Heart & Soul

If sweat, grime and remnants of your post-workout snack have taken the pop out of your summer white workout clothes, hit the bleach for the 100 percent cotton stuff that’s sturdy enough to withstand it. But that will only make stained fitness duds made out of wicking fabrics look worse. Instead, try this trick:

Use a three- to five-gallon bucket large enough to hold the garments. Cover the fabric with the hottest water it can withstand. Add enough laundry detergent to wash a full load, then add three scoops of your favorite powdered oxygen cleaner, like OxyClean. Or be penny wise and make your own by mixing 1 cup hot water,1/2 cup baking soda and 1/2 cup hydrogen peroxide. Add half that mixture to a bucket. Stir or swish to be sure the cleaners dissolve. Let soak 20 minutes to overnight.

Pour the bucket contents, liquid, clothes and all, into the washing machine. Wash a normal load of clothes of similar color in the hottest water recommended by the manufacturer. Avoid setting the spots by checking for stains before tossing the garment in the dryer. Better yet, just let it air dry.