Washing shorts with Ecover

JamesFn

This is my first forum post on Bikeradar.

I washed some shorts with Ecover with some other washing.

Unfortunately they shrivelled up.

I would like to buy some new shorts but would have to be sure I could wash them without harming them before spending a lot of money.

Any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks.

ugo.santalucia

Nonsense. It's not the washing liquid, most likely it's the temperature. 30 degrees and use any soap you want... and obviously no tumble drier... possibly avoid hanging them in the sun to dry

PTestTeam

JamesFn wrote:

This is my first forum post on Bikeradar.

I washed some shorts with Ecover with some other washing.

Unfortunately they shrivelled up.

I would like to buy some new shorts but would have to be sure I could wash them without harming them before spending a lot of money.

Any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks.

Turn the shorts inside out then wash at 30degrees on a delicate wash cycle using No-bio wash detergent, or ideally soap flakes. Try and wash your cycle kit on its own, and make sure jeans and any velcro closures aren't in the same wash cycle

imposter2.0

JamesFn wrote:

Unfortunately they shrivelled up.

Pics - or it didn't happen.

pblakeney

Imposter wrote:

JamesFn wrote:

Unfortunately they shrivelled up.

Pics - or it didn't happen.

Agreed. I have washed a multitude of shorts in a multitude of methods. Including Ecover.
Never happened to me. Never at tried a wash at 90 degrees though.

amrushton

I use a delicates 40deg or a sports wash @ 40 deg and it's not harmed any of my kit but I wouldn't go higher. Sounds like they were in a 50/60 wash.

First.Aspect

Clearly the problem here is spending too much money on expensive but inconsequentially environmentally friendly washing powder, and too little on cycling shorts manufactured by Taiwanese children and flown here by coal powered aeroplanes.

dag_on_a_bike

30c sports wash with non-bio wash liquid with no fabric softener.

Dry on the line, or airing cupboard, but never tumble drier.

Been doing this for years, with gear washed generally within 30mins of ending a ride. Not yet had a single problem.

meanredspider

I've been washing my gear at 30 or 40 using a regular bio detergent (no-one has yet explained to me why I should use an inferior non-bio product - especially when the lower temp washes were specifically developed taking bio into account) - I have some Assos shorts that are 6 years old that I used for daily commuting duties so were washed and dried daily. They are not quite as black as new ones but otherwise perfect.

Don't trust any cycling product that needs non-bio or very delicate handling - shorts in particular. Think (but don't think too hard) about the battering the seat of a pair of shorts goes through on a tough (hot or winter) ride. For starters your body is at nearly 40C and your legs and butt are applying far harsher conditions to the fabric than any washing machine will (at 40c or below). And, given the parts of your body the shorts are in contact with, you do really want to get them clean. And, as above, forget Ecover - the economies of scale alone make big brands more "Eco"

rolf_f

meanredspider wrote:

And, as above, forget Ecover - the economies of scale alone make big brands more "Eco"

That's a relief. I've been looking for an ecological reason to go back to battery farmed eggs and now I have one!

fenix

I'd love to know what the OP did to his shorts to wreck them.

It wasn't to do with the detergent though.

Presumably he's cycling nudey until he's worked out that his washing powder won't shrink the next lot ?