Newbie wool owner washing question...

[SoCalSteve]

Hi all,

So, my Assos base layers are starting to crumble after about 10 years of use.

I took advantage of the Competitive Cyclist 20% off sale and bought a Rapha Merino wool base layer.

I've never owned anything wool sports related. How do I care for it? Do I wash it after every use? Isn't wool a material that you can wear a bunch before having to wash it? Or, am I totally off base?

As always, thank you all in advance!

Steve

[flydhest]

What kind of washing machine do you have? I have a GE front loader, it is great for washing wool. Gentle cycle, a bit less detergent than normal (but that's what I do with all cycling clothes) and an extra rinse.

I actually even put my Rapha wool base layer in the dryer some times, to no ill effect. I can wear mine a couple times before washing it, but it has shown essentially no wear from washing over the past 10 months or so that I have stopped trying to spare the amount of washing and only limit my washing out of regard for water/energy use, not sparing the clothes.

[crownjewelwl]

gentle cycle...cold water...extra rinse...hang dry (although rapha says you can put in dryer)

i have several rapha base layers and they still look new

[witcombusa]

Ivory Snow liquid, in the sink with cold water.

And one of wool's great properties is that it doesn't stink after one or two uses like "plastic" based jerseys do. How far you want to stretch that is up to you, but I've "heard" you can go a week between washes. You don't need to wear it out washing it!!!

Warning....you'll like wool so much you may not go back to those OTHER fabrics :banana:

[jds108]

I'm no authority on this, but pretty much all of the performance-type wool clothes I have haven't had a shrinkage problem from washing. (Whereas common wool sweaters can suffer a lot of shrinkage during washing.)

So I'd say just be sure to use a liquid detergent and quick/gentle/non-high temp cycle followed by a gentle dry cycle and you'll be fine. You're just trying to avoid wear/shrinking during the wash/dry process.

I just bought some merino wool socks by Icebreaker since Sierra Trading Post had them on sale. Talk about awesome! This is the first time I have used wool socks for anything but snow sports. I regret that I bought them as this is all I'm ever going to want to buy in the future!

[flydhest]

so, maybe I am just more . . . manly (read: stinky) but I can smell it if I wear it once, definitely twice, but I guess it could be worse with other jerseys. Usually, though, I'm with my teammates (guys in their 20s) so I don't care.

I use Tide Free. We got it when we started washing my daughter's baby clothes so as not to have the smell of Dreft or Woolite. I use it for my cycling clothes now.

http://www.tide.com/en-US/product/tide-free.jspx

[monkeybanana86]

I'm no authority on this, but pretty much all of the performance-type wool clothes I have haven't had a shrinkage problem from washing. (Whereas common wool sweaters can suffer a lot of shrinkage during washing.)



Sweet. I was wondering about this. I have some used wool clothing that have size large tag but fit on the small side (I wear medium). I really want to pull the trigger one some jerseys asdkfjasdhf

[katematt]

so, maybe I am just more . . . manly (read: stinky)

So I guess that makes me less manly?!?!? I have worn a long sleeve Wabi for a month at a time with sweat and have not had the need to wash. Comfortable on a ride, and does not retain odor at all, unlike some other stuff I own.

[Mike748]

I use the Kookobura wool wash Rivendell sells. Seems to be easier on the wool than Woolite.

[shortribs]

I use the Kookobura wool wash Rivendell sells. Seems to be easier on the wool than Woolite.

+1... I wear wool year round and commute in it everday. While I wash garments by hand when I can, tossing 'em in the machine too seems fine. FWIW the Aussie stuff that Riv sells smells great.

[Marburg]

We tend to use the "delicates and wool" detergent from the ubermarket, but otherwise as above, gentle/delicates/wool cycle, low water temp, air dry.

[67-59]

Warning....you'll like wool so much you may not go back to those OTHER fabrics :banana:

So true....

At first, I treated my Rapha base layers with kid gloves -- wash by hand in the sink, dry flat, etc. After a while, I was comfortabe enough to throw them in the wash machine on the gentle cycle with cold water and Woolite, then in the dryer on low heat. They still look great. I might start hanging them to dry, mainly to save energy. Doubt it'll have any ill effect.

And if "manly" means "sweat a lot," I am very manly when I ride...and I can easily get several rides out of a wool base layer or wool blend jersey between washings.

[Ken Robb]

Rivendell sells Kookaburra soap for wool and has lots of good info on how to treat merino garments. Wear them until they start to get smelly or dirty. If you plan to store wool stuff for a longer time then wash it before you store it because moths go for dirty clothes more than clean clothes.

I was surprised to read that Grant absolutely recommends against Woolite because it gets wool clean but strips it of lanolin making it scratchier, less water repellent and shortening its life. Who knew?

[witcombusa]

Rivendell sells Kookaburra soap for wool and has lots of good info on how to treat merino garments. Wear them until they start to get smelly or dirty. If you plan to store wool stuff for a longer time then wash it before you store it because moths go for dirty clothes more than clean clothes.

I was surprised to read that Grant absolutely recommends against Woolite because it gets wool clean but strips it of lanolin making it scratchier, less water repellent and shortening its life. Who knew?

Yep...Woolite oddly is not good for your wool...

Ivory Snow liquid

[pdmtong]

I had rapha merino base layers for the past four years now.

I wash it in a mesh bag and throw that bag in the front load washer along with all the other cylcing clothes I just used - bibs, jersey, warmers, headsweat/cap, gloves. cold water, medium spin, perfuem/dye free liquid detergent on normal cycle.

Hang dry.

Once the base layer stretched a bit from being on the hanger. rapha recommendd putting in the dryer and it "shrank" back to normal size nicely. havent encountered that since.

the base layer lasted about 250-300 usses before the fabric became thin and started to form holes. rapha says that since meriino is natural, and detergent eats fiber, this is normal and they dont last forever. If I paid $80 I dont know how I would feel about that. However since I bought them in a bundle with a coupon I only paid $40 so I'll revisit this once I wear out the 7 I have left.

It is true they dont stink, but that doesnt prevent me from washing them. I like to put on clean kit before each ride - just makes me feel more pro.

when Iuse my base layers for travel, that wash every use idea gets tossed out the window.

[zmudshark]

Never had Rapha, but I lay my wool in the sun, wash sparingly in Ivory Snow, gentle cycle or by hand.

I can get 5-10 rides in cool weather between washes. The air and sun does good.

[scooter]

Best wool wash - Eucalan (loaded with lanolin), a Canadian product.
Hand wash or gentle wash in a front loader.

[bart998]

gentle cycle...cold water...extra rinse...hang dry (although rapha says you can put in dryer)

i have several rapha base layers and they still look new

+1

[learningtoride]

...

[oldpotatoe]

Hi all,

So, my Assos base layers are starting to crumble after about 10 years of use.

I took advantage of the Competitive Cyclist 20% off sale and bought a Rapha Merino wool base layer.

I've never owned anything wool sports related. How do I care for it? Do I wash it after every use? Isn't wool a material that you can wear a bunch before having to wash it? Or, am I totally off base?

As always, thank you all in advance!

Steve

Woolite, cold water, rinse, all in a tub or sink, lay flat on a towel to dry.

No need to wash everytime you use it but ya gotta wash it from time to time.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/vecchiosboulder/5554765602/in/set-72157625773302609

Recommended washing from Alchemist.