After the year of the slop I see little point in washing my outer layers that often/at all. Instead I just box them away till the next ride.
My Endura Zymes have not met the washing machine in well over 6 months. Just let them dry draped over the bike in the shed, a brisk shake and ta-da we’re ready to go again. However things like socks, knee-warmers and merino stuff I have trouble with. There are animals in the shed that will take a fragrant sock or glove as bedding. I don’t want to wash them every ride but need to dry them before stowing them away in their box.
Two questions:
1, Are there (mental)health issues to wearing clothing for months without washing?
and 2, How do you dry your muddy kit without getting mud in the house?

It upsets the neighbours but I’m not allowed over the doorstep untill I am free of all mud and associated clothing

Sweet lord, are you asking if you should wash your clothes?

Shorts – every ride, no debate
Tops – every ride, perhaps two if not long or muddy rides. merino maybe three.
Socks – every ride
Jackets / waterproofs – once a month or so

As as above, shorts, tops, base layers all washed after every ride and outer layers when needed

op. do you ride alone?

How often do you reuse condoms?

when I couldn’t drag mud into the house I used one of those big flexible plastic bucket things. After the ride, rinse clothes outside in big bucket thing to get rid of the worst of the mud. Then take inside and put straight in washing machine. Minimum mud into house transfer.

How often do you reuse condoms?

Once, just turn them inside out.

After about 4 rides maximum is when I was my shorts, top and knee pads.

Base layers and that gets a wash after each ride.

I apply the sniff it rule – give it a sniff if it smells bad then it needs washing, just mud isn’t a problem, but bacteria is.

Things go in the bath for a quick rinse before the washing machine, to prevent clogging it with mud.

Kit just gets dirty again if you wash it.

As the Op. Drape my kit over the bike to dry & shake out. Wash every few weeks. More often in summer. Don’t have riding socks, apart from sealskinz. Might give myself a puff of fabreze if I’m wilting the flowers. 🙂

liner shorts and base layer – every ride. outer tights and jersey – every 2 or 3 rides depending on dirtiness.

another decontamination tip…..go in house. stand in a big blue Ikea bag and peel off. I do this after riding to work (in segregated changing rooms, by the way)

After ride, strip and put clobber in big placcy bucket. After redressing, take bucket to shower and rinse content. After shower, transfer to washing machine.

My Endura Zymes have not met the washing machine in well over 6 months.

honestly? that’s grim, get them washed.

Hmmmmm maybe it is just me.
I do predominately ride alone……. Do you think there’s a connection??
I like the bath idea however I work on farms so the sniff rule goes out the window

I use the rinse only cycle on the washing machine a lot for outer wear, quick and doesn’t use detergent.

Troll surely, no one doesn’t wash kit surely?

Pretty much everything goes through the wash after a ride apart from stuff that’s waterproof that needs washing in nikwax, that usually goes in the wash if it get’s smelly or grimy/muddy so the hi-vis bits stop being reflective.

The only thing that I don’t wash after every ride is my jacket. Oh and my helmet.

The one I have difficulty with is my endura mt500 shorts. Have 2 pairs, washed the first pair (in non bio) after one ride and they were never the same again. 2nd pair get hosed down, but never been in the wash after about 6 months.

Pretty rank if I’m honest 🙁

I can smell some of you mucky barstewards from here…….!

Padded shorts always get washed after a ride. But the rest I can get a few days out of. It’s not as bad as people make out. I don’t find it smells at all really.

The one I have difficulty with is my endura mt500 shorts. Have 2 pairs, washed the first pair (in non bio) after one ride and they were never the same again.

With normal non-bio liquid on a standard wash at 40 degrees (or maybe even hotter?) My sports kit gets washed at 30 degrees in a silk wash with liquid soap (non-bio is for normal clothes here!) Clean kit every ride and no problem with kit deteriorating – well some of it is getting a bit tired now, but it’s been worn and washed hundreds of times.

