Woolite - yes or no?

[OakLeaf]

The older I get the more I want to simplify my life, and extra laundry products are not high on my list of necessities. Especially after reading Pearl Izumi's laundry instructions (use a detergent without added colors or fragrances - which Woolite doesn't make). Plus, lately it seems that Woolite has been really piling on the fragrances, too - does anybody else find that it *doesn't* camouflage the B.O. that it leaves in your jerseys if you don't take time to scrub the armpits? :eek:

So... is there really anything special about Woolite? Does it really keep your delicates from shrinking, stretching, fading, getting pilled, getting stolen by the Sock Monster, becoming too small when you gain weight, or any of the other claims they make???

[jobob]

I use Ivory Snow powder when washing my woolies & cycling clothes.

(Rivendell strongly recommends not using Woolite, it's quite harsh actually.)

[bike4ever]

No to Woolite on cycling apparel.

[Eden]

I've been using Biokleen. I like it, its safe, natural, smells only vaugely of citrus (it has grapefruit extracts I think), gets my cycling clothing nice and clean/fresh and you don't have to use much of it. Before that I was using Ecover for delicates

[PinkPilot]

A resounding NO on the Woolite with Pearl Izumi. I have a very meticulous friend in NJ who thought he was doing the best possible thing using Woolite on PI shorts and they fell apart on him in under a year. Fortunately, he wrote to PI and they ended up sending him two brand new pairs, but also pointed out their washing instructions which do not include Woolite.

[Rumblefish]

Woolite is alright...I use it primarily for hand washing stuff if I have to. I do think Woolite has a bloated ego though.....

Otherwise I use Arm and Hammer laundry detergent for sensitive skin on everything (bike and non-bike related). It's free of perfumes and dies and does the job pretty darn well I think.

Plus I figure if I tiny little box of arm & hammer baking soda can take the stink out of a refrigerator the laundry stuff has to mean business too :)

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Everyone is different I guess...I had bought a jug of Ivory Snow detergent and DH and I simply could not STAND the smell of it! It was an unbearable yucky smell on our clothes afterwards to both of us. We could not even bear having the items in our bureau drawers next to other clothes after washing them in it.
We went back to Woolite on the gentle cycle in the machine. I suspect some people use too much, and that can leave some residue even after the rinse cycle. I am careful to use as per instructions and it seems to rinse out well.
So far so good for all our Lycra, Spandex, and merino wool items after 1 1/2 years of this.... :)

[7rider]

I've been using Woolite in the washer - on delicate cycle - for years with no ill effects on my bike clothes (but not on wind- or water-resistant items, for which I use some stuff - can't recall the name - that I get from REI.). Some of my bike clothes are embarassingly old, but they keep hangin' in there.
I do, however, have a front load machine, which uses far less water than standard top-load machines - and thus, far less detergent - and is much more gentle on clothes due to the lack of the agitator or whatever the rotating thing is in the middle of the drum.
I also never put bike clothes in the dryer, but hang them all to dry.

[Dianyla]

I'm sensitive to dyes and stinks so I use fragrance/dye free detergent for everything, either All or Cheer brand. I use about 1/2 to 3/4 of the recommended quantity of detergent, also, since using the full amount usually results in residue on the clothing as it can't rinse fully.

[Thorn]

I also wash the cycling gear with a fragrance free detergent, often at 1/2 or less strength. To cut that atheletic odor, I add 1/2 cup of cheap, white vinegar. Someone, somewhere on these boards suggested it and it really does make a difference (and your clothes do not come out smelling like a jar of pickles).

[SR500]

DH washes all the bike stuff and only uses Woolite. He washes everytime either of us ride, and hasn't had any problems. He's very picky and has some very expensive Assos bike stuff that he treats like gold. Machine wash, hang to air dry.

[KnottedYet]

Used to use BioKleen (good stuff!) but now pretty much use nothing but Dr. Bronner's castile soap in either peppermint, lavender, or eucalyptus. I've always used Dr. Bronner's on me, but it does just fine on my hand wash clothes. Haven't seen BioKleen around in a long time. There is an unscented version.

for the machine I use Trader Joe's powder detergent.

