Smelly cycling gear

Get In There

My cycling gear starts to smell pretty funky soon after wearing it.

I now realize from googling it, I've been making the mistake of washing it with regular clothes- laundry detergent & fabric softener are not what you're supposed to wash your sports gear with - ah well, you learn something new every day!

However I do have quite a collection of base layers and jerseys that I don't want to give up on just yet so I have tried several tips online on how to break down the bacteria that has them smelling funky so quickly - soaking them in white vinegar and rinsing them, sticking them in the wash and using baking soda only. But to no success.

Any one got any tips that they swear by for shifting the smelly bacteria from their gear?

Zen0

I haven't got around to trying this myself yet, but I have heard the suggestion that putting them in the freezer for a day kills off all the warmth loving bacteria. If you do try it, I'd like to know how you get on. Probably put them in a plastic bag if you don't want to gross our everyone else in the house.

Statler

Use this stuff and find it very good, they also do a deodorising spray which is great for shoes and helmets. To be honest I find something like Woolite to be just as good... Something suitable for all fabrics, 30 degree wash and obviously no fabric softeners.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/HALO-PROACTIVE-SPORTS-LIQUID-LITRE/dp/B003WGL0C6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1509055051&sr=8-1&keywords=halo+sports+wash

crosstownk

Never use fabric conditioner on any item that is used to absorb water. Towel, sports kit, etc. Fabric conditioner reduces the ability to absorb moisture.

Alek

Long warm bath in 50ml citrus bleach diluted in 10L water kills all the nasties.

Never done any bad to my cycling stuff, but it needs to be washed normally afterwards with a long rinse cycle to get rid of the bleach smell

magicbastarder

crosstownk wrote: »

Never use fabric conditioner on any item that is used to absorb water. Towel, sports kit, etc. Fabric conditioner reduces the ability to absorb moisture.

IIRC, many fabric softeners contain enzymes which soften clothes by partly digesting them. so they shorten the life of your clothes. citation required.

Macy0161

Occasional wash in a bio detergent does the job for me tbh. I just put it straight back on (without detergent) to make sure it's well rinsed out. Caveat is I haven't done it with my "good" gear yet, as only really noticed it with base layers, and I use aldi/ lidl ones of them!

magicbastarder

interesting though that my cycling gear is always washed in normal (cool) washes with other clothes, and i've never really had an issue.

is it just your cycling gear which is smelly? might be worth running a boil wash on the washing machine to ensure it's clean.

cdaly_

Alek wrote: »

Long warm bath in 50ml citrus bleach diluted in 10L water kills all the nasties.

Never done any bad to my cycling stuff, but it needs to be washed normally afterwards with a long rinse cycle to get rid of the bleach smell

Bleach will fade your gear over time. I put a half-cap of dettol (disinfectant, not bleach) in the fabric conditioner drawer.

magicbastarder wrote: »

interesting though that my cycling gear is always washed in normal (cool) washes with other clothes, and i've never really had an issue.

I guess you just smell of butterflies* and roses...








*Btw, what do butterflies smell of?

Alek

I use bleach only every so often, msybe thrice a year. Nothing lost any of its colour, but hen its all lycra. I dont know how cotton / wool would react.

magicbastarder

cdaly_ wrote: »

*Btw, what do butterflies smell of?

duh. butter.

andy69

We use this stuff, and thankfully that pesky 0.01% it can't kill hasn't affected us

http://www.dettol.ie/products/laundry-sanitiser/dettol-antibacterial-laundry-cleanser/

Also, you might be able to cut off the bacteria 'at the source' so to speak...

http://www.hollandandbarrett.com/shop/product/optima-healthcare-ice-guard-natural-crystal-deodorant-twist-up-60081664

Weepsie

M&S do a pretty good un-perfumed liquid detergent which I use for my stuff. I do nearly everything at 30. * This is the advice given for some of my more luxurious gear, so I use it for all of them

For certain gear I'll use Nikwax too.

Cheap AntiBacterial Gel is more than you'd need to cut it off at source. That Holland & Barrett stuff is unnecessarily expensive

andy69

Weepsie wrote: »

...That Holland & Barrett stuff is unnecessarily expensive

no I meant the underarm deodorant from H&B: 5eur and it lasts well over a year and stops sweat smelling in the first place
(it's just awkward to apply it though)


EDIT: the product itself lasts well over a year, not 'one application and you're good for the next year'

CramCycle

30 degree wash with regular washing detergent. Does not seem to have aged anything.

