put bike shorts in dryer?

[maryellen]

having just purchased some new bike shorts, I happened to notice that the tag said "tumble dry low"

I always air dry them and have for years (although I only recently took up cycling, I've been spinning at the gym for years). I always assumed that machine drying them would be hard on the elastic/synthetic materials.

What do you all do?

[DeniseGoldberg]

I always throw my bike shorts into the dryer - and they are none the worse for wear! I do use a low setting though!

----------------
www.denisegoldberg.com (http://www.denisegoldberg.com)

[Veronica]

Machine wash, air dry for me.

V.

[fasteryet]

same as V.

[Irulan]

lo should be OK, heat (hot) will kill the lycra.


Irulan

[Trek420]

fasteryet & I both vote .... same as V.:p

[jobob]

I do what Denise does - tumble dry on the low setting. Same with my jerseys.

[betagirl]

Machine wash in woolite, air dry for me too. Don't need any shrinkage on those puppies :D

[bounceswoosh]

machine wash cold/delicate (but "heavy" soil specified) with woolite and *no* softener. Then air dry.

(I really love our ultra-fancy front-load washer, even though it was stupid expensive. So many options! And it keeps washing till *it* thinks the clothes are clean.)

[Irulan]

if you must use woolite, use baby shampoo instead. It's mild and will not harm your fabrics either, and it's cheaper. Woolite is actually somewhat harsh, and then they add all these conditioners to it to make your stuff feel soft.

Really, it's overkill for nylons (shorts) and polyesters ( tops) and lycra (both)

Someone mentioned fabric softener - don't use this on any wicking or fleecey garments, it really impedes the functional ( wickiing, insulation) properties of the fibers

For those who may not know, I am an outdoors fabrics specialist by the nature of my work.

Irulan

[jobob]

Someone mentioned fabric softener - don't use this on any wicking or fleecey garments, it really impedes the functional ( wickiing, insulation) properties of the fibers I did not know that !! I'll stop using dryer sheets :o thankyee kindly

[MightyMitre]

Assos actually do a special wash you can use to wash you cycling kit it. It's meant to preserver the functionality of that fancy, expensive Assos gear.

It's very good but it comes in a small bottle and costs a fortune - certainly too much for using everyday.

As for tumble drying - don't have one so all our stuff gets air dried, but we sometimes put stuff on the radiators if we need it quick.

[Irulan]

Originally posted by MightyMitre
Assos actually do a special wash you can use to wash you cycling kit it. It's meant to preserver the functionality of that fancy, expensive Assos gear.

It's very good but it comes in a small bottle and costs a fortune - certainly too much for using everyday.

As for tumble drying - don't have one so all our stuff gets air dried, but we sometimes put stuff on the radiators if we need it quick.

MM, I'd venture a guess that you don't really need Assos "special" laundry stuff, and that's it just another way for them to make a buck off of you.

The only time you really need to look at using special soaps on outdoor gear is when you are washing Goretex, which is affected by soap residue, or when you want to enchance properties like renewing water repellency. In that case, Nikwax (http://www.nikwax-usa.com)
makes an excellent line of products ( NAYY)

Irulan

[bounceswoosh]

Irulan said:


if you must use woolite, use baby shampoo instead. It's mild and will not harm your fabrics either, and it's cheaper. Woolite is actually somewhat harsh, and then they add all these conditioners to it to make your stuff feel soft.


Is it harsher than regular stuff like Tide, or just harsher than one would expect?

Also, how much baby shampoo to use? Our front-loader generates tons of suds from not very much detergent at all ... I'd hate to flood the house!

Is it a good idea to use baby shampoo on all delicates, not just bike stuff?

[Irulan]

Originally posted by bounceswoosh
Irulan said:



Is it harsher than regular stuff like Tide, or just harsher than one would expect?

Also, how much baby shampoo to use? Our front-loader generates tons of suds from not very much detergent at all ... I'd hate to flood the house!

Is it a good idea to use baby shampoo on all delicates, not just bike stuff?

Tide's pretty harsh. Stick your hand into the powder sometime and feel it burn your skin.

I can't answer about baby shampoo and a front loader. I typically use detergent for just about everything. I'd suggest playing with the manufacturer's guidelines for liquids.

If you choose to use a special delicates wash in lieu of regular laundry soap, I don't see why not, but it's looking like Imay need to do some more research to really get to the bottom of all this.

Here are some links to get started., good basics on the differences between soap and detergents and the other properties.


Me? I throw just about everything in the washer, varying cycle (delicate, etc) using a lingerie bag for small things, and line drying a lot.

Irulan
http://www.fabrics.net/clean.asp
http://www.fabrics.net/fabricca.asp

[Pedal Wench]

While we're on the subject...

On my way to the shower, I tend to throw everything in the sink (jersey, sportsbra, shorts) filled with cold water and Woolite, and then proceed to forget about it for a few hours. Does the extra soaking damage anything? I keep forgetting about it until many hours have passed (and once, overnight!)

[MightyMitre]

Hi Irulan - yes, you're spot on about the Assos kit wash. Definitly another way to make an extra buck.

Having said that though, they do a rain jacket made out of this incredible fabric. When it gets wet the material kinda changes texture to block the water coming in, but let the sweat out. It's really strange - the fabric kinda gets thicker. ( Hard to explain) I guess it's a some kind of development on from Gortex.

Anyway... they recommend you use the special wash for this and so far we have, just washing the rain jacket by hand in a basin, as I'm not sure what effect 'normal' washing detergent would have on this stuff.

