Question about cleaning from the wife!

boogi11

Hi, the wife would like o know how to wash all my cycling gear, do you hand was it, cold wash with mon bio etcc... Can you buy specific powder. Specifically my waterproof gear.

Cheers

Grill

For all cycling kit I wash with non-bio at 30 degrees, and I don't tumble dry. For waterproof gear same except tumble dry low (the heat and tumble action re-tightens the fibres and keeps them waterproof).

DevonClimber

Halo do a sport specific liquid wash, which you're wife or even you can use.

boogi11

I will look for the halo, I don't use the washing machine, I just drag it outside ever four weeks and take it to pieces to remove bra wires, coins, sweets, and action figures from the pump

Cannock Chase

boogi11 wrote:

Hi, the wife would like o know how....

Hmmm.... This seems like one of those "I'm asking on behalf of a friend" question...!!

Are we sure you weren't doubting wifey's washing skill and she told you "Do it your bl**dy self then"

Come on. Own up. You're amongst friends. We won't laugh. We've all been there....

boogi11

Lets just be clear, my washing machine has more buttons than my car, I don't understand it, my wife has been trained in overloading the washing machine, and can now make it bounce to the tumble dryer

Cannock Chase

1st Tip.... Don't forget to separate whites from colours......

smidsy

Read the labels too. Some products may be handwash only and others may not like conditioners either.

simona75

My tips would be

1. Use Halo (about £3 from Tesco but will last you 6 months)
2. Most modern machines have a "sports wash" setting (30 degrees and a slow spin). I find this ideal
3. If you have bag made of netting then its a good idea to wash your shorts in these as it prevents stretching

g00se

Generally, things like man-made fibre base layers need non-bio detergent - to protect any biological based odour suppressors.

Items with waterproofing need to be washed in pure soap or specific detergents like Grangers or Nic-Wax to protect the waterproofing agents. They also make re-proofers to re waterproof items that have lost their ability to bead the water off. Either wash-in stuff for shells or spray-on for those with fabric liners etc.

Also, you must not use conditioners as this will block up the fibres and reduce breathability.

smidsy

Problem with the sport wash setting is that the spin does not get rid of enough water so when you hang the stuff up to dry it drips everywhere. I hang mine over the bath now.

navrig

My gear just gets chucked in with all the other wash. It gets Daz bio, a 40degree wash, fullspeed spin and hung up outside in good weather and inside in bad weather. It doesn't get tumbled. Haven't had any problems with fading, stains etc.

Waterproofs get the Nik Wax treatment.

MountainMonster

I treat my riding clothes like normal clothes and have never had a problem.

ktuludays

MountainMonster wrote:

I treat my riding clothes like normal clothes and have never had a problem.

you wear them to the pub, shopping etc...?

Pross

Navrig wrote:

My gear just gets chucked in with all the other wash. It gets Daz bio, a 40degree wash, fullspeed spin and hung up outside in good weather and inside in bad weather. It doesn't get tumbled. Haven't had any problems with fading, stains etc.

Waterproofs get the Nik Wax treatment.

This (except mine also gets tumbled at times).

n1ckster

g00se wrote:

Also, you must not use conditioners as this will block up the fibres and reduce breathability.

+1

pilot_pete

I have just used bio liquid/ powder in the past and put gear in with everything else at 40 degrees. However, over time I have found that black items fade, usually on the outside and the inside remains jet black!

I now use Halo, at 30 degrees and turn all my clothing, especially black base layers and shorts inside out prior to washing. This is easy as they tend to be 'peeled' off when I'm cold and knackered after a ride and end up inside out on the floor! This technique seems to be working well and the 30 wash for delicates and man mades on my machine only takes 51 minutes! Seems to be good enough to remove all the dirt. On stubborn road stains from a wet ride I wash the stuff before it dries in and may spray a little of that Vanish stain remover on if required. This gets all the marks out.

Another tip is to put items with Velcro, like gloves/ track mitts/ overshoes into those net bags that come with Assos gear before washing; it prevents them latching onto your best jersey and causing the surface to 'pill'.

PP

andy 3654

ktuludays wrote:

MountainMonster wrote:

I treat my riding clothes like normal clothes and have never had a problem.

you wear them to the pub, shopping etc...?

Funny you should mention that some of the hi vis stuff I wear to raves, fits right in and im toasty warm on way home.

nferrar

My normal cycling stuff I wash at 40c in Halo (never had anything fall apart so figure may as well do 40 than 30...), mostly as it's better vs bacteria than a lot of the normal powders (it doesn't last me 6 months though like someone else posted, more like 2-3 months a bottle).
Currently for waterproof stuff I just use Halo then another wash with Granger's proofer but am going to switch to soap flakes instead of Halo once I get hold of some then Granger's wash & proof stuff, even then probably needs separate proofer + tumble dry to restore the beading effect.
Make sure any velcro is well covered (or but stuff with it on in a pillow case as an extra precaution) as velcro shreds lycra pretty well (especially in a 1400rpm spin which is what all my stuff goes through)

g00se

ktuludays wrote:

MountainMonster wrote:

I treat my riding clothes like normal clothes and have never had a problem.

you wear them to the pub, shopping etc...?

I probably spend more time in the pub wearing lycra than I do in normal clothes. Then again, I ride with a club based out of a pub. In fact, on club run evenings, there's more folks in the pub wearing lycra than anything else.

It make for quite a spectacle at closing time as everyone wobbles off.