Washing training kit: good "OTC" detergent?

[Lewis Moon]

I go through a lot of kit and I'm not up for hand washing two medium size loads every week.. What is a good "OTC" (over the counter) detergent that is fairly gentle, anti bacterial and cheap?

[Nooch]

I go through a lot of kit and I'm not up for hand washing two medium size loads every week.. What is a good "OTC" (over the counter) detergent that is fairly gentle, anti bacterial and cheap?

it'll probably end up being the worst stuff for kit (only time will tell) but I haven't had any issues with tide with febreeze sport.. stuff smells good and looks good..

[FlashUNC]

The Boss and I swear by this stuff:

http://www.methodlaundry.com/

[mike p]

Whatever's sitting on top of the washer.

Mike

[RedRider]

I have used diluted Simple Green to wash kit and it also smells good. Assos makes a great cleaner but you you said cheap...

[ptourkin]

I do like the Assos but it's crazy spendy. Dr. Bronner's liquid (in peppermint.)

[Wilkinson4]

I have used diluted Simple Green to wash kit and it also smells good. Assos makes a great cleaner but you you said cheap...

Doesn't simple green cause your parts to corrode and get brittle? :eek:

mIKE

[RedRider]

Doesn't simple green cause your parts to corrode and get brittle? :eek:

mIKE

I'm guessing you're not talking bike parts. Those I wash by hand...
Seriously you want to avoid any of the heavy softeners or detergents that leave residue which clog the fabric.

[eddief]

http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/make-your-own-dr-bronners-laun-138151

[zetroc]

Penguin Sport Wash.

[rccardr]

All Free and Clear. Works great.

Dreft- yeah, the stuff for babies. If your taint's tender, that's the stuff.

[eippo1]

I use the Penguin for the machine, but usually just wear my kit into the shower and lather up with Dr. Bronners. Then take it off and soap it up again, rinse, hang and done.

[beeatnik]

Cheaper than the lycra specific stuffs and with a great institutional reputation ("a favorite of college and pro sports teams, 5 star and boutique hotels and theatrical productions"):

http://www.vaskahome.com/products/herbatergent-lavender/index.shtml

If you want to save a few more shekels Arm & Hammer Ultra Power with the little "for all machines" logo works great as well.

[rnhood]

Here is my favorite, and its good for wool wear too. I've been using it for 3 years now with no complaints. If you have to have something locally off the shelf, then the Arm & Hammer recommendation above is a good one.

http://www.atsko.com/1338q.html

[josephr]

All Free and Clear. Works great.

Dreft- yeah, the stuff for babies. If your taint's tender, that's the stuff.

have a front-load washer and put everything in right when I get home with anything scent-free/dye-free on the delicate cycle and then hang-dry. Have tried the fancy stuff before, but never noticed any difference.

[gavingould]

All Free&Clear for high-efficiency washers works fine for me.

i have a Euro-style front-load high-efficiency low-water-use washer/dryer all-in-one combo thing. it lives next to the dishwasher under the kitchen countertop.
all my cycling stuff dries on a rack though...

[Johnny P]

"have a front-load washer and put everything in right when I get home with anything scent-free/dye-free on the delicate cycle and then hang-dry. Have tried the fancy stuff before, but never noticed any difference."

That's what I do. I also put cycling shorts in a mesh bag.

[verticaldoug]

Nikwax Basewash is good at killing odor.
If you can find it, WIN is still good in my opinion.

http://www.nikwax-usa.com/en-us/products/productdetail.php?productid=473

[regularguy412]

All Free and Clear. Works great.

Dreft- yeah, the stuff for babies. If your taint's tender, that's the stuff.

+1 on that.

Mike in AR:beer:

[Peter P.]

What's with all the exotic detergents? Next thing you know, we'll have Shimano Di2 and Campy Record detergents; Shimano Ultegra and SRAM Rival will be cheaper, less effective versions...

Use a POWDERED detergent, not a liquid. Consumer Reports tested laundry detergents and explained that chemists find liquid detergents are less effective because of the need to suspend the cleaning agents in liquid and keep them active.

I use Tide powder. If you have a problem with odors even AFTER washing, try adding 1/2 cup of Pine-Sol to the washload.

Never machine dry your cycling clothes. Tumbling and heat causing friction and wear to the fabric. Heat causes elastics to dry out and sag. Line dry or use a clothes rack.

[regularguy412]

What's with all the exotic detergents? Next thing you know, we'll have Shimano Di2 and Campy Record detergents; Shimano Ultegra and SRAM Rival will be cheaper, less effective versions...

Use a POWDERED detergent, not a liquid. Consumer Reports tested laundry detergents and explained that chemists find liquid detergents are less effective because of the need to suspend the cleaning agents in liquid and keep them active.

I use Tide powder. If you have a problem with odors even AFTER washing, try adding 1/2 cup of Pine-Sol to the washload.

Never machine dry your cycling clothes. Tumbling and heat causing friction and wear to the fabric. Heat causes elastics to dry out and sag. Line dry or use a clothes rack.

