Sweaty Cycling Kit

[cyberknight]

Oddly I sometimes wash my kit on a 14 mini low temp wah with no detergent and it doesn't smell even if it's been sat in the basket.i must have nice sweat 😅

 

[Binky]

I only wear cycling kit for one ride but I put into a plastic tub until I've got 3-4 sets to wash which is usually a weeks worth then wash just the cycling kit at 30C no fabric softner just detergent. However, I do have a couple of base layers that whilst not stinky if I sniff closely on underarms I can detect a whiff after washing. Note I always dry kit outside as well in sunshine whenever possible. I think the suggestion to maybe rinse kit in warm water immediately post ride probably a good idea although whehter I'll keep that up I rather doubt!

 

[mustang1]

When I commute to work, I have a 2nd set of clothes for the ride back. No way will I get into a set of pre-ridden clothes unless they are washed first (unless I ride really slowly, it's very cold and so i don't sweat much on the first ride.

I also dislike washing just one set of clothes, such a waste! Sometimes I wash 4 sets of clothes at a time, so two days commuting. But usually I have other delicate (I mean non tumble dryer compatible) clothes I want to wash alongside the bike clothes, so it's one set of bike clothes plus the delicate stuff and then they're all hang dried.

 

[Dorset Boy]

Either Halo Sports Wash (though as noted above the price has jumped significantly in the last year) or Dylon Sports Detergent (currently £14 for 3 litres on Amazon which will do 60+ washes).
Never use fabric softener with sports kit and never tumble dry anything sports related unless expressly stated that is of benefit by the manufacturer.
Also as noted above, it's not really healthy to wear sweaty sports kit more than once without washing it.

​

 

[Dan Lotus]

Some Sainsbury's stock Halo Sports Wash (one litre) albeit now at £8 (sure it was £4-£5 last my nearest one stocked it)
An alternative to the overly expensive sports washes is to use non bio capsules with an antibacterial laundry sanitiser.

I'd second Halo - though annoying it's gone up SO much (Used to be able to bag it for £2.99!) - I kept a couple of the smaller bottles, and bought two big ones from Amazon - very slightly cheaper that way.

 

[fossyant]

You don't need halo. Just wash kit and get it dry. Stopping cycling shoes stinking, if you get them wet, get them dry as quick as you can. A dehumidifier is a good addition to any house

 

[Binky]

You don't need halo. Just wash kit and get it dry. Stopping cycling shoes stinking, if you get them wet, get them dry as quick as you can. A dehumidifier is a good addition to any house

For cycling shoes that stink after getting wet, I dry them out then sprinkle a load of bicarbonate of soda in them, leave for 24hrs then clean out and it sorts them a treat.

 

[Yellow Saddle]

Could you explain that in English.

I think I can help. Here, I've translated it for you:

I find I can get many wears out of my merino wool gear before it starts to stink; providing I hang it up to give it a good airing after use (as you're evidently already doing). Leaving it to line dry outside for as long as possible will also help; I've done similar with some initially very musty feather pillow with good results.

I think "professional" clothes cleaners use steam to remove odours (although this probably isn't appropriate for all fabrics) while I'm very keen on getting an ozone generator for de-odorising spaces; and it did occur to me that you could stick it in a wardrobe to hotbox the contents as I have quite a bit of old clothing that's acquired that "long term storage" mustyness. If you take this route just be sure you read up on the safety jazz as you don't want to be breathing a lot of ozone!

 

[PapaZita]

I’ve had success with stuff called “HG laundry booster against odours in sportswear“. You can add it to a wash, or use it for an overnight soak for things with persistent whiffs. People also suggest soaking with bicarb and/or vinegar. Certainly once you have a dried in smell that doesn’t shift in a normal wash you’ve got to try something different.

 

[Pat "5mph"]

This suggests to me that my 30 degree / non-bio washes are not really getting it clean. When I get back from a ride, I hang the kit up to dry out, and when I've done another ride or two, then I'll stick it onto wash. I don't like putting the washer on for just one load of kit.

It's not the washing temperature's fault, it's because you wear your kit more than once.
I also think that the polyester some sports kit is made of does smell on some people after they sweat.
I'm one of those people, I cannot wear cheap cycling jerseys/sports gear on my upper body, I swear they smell of b.o. even when freshly washed!

Could you explain that in English.

English is my third language: I understood all of @wafter's post

 

[PaulSB]

English is my third language: I understood all of @wafter's post

Congratulations 👏👏 English is my first language and I struggled till I got to the second paragraph and gave up 🤣

 

[PedallingNowhereSlowly]

So, the original question is - Why does my kit smell when I've worn it for two or three rides?
It's because you've worn it for more than one ride. Simples.

My kit gets worn once and then washed. What I meant was, I'll wait until I've accumulated kit from two or three rides before I wash it, so I'm not washing tiny loads.

 

[Mike_P]

My kit gets worn once and then washed. What I meant was, I'll wait until I've accumulated kit from two or three rides before I wash it, so I'm not washing tiny loads.

I do the same, the "easy-care" wash on my washer has a 1.5kg capacity.

 

[geordie458]

I'm a bit concerned about some of my cycling kit smelling a little bit of old body when it's worn (after washing) and gets warm.

This suggests to me that my 30 degree / non-bio washes are not really getting it clean. When I get back from a ride, I hang the kit up to dry out, and when I've done another ride or two, then I'll stick it onto wash. I don't like putting the washer on for just one load of kit. Then it is line dried. It does smell fresh off the line and it does smell fresh when I put it on, at least to me, but I don't think it stays that way once it gets warm.

I was thinking about getting some detergent intended for sports gear with an antibacterial action. But these range in price from the affordable to the ridiculous.

Any suggestions?
Thanks


Edit: "This suggests to me that my 30 degree / non-bio washes are not really getting it clean. When I get back from a ride, I hang the kit up to dry out, and when I've done another ride or two, then I'll stick it onto wash. I don't like putting the washer on for just one load of kit." was meant here was that I use freshly washed kit for every ride (it doesn't get re-worn), but it doesn't necessarily get washed straight away because I don't like putting just one jersey and one pair of shorts into the washing machine.

I had the same issue with my bibs. Hanging them up to dry before washing actually lets the bacteria settle in deeper. If you don't want to run a full load, try giving them a quick rinse in the sink with some dish soap right after your ride to get the salt out, then throw them in the hamper. It makes a huge difference.

 

[geordie458]

I'm a bit concerned about some of my cycling kit smelling a little bit of old body when it's worn (after washing) and gets warm.

This suggests to me that my 30 degree / non-bio washes are not really getting it clean. When I get back from a ride, I hang the kit up to dry out, and when I've done another ride or two, then I'll stick it onto wash. I don't like putting the washer on for just one load of kit. Then it is line dried. It does smell fresh off the line and it does smell fresh when I put it on, at least to me, but I don't think it stays that way once it gets warm.

I was thinking about getting some detergent intended for sports gear with an antibacterial action. But these range in price from the affordable to the ridiculous.

Any suggestions?
Thanks


Edit: "This suggests to me that my 30 degree / non-bio washes are not really getting it clean. When I get back from a ride, I hang the kit up to dry out, and when I've done another ride or two, then I'll stick it onto wash. I don't like putting the washer on for just one load of kit." was meant here was that I use freshly washed kit for every ride (it doesn't get re-worn), but it doesn't necessarily get washed straight away because I don't like putting just one jersey and one pair of shorts into the washing machine.

I've been using those specialized sports washes for almost a year now. You don't need the expensive ones; even the budget versions work better than standard non-bio detergent for synthetic fabrics. It really helps break down the oils that trap the scent.