Edit: oops, I meant the Dr. Bronner's comes in an unscented version! Sorry!

[Eden]

I got my bottle of Biokleen up at the Central Co-op's Madison Market a few months ago (you only use an ounce at a time, so it lasts a looooong time). It's not really scented, but it has some citrus cleaning components so it has a pleasant vaugely citrusy smell to it. I don't think it really leaves any scent on the clothing.
I also have a front loader and I can tell you it is much, much gentler on clothing. Even rough and tumble stuff like jeans last a whole lot longer using this machine.
I could get Dr. Bonners up at Trader Joes, but I wonder if it would be too sudsy to put in my washing machine?

[silver]

My shebeast top is the smelliest! Only this will get the stink out of it...

http://www.windetergent.com/index.html

[KnottedYet]

I miss BioKleen. I'll look at our local Central Market and see if they have it. It was very nice on the machine washables. And I'm just about out of Trader Joe's powder. Could be synchronicity here... :D

I've used Dr. Bronner's in my top-loader many times (about the same amount as I would use of BioKleen) and it works just fine, no over sudsing.

Edit: I read somewhere that one run through the washing machine is equivalent to wearing the garment 60 times.

[ms.etta kitt]

Woolite was invented to care for our Wool items that we hold dear. The reason it is bad for cycling wear that is Not made of wool is this:
Woolite leaves a film on your clothes, making it softer, blah blah blah-- right? well this becomes a problem when you are investing money in these awesome clothes that are quick drying or offer moisture transfer, etc , because that thin film is now preventing the garment from living up to it's original level of awesome. then your jersey that is no longer awesome, starts to smell bad cuz it's holding the sweat in and with that bacteria. not to mention you may find yourself a little overheated or even soaking wet. yuck.

another reason to avoid it:
it makes the waterproofing on garments go bye-bye.

[Irulan]

Woolite was invented to care for our Wool items that we hold dear. The reason it is bad for cycling wear that is Not made of wool is this:
Woolite leaves a film on your clothes, making it softer, blah blah blah-- right? well this becomes a problem when you are investing money in these awesome clothes that are quick drying or offer moisture transfer, etc , because that thin film is now preventing the garment from living up to it's original level of awesome. then your jersey that is no longer awesome, starts to smell bad cuz it's holding the sweat in and with that bacteria. not to mention you may find yourself a little overheated or even soaking wet. yuck.

another reason to avoid it:
it makes the waterproofing on garments go bye-bye.

it's just detergent with conditioners added. Use baby shampoo instead.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

The reason it is bad for cycling wear that is Not made of wool is this:
Woolite leaves a film on your clothes, making it softer, blah blah blah-- right? well this becomes a problem when you are investing money in these awesome clothes that are quick drying or offer moisture transfer, etc , because that thin film is now preventing the garment from living up to it's original level of awesome. then your jersey that is no longer awesome, starts to smell bad cuz it's holding the sweat in and with that bacteria.

Polyester type jerseys get really stinky no matter what soap or detergent you use. The man-made material encourages bacteria under your arms, that's just the nature of the beast. Wool can be worn quite a few times without it getting underarm odor.
I have cycling tops of both kinds that i like, and have used various soaps on them. Polyester gets stinky quickly when you wear it, wool does not. I wear the poly tops once then wash them, and the wool a few times before washing.

[OakLeaf]

Polyester type jerseys get really stinky no matter what soap or detergent you use.

Surely there must be a way to get the B.O. out of them? They can't be made to throw away after ten wearings???

And it's not all polyester. Regular old-fashioned brand name Lycra never retained odors. But I had any number of blouses (some of them pretty expensive) that I *did* have to throw out, because unlike on the bike, clothing that stinks even when it's clean just doesn't cut it at the office.

Anyway, is citric acid any good as a laundry booster? That's what I use for removing lime scale and soap scum. Thorn recommends white vinegar... but don't your clothes smell like vinegar, then?

[violette]

I use baby shampoo. Works great, is gentle and has barely any fragrance.