Use powdered if you must, but I had a bad experience with some undissolved powder clothes washing detergent. Let's just say that having a painful alkalai burn in the nether regions is no fun.

Liquid for me, regardless

Mike in AR:beer:

[mvrider]

The Boss and I swear by this stuff:

http://www.methodlaundry.com/

Don't know if I swear by it, but we use it, and it seems to get our clothes clean. It hasn't destroyed our clothes (wool + synthetic) yet, and an unscented version is available. The pump dispenser is very nicely designed, allowing us to modulate the dosage for the quantity of clothes.

[Louis]

I add about half a cup of this stuff. Works quite well.

Edit: Also, after about 10 min of agitation I let each load soak for about 30 min

http://i.walmartimages.com/i/p/00/02/34/00/00/0002340000201_500X500.jpg

[rwsaunders]

whatever's sitting on top of the washer.

Mike

+1.

[aramis]

Whatever's sitting on top of the washer.

Mike

+1 again

Let's not make things tougher than they need to be. I just hang the bibs/jerseys/arm warmers to dry on one of my bikes hanging in the garage (that rarely gets ridden). That way I feel it at least gets some use.

[dgauthier]

Been using Woolite for over a decade. Zero issues.

[pcxmbfj]

Per Pearl Izumi use a detergent that is fragrance free.

[oldpotatoe]

+1 again

Let's not make things tougher than they need to be. I just hang the bibs/jerseys/arm warmers to dry on one of my bikes hanging in the garage (that rarely gets ridden). That way I feel it at least gets some use.

If it's something that is dear to me, like my Wool jerseys, and older, retro stuff, machine wash gentle in cold water, hang to dry. Use Woolite. Others, just wash and dry gentle, tumble a wee bit. I have a set of bibs easily 10 years old and they are still fine.

Besides, wear 'em out, a reason to buy more!

[Bob Ross]

If you can find it, WIN is still good in my opinion.

Yeah, what happened to WIN? It was everywhere, was my go-to detergent for all our cycling clothes for years...and then suddenly, seemingly overnight, nobody had it any more. I haven't been able to buy any in over a year.

Since then it's been Penguin Sports Wash
...sometimes with a handful of OxiClean™ Versatile Stain Remover powder thrown in for good measure.

[Vientomas]

+ 1 on "whatever is on top of the washer", and I dry my "kit" on a low setting - oh the horror. :D

[ean10775]

I have a stockpile of those little laundry balls with the compacted powdered detergent pellets inside. I just leave one in the washer and toss in my kit and wash on cold, then hang dry. Everything comes out clean and smelling fresh, but not perfumed.

The only exception is that after muddy CX races I'll rinse and scrub my CX kit in the sink (sometimes with a little of the dollar store citrus hand degreaser that's akin to Gojo without the pumice) to get the mud out before tossing it in the wash.

[earlofwarwick]

Sport Wash for me. Easy, not too expensive, and pretty much scent-free

[Lewis Moon]

I have a stockpile of those little laundry balls with the compacted powdered detergent pellets inside. I just leave one in the washer and toss in my kit and wash on cold, then hang dry. Everything comes out clean and smelling fresh, but not perfumed.

The only exception is that after muddy CX races I'll rinse and scrub my CX kit in the sink (sometimes with a little of the dollar store citrus hand degreaser that's akin to Gojo without the pumice) to get the mud out before tossing it in the wash.

I've heard that getting your CX kit off and hosing it ASAP (as in NOW) is also a good way of avoiding set in stains.

[BumbleBeeDave]

. . . gentle cycle, and make sure to double rinse. Then hang dry--never put any cycling stuff in the machine dryer.

I also generally rinse out my stuff and hang dry in the shower after doing a ride. Not as thorough as a machine wash, but it gets the sweaty salt out and my ultimate goal is to have to put the clothing in the machine as little as possible. I'll do two rides in the same jersey before putting it in the machine.

The biggest problem I've had with clothing "wearing out" is the elastic grippers or other elastic portions losing their elasticity. Particularly with the socks, the sock itself is still in great shape, but the elastic at the top gets all baggy.

BBD

[ean10775]

I've heard that getting your CX kit off and hosing it ASAP (as in NOW) is also a good way of avoiding set in stains.

Agreed, but not always an option.

[Tin Turtle]

well... I feel dumb now. I throw everything in with my regular wash.

[JonSnow]

If you're really concerned about it, choose any detergent that is both NPE free and ethylate free. It's the surfactants in the detergent that will be hard on your stuff. Any of the "green" options will have a lower, less harsh surfactant load.


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[deechee]

Thought I'd revive this thread to see if there's anything new people are using.

With a baby at home, I got used to a much milder detergent, but after finding my sports stuff getting smelly again I went back to Tide Febreeze sport and I find the smell overpowering now and noticed how much its fading the black of my newer shorts.

[MattTuck]

All Free and Clear. Works great.

Dreft- yeah, the stuff for babies. If your taint's tender, that's the stuff.

All Free and Clear was recommended to me by a dermatologist when we were chasing down the cause of some skin irritation. Turns out it wasn't the detergent, but I've kept using it.