About.com Rating

The Bottom Line

WIN High Performance Sport Detergent performs well on high-performance athletic wear but is more expensive than regular detergents.



Pros

• Suited for top or front loading washers
• Performs adequately
• Bottle contains 25% post-consumer recycled plastic
• Safe on all fabrics
• Clean, pleasant odor

Cons

• Cap measurement lines are impossible to see
• Cost per load is high
• Ingredients are not listed

Description

• Endorsed by the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team, WIN is formulated to clean and remove odor from high-performance athletic wear.
  
• WIN is formulated for use in front-loading or top loading washers and for hand washing.
  
• WIN is available online and in 300 retail outlets across the U.S.
  

WIN High Performance Sport Laundry Detergent -  Product Review

I must first admit that we are not a family of athletes. Our high-performance athletic wear is chosen for its perspiration wicking ability in the seats on the sunny side of the stadium. So, I called on a couple of coaches to help me test WIN High Performance Sport Detergent.

WIN, which has been endorsed by the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team, was created to remove embedded sweat and odor and neutralize the bacteria that can overwhelm the fabric and cause discoloring stains from microfiber gear. The apparel industry has developed fabric that is great at moisture management and body heat mitigation during physical activity but they still retain body odor caused by bacteria.

Even after washing with traditional detergents, high performance materials can retain a musty odor caused by body bacteria. WIN Detergent's formula uses a super oxygenated system of hydrogen peroxide to eliminate embedded molecules and odors. Once in a soluble form, the dirt and odor are washed away. WIN is formulated for all colors and fabrics and works in both top-loading and front-loading machines, and for hand washing.

The coaches and I found WIN to be effective at removing normal dirt and odor in athletic training wear. The clothes came out clean and soft; however, not all odor was removed. This especially true on cotton garments and older high-performance gear.

The detergent worked much better on newer training clothes at removing odor. Perhaps we can't expect any detergent to turn a sow's ear into a silk purse!

Disclosure: Review samples were provided by the manufacturer. For more information, please see our Ethics Policy.