Washing your apparel

FitzM

Happy New Year

Over the festive period I treated myself to some new apparel. Like most of us I own average apparel, some good stuff and my recent purchase added some better kit. In the early days my kit went in the washing machine with whatever detergent was next to the machine, but as my kit wardrobe has improved my care of it has to too.

Yesterday I contacted the manufacturer of the recently purchased kit to confirm how best to wash my kit and he suggested ideally cold wash and defo not above 30° - I'm sure this isn't news to any of us but what did surprise me was that he suggested I should use powder rather than liquid.

So to my question for those that use powder, what powder do you recommend?

Dippydog3

30 degree wash, anything non bio. Powder, liquid or tabs. Its all the same when its dissolved.

alihisgreat

30 degrees and Halo sports wash: http://www.wiggle.co.uk/halo-proactive-sports-wash-laundry-detergent-1-litre/

Its far better at tackling the lingering odors than normal stuff.

FitzM

ALIHISGREAT wrote:

30 degrees and Halo sports wash: http://www.wiggle.co.uk/halo-proactive-sports-wash-laundry-detergent-1-litre/

Yep I've currently got that sitting in my Wiggle basket. I'm just canvasing views on powder detergent as powder is recommended by the manufacturer.

arran77

FitzM wrote:

So to my question for those that use powder, what powder do you recommend?

Whatever Mrs 77 buys :P

simon_masterson

The kit manufacturers - if some more than others (eg Assos) - may have you baby your kit more than you really need to. Non-bio (Which I use anyway as I'm allergic to bio), preferably sans softener, works perfectly fine. I don't have any expensive kit (mostly DHB as that's what I can afford). I prefer Halo, simply because I find it makes my kit fresher and softer - though having had some bad saddle sores in the past, using an antibacterial detergent seems like a good idea to me. I tend to turn jerseys, shorts and tights inside out to stop decals getting tatty (not sure how effective this is), and put my mitts and caps in a delicates bag for much the same reason.

FitzM

Ditto everything is washed inside out with bibs in one mesh laundry bag and jerseys (because of the zips) in another. Seems I take better care of my cycling kit than I do my car or for that matter myself!

mrushton

ALIHISGREAT wrote:

30 degrees and Halo sports wash: http://www.wiggle.co.uk/halo-proactive-sports-wash-laundry-detergent-1-litre/

Its far better at tackling the lingering odors than normal stuff.

Not recommended on wool - so Rapha base layers, woolie boolie socks don't get washed in this. Tesco and Asda do a Halo type product. Pure soap flakes from Wilkinsons or Liquid Soap from DP (available in Waitrose) works on everything incl those items like Nanoflex with DWR treatments. Some detergents may strip this out

Brailsford Bad

Cycling Weekly suggested sticking to the 30 degrees warm wash but using Biological powder or capsules. The reason being that 30 degrees isn't hot enough to kill the bacteria that lurk in chamois pads, sweaty jerseys and base layers. Its good enough for the road crud and dirt but not for the bugs.

Ive always done 30 degrees, biological and turned everything inside out so the graphics or decals don't peel so quickly.

y33stu

Nothing special for me. I just use whatever is in the cupboard, on 40 degrees. I've never checked the recommendations, and nothing has ever been damaged/shrunk etc... I don't buy expensive stuff, or cheap, just middle of the road really.

ddraver

I think the main thing is to not use softener on any sports kit as it clogs up the technical fabrics and can irritate your special soft parts.

I tend to use a "delicates" cleaner on my non-waterproof kit and save my waterproof/DWR kit until it really needs it, then wash it with a Nikwax or similar type cleaner.

Never underestimate the power of a garden hose on muddy kit too...

stueys

Halo on everything bar merino where I use a wool specific wash thing. anything that is dwp treated (jackets) gets washed in special wash that allegedly protects the treatment.

FitzM

For my next few washes I'll continue with the turn inside out, keep using the mesh laundry bags go 30°but I'll try out liquid soap flakes for my Merino & DWR kit and powder on my other kit.

