Lycra shorts and how to clean them

I wash my lycra liners from my Humvees after every ride but the instructions specify 30 degree wash. Is this enough to get them *properly* clean or is there something else I should be doing?

Hmmmmmm – what exactly do you do to them?!
Actually no, forget I asked!!

erm, mine just go in the wash with everything else, I just don’t put them through the tumble dryer.

Been fine doing that for years.

No, I would wash them at 40 degrees. Perhaps use non-bio powder/liquid? As pk says, don’t tumble-dry.

I think its got more to do with the detergent you use
I always wash the mud of in the shower first-just cold to get all the mud etc. off

Every bikey thing goes in at 30 in our house and comes out clean (even MrCM’s kit). I wouldn’t worry, esp if you are washing every ride 😀

You’re meant to wash them?

Why don’t you just give them to your wife / gf to wash and wait till she tells you to get some new ones?

Do you remember the bloke who asked if you were supposed to wash your shorts ? He complained they were getting whiffy after 12 rides…

M-I-N-G-I-N-G

I wash everything at 40deg. Makes no difference to the shorts, but makes quite a big difference to the bacteria that make the smell. Line dry if you can as well, as the the UV in sunlight does for the little blighters too.

I always wash mine at 40 degrees. I’ve even occasionally put them in the tumble dryer on a delicate cycle if I need them in a hurry. However, on the bacteria argument, does 40 really make a difference? Body temperature is 37 degrees and we’re talking about a body part that gets very warm and moist and the bacteria love it there. How hot would you need to get to kill the bugs rather than just sloshing them out?

I wash my Lycra kit after every ride at 40C and then tumble dried on Low, (including £110 Assoss shorts) this means its ready to ride again after about two hours (if I left it to the wife, I’d be lucky to see it in two weeks).

I’ve been washing my own cycling kit for the last 15 years and haven’t had any problems yet.

Wash at 40 here, too. I tumble dry cheapo lycra shorts, for the time saving benefits like Dibbs mentioned. It’s worth it so your not rummaging through the black holes that are laundry baskets when you want to go out on a ride.
More expensive/fleece lined stuff I will put in the airing cupboard, but would probably be just as fine in the dryer.

As a bloke, I’ve tended to blindly wash everything at 40 and tumble dry on low for years. Is this bad for Lycra then? Can’t say it’s ever caused me any problems.

Wouldnt you need to wash at 70’c + to kill off bacteria. With modern detergents you can wash at 15’c and it will get perfectly clean.

In fact with modern washing machines most things dont even need detergent its the tumbling action and the rinsing that gets off the dirt all the detergent does is make the clothes smell nice. I use one of these and my clothes are spotless

http://www.biowashball.com/%5B/url%5D

Can I tell my story again?

When I was 16-20 I worked in Two Wheels Good in Leeds. Had a bloke come in one day asking about cycling shorts.

“I ride to work, 20 miles each way… Got these shorts – y’know… wink… the ones with the chammy liner? you wear ’em without pants underneath don’t you… wink”… he says.

“Thats right.” I said.

“Anyhow”, he continues, “I’ve got about six months out of this pair, and they’ve had it really. Tried chammy creme in them for the last month, but its no good. I think I’ll have a new pair”.

“OK”, I say… “well, here’s what we’ve got – if you’re putting the mileage in, these Cannondale ones are great. Synthetic chammy, 8 panel construction”…

“Ah”, says the customer, “synthetic chammy?”… Er, so, wow… would that mean I could wash them?”

Everything gets washed at 30 in our house, including clothes the kids have been sick or pissed on. Not died yet.

My wife says washing things at 60degC like bedding is only done to kill dust mites and that.

Wash at 30 then tumble dry on the low setting,I’ve always done this without any problems..

Are there really IT professionals in 2009 who don’t know how washing machines work?

I’m sure I read somewhere that direct sunlight damages Lycra, that’s why I tumble dry rather than line dry.

Yes, I know that the shorts are in the sunlight (sometimes) when out riding, but that’s unavoidable.

A touch of napisan in with the detergent kills the bacteria and hasn’t ruined my shorts yet. A long time ago a washing machine tech recommended that I half the detergent used from the pack recommendations (it still cleans dirt from the clothes but will not mask BO smells from live bacteria).

Wash all cycling kit at 40 degrees. In winter, dry on radiator. In summer, dry on line.

What’s all this tumble drying and it’s ready in two hours boll**ks? Either of my methods (including the washing time) will have them ready in less time than that, and without an effect on my electricity bill akin to burning £20 notes.

Sheesh.

What’s all this tumble drying and it’s ready in two hours boll**ks?

Most cycling kit is just about dry enough to put on when it comes out of the wash anyway, it would only take a few minutes to dry completely on a radiator.

The 40C wash cycle in my machine takes an hour and it takes an hour to dry the kit at Low in the tumble drier = 2 hours, if your radiators are hot enough to dry kit quicker than that, maybe its you that’s burning £20 notes 😉

Trying to be environmentally friendly and also save a few pounds, I wash everything at 30 deg, and on light wash. Then hang dry close to boiler or rad. Ready in 1 hour total, and does not whiff (wife would tell me if it did). Try it – you probably won’t die, you’ll save some money and do a bit of good for the planet