[Dianyla]

Surely there must be a way to get the B.O. out of them? They can't be made to throw away after ten wearings???
Boy, I dunno. I have this one synthetic shirt that I took traveling and ended up loaning it to my friend for a few days. I've washed it at least a half-dozen times and it still smells like her. It's not the end of the world, but it just freaks me out a little if my clothes don't smell like me.

[Brandi]

Used to use BioKleen (good stuff!) but now pretty much use nothing but Dr. Bronner's castile soap in either peppermint, lavender, or eucalyptus. I've always used Dr. Bronner's on me, but it does just fine on my hand wash clothes. Haven't seen BioKleen around in a long time. There is an unscented version.

for the machine I use Trader Joe's powder detergent.

Edit: oops, I meant the Dr. Bronner's comes in an unscented version! Sorry!
Ditto that. Trader joes is really nice. And the scent is very natural. I hate fake smells and tastes.

[indigoiis]

I just go into the shower, shorts, jersey and all.
I shampoo me all down, then strip off the wet jersey, shorts, socks, and rinse them out while my hair is being conditioned, and hang them on hooks in the shower with me. When I am done, I take them out and hang to dry in a sunny window.

[sundial]

There's a product called Nature's Miracle Stain and Odor Remover that takes odors out of pretty much everything. You can find this product at Petco, Petsmart, or most pet supply stores. The label states: Removes all organic stains and odors, including food, blood, vomit, feces, grease, dirt, grass, smoke, and perspiration.

It uses nature's enzymes to remove the offending odors. Here are the directions for laundering:

Laundry prewash: Saturate stained odor areas with Stain and Odor Remover at full strength, wash as usual.

Ingredients: Water, Nature's Enzymes, Isopropryl Alcohol, Natural Citrus Scent.

[Bklynmom]

I wash my bras in this organic stuff called "Forever New". It gets them very clean and washes everything out. I occasionally use it on bike shorts and expensive jerseys - they do seem to last much longer, and they feel truly clean. Shampoo is good for removing body residue too, but it's hard to rinse out.

[onimity]

We use 'penguin sport wash' ... they have it at our grocery store & rei. I've never had an odor stick around with it... it did get some seriously nasty smells out of a north face shirt that i had with me for 5 odorous weeks hiking, biking & camping in south america. I thought that shirt would never be odor-free...

Anne

[silver]

I'm using this WIN detergent and it's working on getting the stink out.

http://www.windetergent.com/

It's specially made for athletic clothing.

[VeloVT]

There was a feature in the NYT Thursday style section a few months ago reviewing 5 or 6 different brands of "sports detergents." Meant to keep it but didn't -- I"ll have to go look for it online. As I recall, the cheapest one ended up being the most effective (though all were more expensive than regular detergent).

I think they had Tim DeBoom do the testing :) .

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

We should keep in mind here that there might be a need to use separate products for the two very different issues we are discussing:
--long term care of good wool
--getting the stink out of polyester/man-made "tech" fabric sports clothes

[Duck on Wheels]

One thing about wool, if you have garments made of wool with the lanolin left in, the lanolin interacts with sweat, or even urin, by turning into soap. :) No stink, just sheepy-wooly smells :p (which I happen to find quite pleasant, brings back memories of bottle-feeding lambs). But eventually, after many rounds sweat and laundering, the lanolin is used up. There are lanolin renewer products. I just checked our laundry room for the name of the one we use, but we're out. We get it from a friend who raises sheep and produces his own yarn. I think he imports it from Germany.

What I did find in the laundry room is that the Norwegian version of Woolite, called Milo, now comes in a scent-free version.

[Dianyla]

But eventually, after many rounds sweat and laundering, the lanolin is used up. There are lanolin renewer products. I just checked our laundry room for the name of the one we use, but we're out. We get it from a friend who raises sheep and produces his own yarn. I think he imports it from Germany.
I've seen instructions online (http://www.weebunzdiapers.com/cgi-bin/product.cgi?pg=11) about melting some pure lanolin (commonly found in the maternity section for use as nipple balm) in hot water and dipping garments into it to re-lanolize them. However, these instructions were for cloth diaper covers with the intent of making them somewhat impermeable. I imagine the same tactic could be used, just with much less lanolin than they recommend.

