Over the past few years, activewear and workout clothes have become part of our everyday wardrobe.

We wear them to the gym, yoga studio, or pilates classes. We also throw them on for outdoor activities such as running, hiking, biking, and kayaking.

But it doesn’t stop there.

They aren’t just for working out anymore.

Activewear garments are a staple for morning coffee runs, weekend brunches, running errands, and even casual workdays.

So how do you organize these clothes into your wardrobe? Do you keep them stacked up on a chair, crammed in a drawer, or tucked under the bed?

Since workout clothes have become such an essential part of our everyday lives, let’s give these garments the space they deserve in our closets!

In this blog post, you’ll learn how to organize your workout clothes, including best method for your closet style, what you should hang vs. fold, as well as tools and gadgets to keep these clothes neat and tidy.

Lastly, you’ll find out what to do with sweaty gym clothes after a hardcore workout.

Let’s get started!

This post may contain affiliate links. Please see my full disclosure policy here for more information.

Where should I store my workout clothes?

Your workout clothes have earned space in your everyday wardrobe.

Start by organizing your closet (how to organize your closet in 15 minutes) and make room for this necessary wardrobe staple.

Take a look at how many pieces of athletic wear you own and then plan enough space in your closet.

You can store your athletic gear on a shelf, on hangers, in baskets, or in drawers.

Or a combination of all four options!

If your closet is overflowing and you don’t have any room for your workout clothes, you may need to clean out your closet.

This post I wrote will help - do I have too many clothes?

How do you organize workout clothes in drawers?

Now that you’ve made some room in your closet let’s start with garments you may want to put in drawers.

Author and professional organizer Marie Kondo, aka KonMari has an excellent method of folding clothes to fit neatly in drawers.

It works by folding workout clothes into neat little package-type rectangles that stand up on their own.

Instead of stacking your clothes on top of each other, you’ll place them vertically next to each other. Vertical organizing allows you to see all of your garments at once.

Also, this folding method allows the garments to stand independently. When you pull a few pieces out of the drawer, the other clothes won’t topple over, and the drawer remains neat and tidy.

This method of organizing works perfectly for leggings, tees, and workout tank tops.

The video below shows you how to fold your workout clothes using the KonMari method.

Depending on how many workout clothes you have, you can designate a drawer for tops and a drawer for bottoms. To separate tees and tanks or leggings and shorts, try using drawer dividers.

I found these drawer dividers on Amazon and love that they slide into your drawer and are easy to adjust.

Give this folding method a try if you plan on keeping your workout clothes in drawers or baskets and let me know how it works for you.

What if you don’t have drawers? How to should you store your workout clothes?

We’ll cover that next!

Should you hang or fold workout clothes?

Do you have a closet like mine?

I live in a home with a traditional American closet.

It’s a hanging bar about 5 feet off the ground with a rack shelf over the top.

I’ve tried the KonMari method, and as much as it appeals to my passion for perfectly folded clothes, it doesn’t work with my closet style.

I don’t use drawers, and that seems to be the key to this type of fold.

Instead, I use a combination of both folding and hanging my workout clothes.

Here’s what I hang and what I fold.

What to Hang

Hang all workout tops.

First, sort them by classification - tanks, tees, sweatshirts, and jackets.

Then arrange the tops by color from light to dark. I like to use a rainbow order of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet, followed by white, gray, and black.

The only “tops” I don’t hang are my sports bras. I keep them in a basket next to my regular bras.

What to Fold

Fold all workout bottoms including shorts, skorts, leggings, joggers, and workout pants.

How to fold - Fold shorts and skorts in half lengthwise and then in half horizontally. For leggings, joggers, and workout pants, fold in half lengthwise and then in thirds horizontally.

Create stacks by classification - shorts, skorts, leggings, joggers, and workout pants. You may only need one or two stacks depending on how many garments you have. Then organize them by color from light to dark.

How do you store sweaty gym clothes?

So far, we’ve covered how to organize all your fresh clean workout clothes.

However, what do you do with sweaty gym clothes after a workout?

Let’s say you get up in the early morning and head to the gym. You grab a quick shower at the fitness center, change into your work clothes and you’re ready to head into the office for the day.

What do you do with those sweaty clothes all day so that they don’t develop a permanent odor.

Give them a quick rinse in the sink.
Gently wring them out and wrap them in a towel to squeeze out excess water.
Place the clothes in an antimicrobial waterproof sport sack or a gym bag with wet/dry compartments
Be sure to remove your sweaty workout clothes from the bag when you get home.
Place the damp clothes in a breathable laundry basket or launder them immediately.