For my shoes, sodium bicarbonate

Get In There

andy69 wrote: »

We use this stuff, and thankfully that pesky 0.01% it can't kill hasn't affected us

http://www.dettol.ie/products/laundry-sanitiser/dettol-antibacterial-laundry-cleanser/

Also, you might be able to cut off the bacteria 'at the source' so to speak...

http://www.hollandandbarrett.com/shop/product/optima-healthcare-ice-guard-natural-crystal-deodorant-twist-up-60081664

As it happens I was in Mr Price earlier this evening and saw that they had a small bottle of anti bacterial laundry cleaner. (like Dettol, it claimed to be able to kill 99.9% bacteria) so I bought it and will give it a go tmw.

Thanks for the other suggestions guys, I'll try them if the anti bacterial laundry cleaner doesn't do the trick!

crosstownk

magicbastarder wrote: »

IIRC, many fabric softeners contain enzymes which soften clothes by partly digesting them. so they shorten the life of your clothes. citation required.

Not that I can see. Having read a bit about fabric softeners today, I'm getting the distinct impression that they're not really needed. It seems like they use some silicone/oily based chemicals to attach to fibres to give the impression of softness to garments that are battered by the washing machine, hence the loss of water absorbency. Softeners are not recommended for flame retardant or kids clothing either - apparently there's a higher fire risk. Most softeners are not great for acne sufferers - some saddle sores fall into this category.

I wash my gear with non bio powder and every second wash (or so) I add a bit of Napisan. All washed at 30˚C.

Sorry if that's slightly OT but I was bored in work while lads were talking about some run they plan to do on Sunday.

EDIT: It's Friday night and I'm on the Internet talking about fabric softeners I'm starting to get concerned about myself. :pac:

Canis Lupus

I've tried the vinegar thing on synthetics and cotton before and it didn't work. Never tried the bleach. Merino wool is supposedly resistant to it. I went cycling touring and rotated 2 merino wool tops for like 7 months and they never went funky like I've had gym clothes do in the past.

mp31

I switched to icebreaker merino base layers and jerseys which made life so much easier. Merino wool is a lot less smelly and washes with normal non-bio washing powder at 30deg C with the rest of the clothes.

Big Eejit

A solution of TCP/Savlon/Dettol/whatever in water, in a spray bottle works; spray the usual smelly bits and throw in a 30 deg non-bio detergent or soapflakes/woolite/techwash non-detergent wash (if it's wool) ... or any detergent for synthetics. Be sure to exclude conditioner (no comfort, 3-in-1 Bold etc; they leave oily stuff on the fabric which messes with wicking of sweat.

In general, merino wool doesn't stink as much, so think of buying that next time you"re shopping for gear.

crosstownk

Just to add, I have gear that I've been using for years. I've one base layer (Under Armour) that is four years old and has been washed hundreds of times.

The important thing is to wash your kit as soon as possible after taking it off and when it's washed be sure that it is fully dry before storing it.

My usual routine after returning from a spin is; remove kit, shower, put kit in washing machine. As soon as the wash is finished, I hang it to dry - over the back of chairs in the kitchen overnight if necessary. Usually it's good to wear again the next day.

Don't leave damp, sweaty kit lying in a ball on the floor allowing bacteria to fester and multiply. That's asking for odour.

Tigerandahalf

I saw a documentary on the bbc awhile back about this.
Most exercise clothing is synthetic but a certain type of bacteria love it and cause the smell. Cotton isn't as affected.

The big thing was to wash your gear straight away as the longer you leave it the more the bacteria spread.

I must try the Dettol idea. I must admit I was putting in a bit too much fabric softener in the vain hope of eliminating the smell.

I used to do a quick wash at 30c but it wasn't clearing the smell so I now do them at a slightly longer wash at 50c and they come out that bit better.

I will try the Dettol as that would make sense.

Fighting Tao

I haven't had a problem. I only wear once and wash in non-bio. I don't use fabric softener at all. I do notice that some of the guys that cycle into work have gear that's stinking and it seems to be because they wear the same gear every day.

JMcL

Zen0 wrote: »

I haven't got around to trying this myself yet, but I have heard the suggestion that putting them in the freezer for a day kills off all the warmth loving bacteria. If you do try it, I'd like to know how you get on. Probably put them in a plastic bag if you don't want to gross our everyone else in the house.

I've tried this with a pair of shoes that I forgot about for a couple of days after a thorough drenching. While it did improve the the situation, it didn't sort them out completely - copious amounts of baking soda helped as well (and DO put them in a plastic bag!)

Regarding washing, mine just goes into the normal (cool) wash with no real consequences. We've 3 small but effective laundry production units in the house, so if they gear gets lucky it'll get into an "outdoor" wash load. OP, I presume the gear isn't being left in the machine for a few hours after the spin cycle?