Also, I imagine that some sort of lanolin-based superfatted soap would do the trick. The presence of some soap would help emulsify the mix, but an excess of lanolin (i.e. more lanolin than the soap can remove) would be spread throughout the garment fibers.

[chakra]

I have a lot of wool clothing, all merino, mostly superfine. I use Eucelan wool wash in a front-loading machine on warm, and have done so for years.

Works great!:D

[Bike Goddess]

I use Tide (no scent) for all of my bike stuff- wool included. I also put about 1/4 cup of white vinegar in the rinse (in the fabric softener cup of my machine). I never use the dryer for my clothes, just hang them up after the wash.

I've been using this method for washing all of our clothes for about 20 years now and haven't had any problems. However, since I live in the SF Bay Area, we are blessed with reasonably soft water so that may help.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

I use Tide (no scent) for all of my bike stuff- wool included. I also put about 1/4 cup of white vinegar in the rinse (in the fabric softener cup of my machine). I never use the dryer for my clothes, just hang them up after the wash.

I've been using this method for washing all of our clothes for about 20 years now and haven't had any problems. However, since I live in the SF Bay Area, we are blessed with reasonably soft water so that may help.

Plus, you don't have to hang your clothes out to "dry" when it's 15 degrees F outside...they'd be frozen solid in ten minutes! :eek: :p :rolleyes:

[OakLeaf]

Plus, you don't have to hang your clothes out to "dry" when it's 15 degrees F outside...they'd be frozen solid in ten minutes! :eek: :p :rolleyes:

Hey, ice will sublimate after a while. You're not riding that often in 15F anyway are you? :D

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Hey, ice will sublimate after a while. You're not riding that often in 15F anyway are you? :D

I don't ride too often at 15 degrees, maybe once every couple of weeks starting out the door at that temp in the first part of the morning if it looks like it will warm up later during my ride, ....but I was actually referring to hanging clothes outside on the line to dry when it's way below freezing. I do ride several times a week in the 20-40 degree range. :)

My husband and I both wear wool night and day all winter, from head to toe, whether biking or not biking. So despite wearing each piece several times before washing, DH and I still generate enough wool laundry for a load for each of us every week, especially if I throw a few other odds and ends laundry items in with it.
Once winter sets in here, there is often no substantial above freezing temps for days at a time. No way I'm going to hang my good Ibex wool pieces out on the line to freeze solid and then clank around in the wind on the clothesline like wind chimes! :eek: Instead, we put them to damp dry in the dryer on very low for a while, then often take some of the more delicate pieces out of the dryer to drape over various furniture to complete their drying. Other wool stuff we have is fine to complete drying on low in the dryer- wool doesn't take long to dry.
In the Spring, summer, and Fall we do hang much of our wool on the clothesline outside to dry. :p

[kjay]

I just bought some Win detergent, which is made especially for athletes and does an excellent job of removing odors. I work with about 15 camels on a regular basis, and although I love the way they smell, most people don't, so I not only wash my bike clothes in Win but also my ranch clothes. Someone else on this particular thread provided the link for Win detergent, so if you scroll back a bit, you'll see it.

[Bike Goddess]

Lisa- RE hanging out to dry- well no, I just hang them on hangers over the door inside. :o :o :o :o

Kjay- Did you know that we have a camel barn here in Benicia? We used to have camel races here too for a couple of years, but that's gone now. I had the fortune one year of phographing a mama and baby. Pretty darn cute! (And yes, they do smell!!)

[OakLeaf]

Seriously, I have two of those expandable drying racks for inside, plus two flat racks for sweaters & stuff. My gym clothes don't go in the dryer, either - they last so much longer and wick sweat so much better when they're air dried.

When it's full winter, clothes will dry in the laundry room without triggering the dehumidifier. In clammy fall weather, DH just has to deal with the upstairs being full of drying clothes for a few hours :p

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Lisa- RE hanging out to dry- well no, I just hang them on hangers over the door inside. :o :o :o :o

Oh, I misunderstood! :o :rolleyes:

Yes, we drape stuff around inside to dry too- though I usually do some pre-fluffing in the low dryer- it's the best way to get all the cat hair off! :(

We just bought a small wooden folding clothes drying rack too, for the bedroom- beats covering all the chairs with stuff airing out after our rides. We might get another one for the basement too, for next to the washer/dryer.

