If you suffer from occasional jock itch or ringworm infections or if you are an athlete that is concerned with the higher risk of getting a jock itch infection, you may be wondering what steps you can take to prevent jock itch.

An important part of jock itch prevention is to do your laundry properly to ensure you’re killing any existing fungal spores on your clothing. Today we’ll be guiding you on how to better prevent the fungal infection.

Jock Itch Symptoms

As we’ve mentioned in previous posts, jock itch is easy to identify as it usually presents itself as a ring-like rash in the groin, inner thighs, and sometimes even on the scalp.

Jock itch is usually characterized by an itching and burning sensation. A jock itch rash can spread to any part of the body and is considered to be highly contagious.

Read more in our post, Is Jock Itch Contagious?

Man smelling his sweaty clothes before washing them to avoid a fungal infection

Jock Itch causes

Jock itch is a common fungal skin infection that active women and men catch. Tight, restrictive clothing that’s often used for working out and sports activities can trap body warmth and moisture, providing optimum conditions for the fungus to thrive.

An untreated athlete’s foot infection can cause a jock itch rash too. The tinea pedis fungus can spread to the groin area through clothing touching the affected areas.

Read more about ringworm causes in our post on the topic.

Wash Clothes Frequently and Thoroughly to Prevent Jock Itch

The key to preventing jock itch and ringworm infections is to maintain good personal hygiene habits and take proper care of your clothing.

Follow our top tips for washing clothes for jock itch and ringworm prevention, and avoid suffering from an annoying fungal infection again:

Wash undergarments and other clothes that are worn close to the skin after every use.
Wash jeans, blouses, and other looser clothes after every 3 uses or so. That said, if you end up wearing them on warmer days and sweat more than usual, you should wash them more frequently.
Following a workout or physical labor, wash your clothes right away. This will help you quickly remove any lingering sweat or fungal spores.

Remember don’t be tempted to wear the same clothes repeatedly. It’s important to wash them regularly to prevent the optimum conditions for fungi to take hold.

Man doing laundry in order to prevent jock itch

Wash Your Clothes Correctly for Jock Itch Prevention

Along with frequently washing your clothes, it’s important to wash them in the right way to prevent jock itch and ringworm infections.

Use delicate laundry soaps to wash your clothes.
Before washing your clothes in the machine, make sure that any bleach or stain removers have been washed off.
Wash towels and bed linens every 3-5 uses with hot water in the washing machine to wash away fungal spores.
Ensure your clothes are completely dry before you wear them.

other Ringworm and Jock Itch Prevention Tips

Since ringworm and jock itch spreads between athletes and other active people, it’s important to follow a few simple prevention tips if you like to do sports frequently.

Always clean shared athletic equipment first before using it.
Avoid wearing a bathing suit for extended periods of time. Excessive moisture in the groin area may encourage the growth of fungus which causes jock itch and ringworm infections.
Don’t use the same towel to dry infected and non-infected areas. For instance, if you have a jock itch infection in your groin, you shouldn’t use the same towel to dry your groin and your scalp. The same goes for an athlete’s foot infection. If you have athlete’s foot, don’t dry your feet with the same towel you’re using for the rest of your body.
Try to shower immediately after exercising to prevent sweat and fungus from lingering on your body.
Change your underwear daily or more frequently if you exercise or sweat heavily.

Woman holding her clean towels in the laundry room to prevent jock itch

How to Get Rid of Jock Itch: Jock Itch Treatment

What should you do if your jock itch won’t go away?

If you already have a jock itch infection, don’t worry you can easily treat jock itch infections at home. If you already have an active fungal infection, we recommend using Silka Ⓡ Jock Itch Cream. The Silka(R) Jock Itch Cream formula contains the active ingredient clotrimazole, which prevents the growth of fungal cells by changing the cell wall permeability, therefore curing most infections.

When you apply it consistently according to the instructions, symptoms of the fungal infection should disappear within 14 days. Remember if you have a chronic case of the infection it’s best to speak with your doctor who can provide you with a personalized treatment plan to eliminate jock itch.

If you have any preexisting health conditions or a compromised immune system, you should always speak with your healthcare provider before selecting a treatment plan.

Take care!