Woolite - yes or no?

[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 (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 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!

[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!

[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.

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

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

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

Oh, I misunderstood!

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.

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.