(note: Assos rain jacket v,v, expensive and don't want to ruin it .Couldn't afford to replace it.. :p )

Otherwise I just use regular, non- biological detergent and no fabric conditioner on the cycling kit. No probelms so far...:):p

[maryellen]

waah, I love Tide. I am devoted to it. In fact, the washer is running a load of dirty bike and workout clothing with it right now!

[kimba]

I try to air dry the shorts- but when the hubby has done the wash, they've made it through the dryer with no apparent problems...

Kimba

[Dogmama]

Line dry. Absolutely. Paying $90 for a pair of shorts & throwing them in the dryer goes against my religion.

[Irulan]

I can't imagine too much soaking is a problem, unless you leave them so long they grow mold.

;-)

Fabric hint fo the day: the newest, coolest water proof breathable is called EPIC and it is really neat stuff. It's actually an impregnated cotton, not a membrane or anything else. I don't think it's trickling down to cycle wear yet, but it's certainly hit the technical ( climbing etc) lineup for this year.



Tide's pretty harsh. Stick your hand into the powder sometime and feel it burn your skin.
I wrote this, and I'd like to clarify. Most laundry detergents are like this, I've tried it with Costco brand, Arm and Hammer. The chemicals have to be strong to do their job cleaning! Some members of my family are super sensitive to them.

~I

[Veronica]

Thom has some convertible pants made of the EPIC stuff. He loves them. I tried to get a pair, but they're not sized right for me. Little waist, big thighs. :mad:

V.

[jobob]

Originally posted by maryellen
waah, I love Tide. I am devoted to it. In fact, the washer is running a load of dirty bike and workout clothing with it right now! veering way off topic - In my past life as a biochemist I was in a research group that developed one of the enzymes that went into Tide. I still use Tide to this day. Good stuff.

I own hardly any clothing that cannot be machine washed & dried - I'm too lazy to hand wash :p

[snapdragen]

I do pretty much the same - bike clothes in the washer, hot water, gentle cycle, but I add an extra rinse. Then line dry. I figure the hot water wash kills any beasties in the chamois, the double cold water rinse makes sure the soap is out!

[pedalfaster]

"My name is Pedalfaster and I am a lazy-launderer".

Everything that lives in my house gets washed warm/cold in the machine and dried in the dryer on "med".

Wanna know how lazy I am (NBR)?

I buy wool sweaters at Goodwill a size or two on the large size, wear them all season, washing as described above, then, when they finally reach teeny-tiny child-size, I take them back to Goodwill and just buy "new" ones.

At least I recycle :D

All of my cycling gear is pretty much middle-of-the-road Voler team stuff.

When this batch wears out, I'll either have to start racing again or shell out the cashola for new duds.

Life is too short to spend time worrying about the laundry.
:p

[Irulan]

I have a special recipe originally for men, for Stinky Bike Gear, I'll look it up...

[Kpicha]

Originally posted by jobob
veering way off topic - In my past life as a biochemist I was in a research group that developed one of the enzymes that went into Tide. I still use Tide to this day. Good stuff.



Hey no kidding!?? My Grandpa was a chemist on the original team that developed TIde! :cool:

Back on topic, I stick my shorts in the dryer on the low setting with my other delicate clothes and no problems :)

[pedalfaster]

Originally posted by Irulan
I have a special recipe originally for men, for Stinky Bike Gear, I'll look it up...

Does it involve vinegar?

I do add a cup o' white vinegar to loads with stinky cycling clothes.
Seems to cut down on the perma-funk.

[maryellen]

pedalfaster--vinegar--great idea! I've been adding lysol all purpose liquid (along w Tide) when I wash my workout clothing to get rid of the stink, but vinegar sounds kinder and gentler!

[Irulan]

Try this. Soak in "Biz" overnight, at least 12 hours. this is an enzyme
based presoak that goes after organic matter, not your regular presoak.
Then, rinse that out and then run through the wash with a laundry product
called Oxyclean, which is not an detergent it's an additive. You should be
able to get that at any supermarket.

Irulan

[kimba]

Oxyclean rocks!
It really restores the brightness to white clothing that's gotten dingy...

Kimba

[Irulan]

Originally posted by pedalfaster
"My name is Pedalfaster and I am a lazy-launderer".

Everything that lives in my house gets washed warm/cold in the machine and dried in the dryer on "med".

Wanna know how lazy I am (NBR)?

I buy wool sweaters at Goodwill a size or two on the large size, wear them all season, washing as described above, then, when they finally reach teeny-tiny child-size, I take them back to Goodwill and just buy "new" ones.

At least I recycle :D

All of my cycling gear is pretty much middle-of-the-road Voler team stuff.

When this batch wears out, I'll either have to start racing again or shell out the cashola for new duds.

Life is too short to spend time worrying about the laundry.
:p


ain't that right. Love the sweater tip.

~Irulan

[kimba]

Okay folks-
here's one...

haven't noticed too much problem with..uh...
funky ( and I don't mean retro cool) bike clothing...
but what can one do for a stinky watchband??

I have one of those velcro watchbands on my Ironman watch.I need the velcro one- I have really small wrists and any other watchband is too big/small... I always fall between sizes.

I just started at a new position at work- and it's really hot back there.
Anyway- the last couple of days I noticed an ummm...odour coming from my wrist!
It's my watchband! What can I do?
I've tried soap- and water- jellied alcohol, febreze...

Or do I need to buy a new watchband? And- this was an extra small velcro band which you can't find everywhere...

help me...
Kimba