Vanquish stinky cycling clothing

[Dirt]

Greetings humans.

I had a much overdo experience this weekend that made my cycling life much more enjoyable. Cycling clothes are often synthetic and tend to hold odor, even after a good washing. Stuff smells fresh and clean out of the washer, but once you wear it for a little while and start to perspire, the odor comes back really strong. Regular detergents don’t get rid of this either. 1/3 cup of vinegar in the fabric softener cycle can kinda help a little…. but not really. I used to end up tossing clothing long before its duty cycle had been completed because it just smelled so rank.

Then along came the wonders of Penguin Sport Wash. http://www.penguinapparelcare.com/sport.html

The stuff works. I hadn’t used it in a while… It became obvious last week that it was time. I stopped off at REI and picked up a bottle. I also went to Conte’s and picked up a bottle of Assos Active Wear Cleanser (http://www.worldcycling.com/Assos-Active-Wear-Cleanser/productinfo/ASNWASH/) and went to town. I did 5 loads of cycling clothes (4 with Sport Wash, one with Assos AWC). The stuff is awesome. Things smelled a little funny as it hung and dried…. especially since I had washed 30 jerseys, 15 pairs of shorts, 10 sets of tights plus assorted leg/arm/knee warmers. By morning the shop had returned to its normal state. I tend to use the Sport Wash over the Assos because it is a lot cheaper. Both work well.

You don’t have to use it for every wash. I tend to use it for a few wash cycles, then put it away for a while.

Yesterday’s ride was the proof that the stuff worked. I’m not saying that I was instantly transformed into a lilac bouquet after 65 miles setting pace for a group on the Eastern Shore. What I will say is that I didn’t cause anyone to pass out from smelling my base layer when I changed at the end of the ride.

One additional thing. I took the opportunity to re-treat my rain gear at the same time. High tech rain gear needs special care. There are special washes and retreatments that get them much closer to working the way they were when new. I use Nikwax Tech Wash (http://www.nikwax.com/en-us/products/productdetail.php?productid=268&activity=) to clean my rain gear. I’ve found that it helps. Nikwax also has products that are designed to really restore the waterproof nature and promote breathability in rain gear once they’ve been cleaned. This stuff works pretty well.

I hope that helps y’all a bit. It sure makes my house a much happier place.

Love,

Pete

Topic

[Jsnyd]

You have quite the collection. Good range of colors! Thanks for the info, as always. Smelling good.. or not smelling bad is always a plus.

[acc]

I still don’t understand, could you come over and demonstrate? I have a washer and plenty of dirty laundry.

ann

[CCrew]

@acc 7417 wrote:

I still don’t understand, could you come over and demonstrate? I have a washer and plenty of dirty laundry.

Now that’s just funny…

[Dirt]

@acc 7417 wrote:

I still don’t understand, could you come over and demonstrate? I have a washer and plenty of dirty laundry.

ann

If you saw some of the chemistry projects that got me booted out of high school chemistry class, you wouldn’t ask me to do that. I could do wonders for your laundry, washing machine and one of my goals in life is to get a good photo of a mushroom cloud rising out of a clothes dryer.

It is important to have goals in life.

Love,

Pete

[Tim Kelley]

@Dirt 7429 wrote:

I could do wonders for your laundry, washing machine and one of my goals in life is to get a good photo of a mushroom cloud rising out of a clothes dryer.

I was reminded of this video: http://youtu.be/364dzVsBs2o?t=45s

[LilBit]

I use Dreft, which is really good for getting odors out of clothes. But, I have another issue: my helmet STINKS! I can’t take the straps out and wash them. I wipe it down, try to spray with Lysol or Febreez, but the smell comes back. Does anyone have any tips on getting rid of the helmet stink?

Lizzie (to distinguish from Liz that posts a lot)

[Tim Kelley]

@LilBit 8024 wrote:

Does anyone have any tips on getting rid of the helmet stink?

I know of a former professional mountain bike racer who allegedly takes his helmet into the shower with him and uses shampoo to clean it…

[OneEighth]

Something to think about—sweat degrades the shock-dissipation properties of your helmet. That is why helmets (for motorsports, too) should be replaced not only after an impact but also after you’ve had it for a while.
Think of the funk as a wear-indicator.

[Dirt]

@OneEighth 8027 wrote:

Think of the funk as a wear-indicator.

Yup. That’s the answer.

The Black Eyed Peas sing a song about that too: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TskUO52e1NE

[KLizotte]

@OneEighth 8027 wrote:

Something to think about—sweat degrades the shock-dissipation properties of your helmet. That is why helmets (for motorsports, too) should be replaced not only after an impact but also after you’ve had it for a while.
Think of the funk as a wear-indicator.

I use anti-bacterial wipes to clean off the straps after each ride. Helps keep the ick-factor down and is easy to do. I also hand wash the liner and soak the straps in a bucket of soapy water whenever I have time. I do wish helmet manufacturers could devise a helmet with removable (machine washable) straps though.

[StopMeansStop]

Sport suds works well without a funky smell. I wonder what a dishwasher would do for a helmet?

[pfunkallstar]

Straps are cheap to replace – my last one looked like it had been soaking in a spittoon for a year or so. Also, for getting the rank out of the stank, I just throw some generic Oxyclean in the wash. It turns “day-after Labor Day Rehobeth beach dumpster” into “slightly off smelling dog park.”

[krazygl00]

@KLizotte 8109 wrote:

I do wish helmet manufacturers could devise a helmet with removable (machine washable) straps though.

Two words: Giro Prolight. It is surprising how many helmets do NOT have easily-removable straps, though.

[Dirt]

Also keep in mind that helmets should be replaced often. Even if you don’t crash, the salt and elements do cause the protective qualities of the helmet to degrade.

I usually rotate between 2 or 3 helmets at any given time… since I ride twice per day, a single helmet wouldn’t always dry out in between uses. I usually replace each helmet once per year.

Pete

[Bilsko]

Sport suds works well without a funky smell. I wonder what a dishwasher would do for a helmet?

I’m thinking this wouldn’t end well.
Even assuming you turned off the Heated Dry cycle, you still have to deal with the hot water. Dishwashers are only fed from your hot water circuit so, for most homes, that means water around 110-120 (depending on your HW heater setting). My guess is that it would stress the glue adhering the plastic to the PS foam.

[Author]

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