964cup

30 degrees, NikWax tech wash. Can't use bio as I react to it, and the tech wash doesn't ruin the DWR coating on waterproof kit like the Gabba or the Rapha softshell. I'm sure I should use something different for merino, too, but life really is too short for that level of care.

MisterMuncher

Tesco Own Brand Sports and Workwear wash, or together with non-bio if it's particularly filthy. It's antibacterial so grand in a cooler wash too.

The key things are to avoid fabric softener and make sure to close all Velcro fastenings before washing.

simon_masterson

964Cup wrote:

I'm sure I should use something different for merino, too, but life really is too short for that level of care.

To be fair, some woollens can be completely fine washed as everything else, and others not so much; and it's a temperamental material anyway. One of my merino tops in particular has shrunk a number of times with regular detergents and Halo, and I've stretched it back out again. Only Woollite detergent doesn't shrink it.

wishitwasallflat

30 delicates 700 spin fragrance free liquid but every time I use that fing stupid assos wash bag I find it empty and my assos bibs out! Special fabrics Gore event etc in Nikwax TechWash.

FitzM

wishitwasallflat wrote:

30 delicates 700 spin fragrance free liquid but every time I use that fing stupid assos wash bag I find it empty and my assos bibs out! Special fabrics Gore event etc in Nikwax TechWash.

You wouldn't be the first rider to spill his bags over his Assos gear :shock:

wishitwasallflat

Titter ye not :!: Its a serious issue I live in fear of the assos wash police getting me for giving up on their precious mesh bag not to mention never even having consider buying their washing liquid.

nibby

Whats this with a separate bag for Assos gear?

I've got two sets of bibs from them and have only ever chucked in the wm whenever the washing was getting done, no special care and they are fine.

The only thing I wont do is add fabric conditioner.

Isnt this a bit like people who wont wash bikes with fairy liquid for fear of damaging? I've been washing my bikes from an early age with it and to date and touch wood have not had any sort of problems

mrushton

your local £land/supermarket/ikea sells washbags - so velcro in one and bibshorts in another

FitzM

mrushton wrote:

your local £land/supermarket/ikea sells washbags - so velcro in one and bibshorts in another

Ditto. Bags are available in various sizes so your gloves can also be separated out especially as they seem to have the most vicious velcro.

careful

Anyone know a way to stop the Assos bags from opening in the wash? I never could figure out what to do with that string loop thingy apart from attempting to tie it around the buttonhole bit (which never works for me).

meanredspider

What's the deal with people using non-bio (apart from those sensitive to the enzymes)? The enzymes are only there to break down fats and proteins in particular. This is generally a Good Thing on sports clothing. In general terms, your shorts grind between your saddle and your butt all day, soaked in sweat, at around 40C. To me it then seems a little bit silly to treat them with too much care. The thing I worry about most is Velcro and zips - things that will mechanically damage the fibres.

awavey

meanredspider wrote:

What's the deal with people using non-bio (apart from those sensitive to the enzymes)? The enzymes are only there to break down fats and proteins in particular. This is generally a Good Thing on sports clothing. In general terms, your shorts grind between your saddle and your butt all day, soaked in sweat, at around 40C. To me it then seems a little bit silly to treat them with too much care.

well it might be an old wives tale, but the bio enzymes are supposed to "eat" lycra, maybe they do maybe they dont, but they certainly dont work as well on synthetic fibres,and can leave residue behind which then sits next to your skin and will cause irritation.

so like nearly everyone else it seems, I wash all my cycling clobber and clothing delicates in non bio, and anecdotally they seem to last longer than when I was just using bio on everything & dont seem to get so much shrinkage or colour fade either.

meanredspider

Yup - old wive's tale (a bit like the bollox of there being salt in Fairy Liquid). I used to manufacture the stuff. The enzymes are fragile too.

Just by the by, I've never used anything other than bio and, whilst my 4 year old Assos shorts are a little faded, that's the only sign of age after day-after-day washing that goes with commuting.