[kjay]

Lisa- RE hanging out to dry- well no, I just hang them on hangers over the door inside. :o :o :o :o

Kjay- Did you know that we have a camel barn here in Benicia? We used to have camel races here too for a couple of years, but that's gone now. I had the fortune one year of phographing a mama and baby. Pretty darn cute! (And yes, they do smell!!)

Bike Goddess, I've seen the camel races in Benicia but have yet to visit the camel barn, which I've been meaning to do for the last few years. Thanks for reminding me.

[badger]

I realize this is a pretty old thread and nobody probably reads it anymore, but I thought I'd add my two cents. I also haven't read the whole thread so forgive me if it's strayed from where the conversations have gone.

Regarding the stink on clothes, has anyone here tried merino wool? I've recently been making a concerted effort to switch my workout gear to as much natural fibres as possible, as I find synthetics hold the stink and even seem to magnify it.

Merino wool is light, itch free, controls body temperature, wicks like crazy, and doesn't hold any stink (really!!). Most of my shirts and all my socks are now merino wool, and I honestly can't find anything to complain about, maybe that they might pill more.

there might be issues with the mistreatment of some of the sheep may go through, called muelsing (much like a male circumcision, a cutting of flap of skin over their tail to prevent fly infestation). But come 2010, muelsing will be banned, and some companies already carry non-muelsing merino wool.

I might just be talking out of my butt because I hate wearing jerseys, but if it's for just training purposes and you don't care what you look like, then I highly recommend looking into merino wool. Not cheap, but if you look through ebay or sometimes cheap stuff come up on steepandcheap.com.

[SouthernBelle]

Badger,

If you go to the apparel section, there is a 56 page thread on wool and those who love it.

[SadieKate]

No one has mentioned this. We stumbled upon the product at the hardware store several years ago. Being a believer in good old baking soda for gentle effective cleansing plus allergic to the perfumes, we tried it. Wow. Fresh, sparkling clothes. Except for the oldest of Capilene products, all synthetics are fine (no, not all synthetics build up scent). Googling around the net, Arm & Hammer seems to win comparison with the other big names. Fortunately, we can get it anywhere now. I'm trying the one with softener now for the sheets and towels, so far so good.

http://www.thelaundrybasket.com/Our_Products/Our_Products_Powder_Laundry_Detergent/our_products_Powder_Laundry_Detergent.html

Not to mention it is biodegradable, and the box and scoop use recycled materials.

While I love wool, there are times when the new microfibers can't be beat for functionality so it's nice to have a product that takes out all the stink.

[awm03]

I use bleach and Borax, and to heck with the fabric care instructions. Bleach is the only thing that kills the bacteria & Borax helps too. Maybe these shorten the life span of my bike clothes, but at least I'm fresh as a daisy for my ride. It doesn't take a whole lot of bleach, either: half a cup for a full load. Use about a cup of Borax. Warm water.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

I use bleach and Borax, and to heck with the fabric care instructions. Bleach is the only thing that kills the bacteria & Borax helps too. Maybe these shorten the life span of my bike clothes, but at least I'm fresh as a daisy for my ride. It doesn't take a whole lot of bleach, either: half a cup for a full load. Use about a cup of Borax. Warm water.

I assume you are talking about using bleach on stinky synthetic, lycra, and polyester type biking clothes.... Not on real wool. {{{shudder}}}

[awm03]

Oh of course, stinky plastic athletic clothing! And I forgot to say that I add bleach & borax along with the regular laundry soap too.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Oh of course, stinky plastic athletic clothing!

Whew! You had me scared for a minute there! :eek:

Hey wouldn't that be funny, to have a big website business called
Stinky Plastic Athletic Clothing ? :D :D :D it would be refreshing! :rolleyes:

Mind you, I myself have some stinky plastic athletic clothing that I just love and use often myself. (I'm a SheBeest and LouisGarneau fan) But I also am very much into real wool. Each thing has it's good uses.