Washing Wool

[93legendti]

How often do you wash your wool cycling products? I prefer to wait until there is a hint of odor (or if they're dirty). My wife washes her Ibex Shak too often, if you ask me.

I have 1 pair of Smartwool socks I bought last summer that I have never washed...

[markie]

The socks I wash every time they get worn....

The tops can go for weeks without getting washed even with being worn every day. After a while they do not smell by themselves, but after a ride they will smell horrible.

My icebreaker stuff has done really well. Probably worth the investment.

[jblande]

wash on gentle cycle regularly

always air dry.

smells good and lasts a long time

imho the dryer is a problem disguised as a solution

[flydhest]

I am in the "more often" camp. With a front loader washing machine that has a very good gentle ("hand wash") cycle and very modest use of detergent, I tend to wash socks everytime (but this correlates, for me, because I have stinky feet, with Adam's "wait for a hint of odor" rule) and jerseys about every third wearing.

[bike22]

machine wash and dry with standard detergent and the rest of my clothes.

no problems.

nb: i do not reccommend this for fancy wool sweaters, dress sweaters and the like. i do the machine wash and dry for my smart wool baselayer, and random wool and wool/syn blend socks.

there's no real need to wash wool frequently though. i wash my smartwool baselayer every 6-8 weeks with daily wear- i sleep in my baselayer and wear it all day long, so it never really comes off.

[AngryScientist]

depends on what layer, as a general rule i like to wash any piece that is directly against the skin regularly, that goes for base layers, socks, etc. mid layers or sweaters and the like can go much longer.

[thwart]

i wash my smartwool baselayer every 6-8 weeks with daily wear- i sleep in my baselayer and wear it all day long, so it never really comes off. Having problems with close personal relationships? People seem distant? ;) :D

[gasman]

Socks after 1-2 wearings. Base layers, jersey after 5-10 wearings depending on how much sweat I've generated.
Everything gets washed cold, gentle and hung to dry.

[Ken Robb]

Grant Petersen is a BIG fan of wool and he recommends and sells Kookaburra soap and strongly discourages using Woolite because, he says, it strips essential oils from the fabric.

I wash my woolies after several wearings but before they stink. I could probably double the interval without any problem.

It speeds the recommended flat-drying if you lay garment on a rack with perforated shelf to promote airflow all around.

[scooter]

If it gets dirt in it, it gets washed. Otherwise, when it smells or starts to lose its shape. That means most items get washed once or twice a year. I use Eucalan woolwash, a Canadian product loaded with lanolin. It's available through stores like Paradise Fibers that sell yarns and the like. I generally throw items in a front loader on the gentle cycle protected by those dainty wash bags (you know - the ones you get with Assos shorts).

[rockdude]

there's no real need to wash wool frequently though. i wash my smartwool baselayer every 6-8 weeks with daily wear- i sleep in my baselayer and wear it all day long, so it never really comes off.

1+

I do hand wash and lay flat to dry.

[c77barlage]

I typically wash my socks after each use. Baselayers less often. I wash these based on the funk factor. Sweaters probably get washed after 10 wears or get dirty.

[etu]

i have been using wool headbands from Rivendell for daily commuting. by Friday, there is an odor for sure...
base layers are washed after 3 or 4 wearings although my wife denies smelling any odor most of the time. she got a great sense of smell. can't fart from the other side of the house without her noticing. :o

[93legendti]

i have been using wool headbands from Rivendell for daily commuting. by Friday, there is an odor for sure...
base layers are washed after 3 or 4 wearings although my wife denies smelling any odor most of the time. she got a great sense of smell. can't fart from the other side of the house without her noticing. :o
I have a Riv wool headband and it begins to stink faster than any other wool piece I own. I'll bet it's a wool - poly blend.

[rnhood]

I wash my wool more often than I used to, since I now have a front loading washer with a wool cycle and use Atsko detergent (http://www.atsko.com/products/laundry-care/sensi-clean-iritation.html) . In fact I use the Sensi Clean for all my laundry now. Really good stuff. Drying, well I use my dryer on the delicate or super delicate cycle then lay the garments out to finish any drying. Real happy with the process and outcome.