What are synthetic fabrics?

You may have heard the term “synthetic fabrics” before, especially if you live in the world of activewear. Brands like Nike, Lululemon, Under Armour and more have all introduced synthetic fabrics into their apparel in the last few years. But what are they and why are big name brands using them?

Brands who use synthetics fabrics in their clothes:

The word “synthetic” can sometimes have a negative connotation - depending on how it’s used. But that's not the case in the apparel industry (at least in our opinion). Synthetics, as it relates to fibers, simply means “man-made” vs natural. Natural fibers are things like cotton, silk, hemp, wool. Synthetic fibers are things like polyester, spandex, nylon, rayon - not necessarily a bad thing but definitely a different make up than natural fibers. Which means they require different care to maintain the longevity of them.

Gone are the days when our clothing labels read “made with 100% cotton” - for those items, we still recommend a traditional detergent to clean, wash and protect. However, the care instructions for a synthetic fabric vs a natural fabric are vastly different. After all, you wouldn’t use wood cleaner on your granite countertops, would you?

There are loads of benefits to synthetic fabrics vs natural, they are lightweight, durable, affordable and flexible. Ultimately, they perform differently than cotton, silk, hemp, wool or other natural fibers. And they perform in a way that help you, which is why athletic brands like Nike, Lululemon, Under Armour, Alo Yoga, and more have all started using them in their apparel. But as we said before, they require different care, IF you want more than a couple uses out of them.

Here is what we suggest:

1. Separate your activewear from everyday wear
2. Use a specialty activewear detergent, we obviously recommend HEX
1. Synthetic fabrics absorb oil (like sweat) and there is oil in traditional laundry detergents, so they absorb them too. Not only do traditional detergents not clean your synthetic fibers, they also trap MORE gook and grime in them!
2. The HEX molecule, used in all of our detergents, has a positive charge, so sweat and bacteria are actually attracted to it - the HEX molecule pulls them out of your clothes and flushes them in the wash, leaving behind a protective barrier and making it harder for sweat, dirt and bacteria to stick to your clothes in the future.
3. If you’re looking for softening benefits, as you would a fabric softener, try giving our fabric conditioners a try!
4. Follow the care instructions on your garment’s tag regarding the drying process of your routine.
1. At HEX, you’ll find us hang drying, drying on a slow, warm tumble cycle or drying on a normal cycle with our wet dryer sheets - depends on the garment and depends on how much time we have and how much we care about what we’re washing!
2. We are all about longevity and protecting the investment you’ve made in your activewear, if you have the time to hang dry your garments and that’s what the tag recommends, so do we!