Smelly bag

[Crickey7]

Soak it in OxiClean, then wash.

[mstone]

I keep my nasty stuff inside a disposable plastic bag inside my bag. Only way to kill that sort of smell is to sterilize it; I don’t know if your bag is made of something that can stand up to boiling water.

[worktheweb]

I’ve had some success with a mixture of white vinegar and water, between 25/75 and 50/50 depending on your preferences. I have a spray bottle that I fill up (usually 25/75) and it has largely replaced every other spray cleaner for household use. It is surprising how well it can clean things, and it is non-toxic, cheap, and food safe. The vinegar does a good job of removing all kinds of stink. Scrubbing in some baking soda works for really stubborn stuff. Of course, check for colorfastness in an inconspicuous place, but I’ve never had any problems.

[Raymo853]

I am first going to try washing using liquid hand soap it in the sink and then let is dry in the sun for days. This has worked for smelly shoes in the past, but been less than successful with helmets. I might then try the washing machine but am worried it may damage the water resistance of the bag.

I may try the vinegar mix for an older helmet that had to be retired not to age or damage but just the smell. I do worry about vinegar and a possible interaction to the glues and other bonds of the helmet.

[Sunyata]

The UV rays from the sun will kill the bacteria, but the sun is too low in the sky these days to help much.

For me, I would wash it with a 50/50 solution of high quality detergent and white vinegar. This gets rid of the funk from my gloves, helmet pads, and hydration pack when just standard detergent only gets rid of the smell for about 20 minutes (or until it gets wet again). The white vinegar/detergent solution works very well and keeps things funk-free for multiple uses.

There is also a fabled hockey gear cleanser out there that is supposed to work miracles, but I have yet to find any substantial evidence that it actually exists.

Once you wash it and the funk is gone, to keep it away, always let the bag dry/air out in a non-humid environment. If you just shove it in a corner in the garage or your basement (or even your closet), the funk causing bacteria will just grow and multiply.

[pfunkallstar]

All great suggestions – particularly the 50/50 white vinegar and water.

DO NOT use a sachet full of allspice and clove – this will just make your coworkers think that the pumpkin bread that you brought in is poisoned.

[jabberwocky]

I used a bit of vinegar in every load of cycling clothes (into the bleach cup). Its good at neutralizing sweat funk IME, and its very cheap. My Chrome bags have never gotten noticeably smelly, but I usually toss them into the washing machine every few months.

The secret in my experience is to make sure stuff doesn’t lay around and can dry quickly. I don’t leave piles of cycling clothes laying around, my bag is always immediately emptied and hung up, and shoes and gloves get put where they can air out immediately. I’ve only had smell issues with my gear when I forget to air it out.

[KelOnWheels]

Vinegar is win – my Castelli gloves smell like DEATH if I don’t wash them with vinegar

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