What product do you wash bib/shorts chamois with?

[simplemind]

I'm sure this has been discussed before many times, but I'm not getting a consistent answer.
Here is what I want:
1) low temperature activation so fabrics are minimally stressed
2) non-allergenic (some products can cause rashes)
3) anti-bacterial (high priority)
4) available in US market

Simple, right? Well, almost everything I find doesn't meet one of the criteria. One product, Halo Sports Wash sounds great but is not available in the US. It contains an ingredient called "hygienilac" and is supposed to kill almost any bacteria. I can't believe there is not an equivalent product available here.
Lysol Laundry Sanitizer also sounds good, however there are numerous reports of skin issues, probably because it goes into the rinse water and therefore a residual is left in the garment.

Anyway, like to hear what you are using, and/or have rejected.

[eddief]

not sure about anti bacterial but don't worry about it that much. wash em after you wear em and hopefully all is fine.

https://www.drbronner.com/wp-content...AL32US7-02.pdf

http://www.lisabronner.com/who-gave-soap-a-bad-name/

[OperaLover]

I just turn everything inside out, zip up the jerseys, use a small amount of regular clothes soap on gentle cycle and then air dry. If you can put your kit out in the sun to dry, then the UV will kill most of the bacteria that causes the dreaded lycra stink. For wool I hand wash, but only when kit is particularly nasty (grit, mud, snot, etc.)

[madsciencenow]

I climb in shower with my kit on, rinse everything in warm water several times, wring water out without distending fabric, and hang to dry. I’ve had minimal issues with funky smells. Been doing this for years with running and cycling clothes.


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[tsarpepe]

Shampoo.

[batman1425]

Regular washing is your best bet to discourage unwanted odor from bacterial growth.

Antimicrobial infused soaps for hand or clothes washing are IMO wasted in this and in most home applications unless you have a specific medical concern requires higher stringency.

Most any decent consumer laundry detergent will kill plenty of things by destabilizing cell membranes and are effective at physical removal of living cells from fabrics. It may not get rid of everything - but most things that live on your skin are not bugs you really have to worry about if you are an otherwise healthy person. Do that regularly and you shouldn't have to worry about an accumulation of microbes that could lead to odor or infection. If you already have an odor problem, you need to use a product that removes the odor, not the bugs, which is a different category of agent. I like oxygen bleach (oxyclean). Peroxide is a very effective molecule to chemically modify smelly things to make them not smelly anymore. Treat once to remove odor and switch to regular cleaning methods to inhibit further microbial buildup.

The "all microbes are bad" argument couldn't be farther from the truth and you may be doing more harm than good buy using antibacterial infused cleaners.

[ghammer]

Normal cycle, cold wash. Regular detergent too, *never* fabric softener. Instead, i pour a bit of vinegar - it kills bacteria and keeps the stretchy material ultra soft, like silk. hang to dry. your cycling clothes will last 10x longer

[Bentley]

I did some reading on line and it seems that most of the time, the funk you get on athletic gear is related to using fabric softener. It also does not seem to matter if its liquid in the washer or dryer cloths.

I use plain old laundry detergent to wash my kit, cold water. I found on line that if your clothes do develop a bit of funk you can deal with that by pre-soaking in cider vinegar/water.

I try and make sure I wash my kit the same day I use it so that there is no "breeding ground" but I also use a bit of color safe bleach to give the detergent a boost.

Honestly, most of these detergents you buy that specifically deal with athletic gear are just plain detergent. Maybe more organic than Tide, but detergent just the same.

[simplemind]

That was quick!

The sanitizing requirement I have is a result of having to have a surgical procedure on a follicle. And yes that was most unpleasant, mainly because of the location, as you might guess where.
I even use an anti-bacterial surgical soap but still would like to believe that I'm using the best approach. And with warm weather approaching, lot's of things can grow in the deep recesses of a foam chamois.
Yes, I may be going overboard, but if there is a good detergent that is easy on lycra and chamois, rinses out well, and does the job, I'm in!

BTW, never use fabric softener. It does bad things to fabrics used for evaporation and sweat management.

[Johnnysmooth]

I hand wash my kit w Dr. Bronners liquid soap.
Before washing bibs, I dribble some hydrogen peroxide on chamois. You'll know it is killing bacteria when and where it fizzes. Once fizzing is over, wash.

[Irishgirl]

Originally Posted by madsciencenow

I climb in shower with my kit on, rinse everything in warm water several times, wring water out without distending fabric, and hang to dry. I’ve had minimal issues with funky smells. Been doing this for years with running and cycling clothes.


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Efficiency at its best...now I have two new things to do in the shower...practice snot rockets and wash my cycling clothes.


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[Blown Reek]

They go in with the rest of the clothes with no fabric softener and air drying.

[spinarelli]

The key for me is to wash the bibs as soon as I walk in the door. I don't let my bibs dry with sweat in them. I wash them by hand in the sink with warm water and Woolite black detergent. Then I rinse it a few times and dry it by twisting the bibs in a towel. Then I just hang dry it. I will consider adding hydrogen peroxide as mentioned above. So, the HP does not damage the foam in the chamois?

[Spaghetti Legs]

Originally Posted by madsciencenow

I climb in shower with my kit on, rinse everything in warm water several times, wring water out without distending fabric, and hang to dry. I’ve had minimal issues with funky smells. Been doing this for years with running and cycling clothes.


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Kramer, is that you?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NMQTg4Y0YT0

[johnniecakes]

Cold water, gentle cycle, Tide sport detergent, hang in basement or outside to dry.