). Set it to cold water and picked the gentle cycle. Didn’t overload it. Used a normal amount of detergent. Skipped the fabric softener – heard it can mess with the material over time.
- Air-dried them all the way. Pulled them out after the wash. They felt clean! But no dryer for these guys. Found a spot in the shade, hung them on a clothesline. Sunlight can bleach them or weaken the fabric, so shade is key. Just let the breeze do its thing.
Why This Actually Works
This whole routine wasn’t magic, just common sense done step-by-step. Getting rid of the big chunks first saved my washer. Cold water all the way stopped stains setting like concrete. Pre-treating let the soap attack the grime where it lived. Flipping them meant the machine cleaned the sweaty part better. Gentle cycle kept the fabric from getting shredded. Air drying slowly is just kinder to the material.
My shorts come out way cleaner now, smell fresher for longer, and definitely feel less likely to fall apart next season. Best part? It’s dead simple once you make it a habit. Toss them in the wash right after? Nope. Shake, rinse, treat, then wash easy. Done.