I’m really not sure I understand the advantage of not washing your kit.

You big bunch of girls

I’ve worn the same shorts day in day out on a two week holiday.

although it was a bit itchy by day 8

I’m really not sure I understand the advantage of not washing your kit.

me neither, why wouldn’t you wash your clothes?

I’m really not sure I understand the advantage of not washing your kit.

me neither, why wouldn’t you wash your clothes?

One advantage is that they’re not still in the washing machine when you want to go for a ride the next day. Or dripping wet on the clothes horse while you frantically try to find the least sweaty cotton t-shirt and a gigantic pair of socks to keep your legs warm at 7.30am.

That and they last longer because they’re not washed to death.

OP, you’re fine, don’t listen to these weaklings. “Ooh, I need to wash everything, I’m afraid of smelling of person. I use conditioner on my socks, and some scented softener for my shorts!”

Inner shorts, every use, fair enough.
Base layer? When it starts to stink.
Everything else? when it’s too muddy to wear anymore. As was pointed out above, it’s washing that wears out clothes.

APF

My commuting clothes get washed once a week, no matter how muddy/wet they get.

MTB gear, after each ride.

The only thing that I don’t wash after every ride is my jacket. Oh and my helmet.

You really should wash your helmet after every ride. There’s nothing worse than a mucky helmet that hums of your last ride at the beginning of the next one.

Dirty bunch of stinky mingers. 😉

Everything other than Jacket and gloves gets washed after every ride, If stuff is really muddy then it get hosed down before going in the washing machine. Did the same when commuting daily too.

Stuff gets washed when it’s covered in mud or smells. Right now that’s after every ride 🙁

OP- do you wear lycra underneath? and if so, do you find the gigantic boils on your bum cramp your riding style?

Shorts – every ride (unless I’m touring, in which case a week is my record as I was camping in Iceland and the spares wouldn’t dry. Normally I do two or three days happily).
Trousers – every two weeks, at three rides a week.
Merino t – every couple of months.
Gore jacket or Buffalo – depending on conditions – every 3-6 months.
Socks – every second day unless they get soaked.
Gloves and buff – weekly
I have a utility room with a tiled floor – hang everything in there to dry, pull on & go ride.
If I put on new gear it’s muddy within seconds of leaving the door.

It upsets the neighbours but I’m not allowed over the doorstep untill I am free of all mud and associated clothing

so that would be a house then…like the place you live in?

You are taking the piss aren’t you?, if not then i’ll politely decline from offering any advice, except wash a bit more eh?.

Padded shorts and synthetic layers always get washed except when on road trips, merino when they begin to hum but really why would I bother washing something that will be filthy within 5 mins of leaving the house? I’ve been out to sniff the Zymes and there is literally just an earthy scent coming from them.
Maybe it is just me (and a small minority)
I guess then, nobody has an ingenious way of drying the filthy kit in the house? That’s really what I was looking for

You wash after everyride types either aint riding very much or spend too much time washing-think of the planet will you!

Re drying- tend to get change in the garage and hang my stuff up there ready for next time.

Padded shorts and base layer, washed after every ride. Cough.

Waterproof/breathable winter jacket, has never been washed and never will be. Hosed down only if really really muddy.

Waterproof/breathable trousers, washed once. Never again.

Merino, don’t need washing imo they have magical properties. The Mrs frickin washed it once and barely escaped with her life.

Get a new wife OP & man up, it’s your house too.

Bow to the inevitable and get a winter road bike. Worst case your clothes might be damp but at least not caked in thick layers of gloop.

I bring a complete change of clothes on every ride. It’s part of the lifestyle – you gotta look the part on the bike. You don’t see any grubby looking men at the golf club do you? No you bloody don’t.

I can highly recommend a mtb fashion/hygiene skills day. It’ll transform your appearance.

But jekkyl if I did that I’d have to eat my other testicle. I guess it’s off to the laundrette for me then. Now where’s the Carling Black Label?