Dumb question from newbie. Can bike shorts go in washing machine?

[boulderbliss]

I just invested in a couple of pairs of new biking shorts and the washing directions are very vague. My Sugoi say to wash before wearing, but do not say how. Can bike shorts go in the washing machine or should they be hand washed? Thank you!!

[snapdragen]

Sure they can. You'll get a million different ways to wash them, here's what I do.

In the machine on delicate
Hot water
Regular soap (I use All - unscented)
Rinse twice
Line Dry

Some of the girls will put their shorts in the dryer on low.

[DeniseGoldberg]

It depends on the shorts. (And of course it also depends on your personal preference.) I wear Pearl Izumi ultrasensor shorts and I put them in both the washer (cold water only) and the dryer (low temps). What does the washing instruction tag on the shorts say?

--- Denise

[boulderbliss]

This is all it says on the tag, "For best performance wash before wear, rinse thoroughly, wash separately."

Guess I'll throw them in the wash on delicate with cold water and hope for the best.

Thanks for the responses.

[Eden]

I wash all of my bike stuff on cold in a front loader so I don't have to worry about delicate or not, and dry them in the dryer on the no heat setting. I haven't had any problems other than the logos on the shorts coming off (and I don't really care about that). Heat is the enemy of lycra - breaks down its elasticity- so as long as you keep them away from a hot dryer you should be fine. It takes about 2 hours to fully dry everything (no damp chamois) on the "air" setting for me v/s overnight for line drying. I've also found I like woolight (gets out the sweatyness better) over the powder detergent that I usually use on all of my other laundry.

[alpinerabbit]

Warm water (100F? it's 40°C) and air drying. I hate the dryer for any clothing !
Sometimes I just use some shampoo for the chamois, rinse and dry, and use one more time before it goes into the machine.

[Geonz]

Or, just leap into the shower, peel 'em off and stomp around on 'em in the soapy water, rinse, & hang 'em up. (How to get through a weeks' ride on two pairs of shorts).

[Trekhawk]

I just invested in a couple of pairs of new biking shorts and the washing directions are very vague. My Sugoi say to wash before wearing, but do not say how. Can bike shorts go in the washing machine or should they be hand washed? Thank you!!

I wear Sugoi shorts, I wash mine on the gentle cycle in cold water and then line dry.

[CorsairMac]

I wash All my cycling clothes from leg warmers and long underwear to gloves in cold water, regular cycle, and hang to dry. I do remember one of the tags saying no fabric softener so I just use regular detergent.

[RoadRaven]

There is another thread here... I remember from when I first joined, and there were lots of ways people washed their shorts.

I always try and wash our shorts ASAP, in a warm wash on a long cycle, and then air-dry, and mostly in the sun-shine. I just use a regular detergent (PERSIL) and no softeners or additives...

As for the "Woolite" CaliGirl... perhaps it is because there is residue from the previous wash left in the machine and it is "just enough" to affect your shorts? Dunno... just a guess...

Good luck with finding a solution...

[caligurl]

the leg warmers are the only thing that is deteriorating... so not sure why? heck... some of hubby's shorts that he's had a while look better then those darned leg warmers!

another thing i do... i always run the rinse cycle a second time.... so wash once.. rinse twice.. and i don't use fabric softener either!

[Pedal Wench]

Fabric softener should NEVER be used on technical, wicking materials. It clogs up the little channels that do the capillary action wicking thing. No harm if done though - just rewash without the softener.

[kiwi girl]

I must admit I am VERY lazy about laundry. I never sort colours (except very dark or bright stuff for the first couple of washes only) and all my bike gear just goes through the normal cycle in the wash with everything else and then either on the line, or more often than not, the warm cycle in the dryer. Although Ground Effect (who make most my gear) say line drying is preferable, the only ill effect I have ntoiced is that the emergency puncture repair patches that Ground Effect sew into the seams of all their gear does tend to fall out eventually under this sort of treatment

[fixiegrrl]

Cycling clothes can be washed in the machine, but I NEVER place them in the dryer because I was told that it ruins the lycra over time. Also, I removed the washing instructions because they irritate so I also do it as a precaution. I wash my gear using a special soap (Cafe Suds made by Branford Bikes - (203)488-0482) which is specially made for exercise equipment. I use 2 capfulls and wash on the delicate cycle, then air dry them. This gets them cleaner than hand washing alone, especially all the road grime and shammy lotion that seems to get everywhere.

[DeniseGoldberg]

Cycling clothes can be washed in the machine, but NEVER place them in the dryer - it ruins the lycra over time.

Funny - I've been drying my cycling shorts and jerseys in the dryer on low heat for years, and I have not had a problem with the dryer ruining the lycra. My suggestion would be to follow the washing / drying directions from the manufacturer - my PI ultrasensor shorts carry a tag that says "tumble dry low".

Yes, the shorts do wear out over time. But I can tell you from experience that line drying does not save them from wearing out. When I rode cross-country back in 2002, I started with 2 new pairs of shorts. I wore a pair & washed a pair every day, and the shorts were line-dried on that trip. I replaced the shorts with new ones in Colorado as my original shorts were woefully worn at that point in time (but from wearing them out, not from a dryer!).

--- Denise