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10 mistakes you make when washing your cycling clothes
Quality cycling clothing is not cheap. If we want to extend its duration, it is very important to know how to preserve it. Although they are technical fabrics, designed to withstand inclement weather and practically professional use, we have to take special care when it comes time to wash them, and this is a critical point, undoubtedly the one that contributes the most to wear, although you think otherwise. In this article we are going to review the 10 most common mistakes we make when washing our cycling gear.
Mistake #1: washing too much
Our bike rides do not have the same duration, nor the same demand, nor does it have the same temperature. It is very likely that on short outings, at a calm pace and with a mild or clod climate, our outside clothes (jackets, gloves…) will come exactly as they left. In these cases, it is enough to air it in the shade and store it again. There is only one garment that for hygiene purposes and to avoid the growth of bacteria and microorganisms we recommend that you always wash: the culotte and the first inner layer.
Mistake #2: not washing it right on arrival
One of the worst things you can do with your cycling gear is toss it in the laundry basket anyway and leave it there until you have «enough clothes» to fully load the washing machine. The fabrics impregnated with our sweat and humidity, are a great breeding ground for bacteria and microorganisms to proliferate and reign at their ease. Not only will it be more difficult to remove the bad smell from our clothes, but all these «friends» will take care of consuming the fabric little by little, causing discoloration and altering the properties of the garment such as its treatments against rain, for example. We know that when you get tired the least you want is to put a washing machine, but if you make this a habit, your clothes will be much better preserved. In other points we explain which washing program you have to select and how to do it.
Mistake #3: letting your clothes soak
Not washing clothes when they arrive is as bad as leaving them to soak. Running water contains chlorine and leaving the fabric in it for many hours will cause it to fade or alter its properties over time. If you have really stubborn stains, you can put a small amount of neutral detergent on them before putting them in the washing machine.
Mistake #4: using fabric softener, bleach, or washing powder
Softeners may seem attractive, to make clothes more pleasant and perfumed, but in technical fabrics it is a big mistake. Precisely to leave that sensation in the garments, the fabric softener stays inside, altering its properties. For example, clothing may suddenly stop perspiring as designed or the windbreaker membrane may turn into a shroud.
Bleaches and special detergents against difficult stains are not designed for these fabrics, being very aggressive and can cause a multitude of problems. We strongly discourage its use. It is better to have to wash clothes twice than to use these products.
Powder detergent does not mix optimally with water the way liquid detergent does. It can remain as remains in the tissue, which would also be harmful to our skin, and could irritate it.
Mistake #5: not turning it around or closing the zippers
Taking off our clothes and putting them in the washing machine in any way is something comfortable and fast, but we can get the zippers to rub against the rest of the clothes, producing a peeling or abrasion effect. Ideally, wash all your clothes inside out, closing the zippers perfectly. In this way, the outer part of the garments will always be protected and we will avoid deterioration.
Mistake #6: fully loading the washing machine
We can think of loading the washing machine to the maximum to «save» water and money, but what we can actually achieve is having to spend much more to buy new cycling equipment, because it will not last us even the year. Buying quality cycling clothing is a great investment, and you have to take care of it as it deserves. It is highly recommended to wash it separately from the rest of the clothes, in this way we can use the type of washing that we recommend in the next point.
Mistake #7: using a normal or intensive wash, spin at maximum
Normal or intensive washes are designed for large loads of laundry, stubborn stains, and often spin clothes at high speeds. All of this will make our delicate cycling clothing suffer excessively. We recommend using a delicate garment wash. These types of washes are ideal for several reasons:
- The washing times are short, ideal for garments that usually do not have excessive stains, and if they do, they tend to come out easily due to the composition of the fabrics.
- They are designed for very little load and small amounts of detergent, we are ideal for what we want.
- They take special care when washing the garment, letting it rest more and being less aggressive.
- They spin at a very low speed, thus avoiding wear due to peeling.
With these types of washing programs it is very likely that when you get out of the shower you already have your clothes ready to hang.
Mistake #8: using a lot of detergent
No need to spend a huge amount of detergent. With a short, delicate wash, you should use very little, like 1/4 of the dispenser. It is better to stay short than to go too far, and you will see that the clothes come out perfectly washed and without residues.
Mistake #9: washing with hot or very cold water
It is common for manufacturers to recommend not washing clothes in hot water, as it can have tremendous effects on their dyes and composition. On the other hand, we do not recommend using «cold water» if we are in winter and the temperatures are very low, as it will make it difficult to mix the detergent and remove the dirt. A temperature of 20º is ideal to get the dirt to come off and not alter the garment.
Mistake #10: ironing or hanging clothes in the sun without turning them over
We have arrived here following a whole ritual, and we can ruin our care if we hang our clothes in the sun or it occurs to us to iron them. We can think that it will go well with clothes, as it will dry them quickly, but we must avoid it, since its radiation and heat can discolor clothes, something common if our fabrics have those beautiful fluorine colors that manufacturers usually use. Hang the clothes in the shade as they come out of the washing machine, that is: the other way around. A good trick is to use a hanger as soon as you remove the jerseys from the washing machine, this way they will not be wrinkled.
