# Washing Frequency



## CudIHavBn (Dec 15, 2015)

So I'm honestly not trolling... Do you all ever wear a kit more than once before washing? I have far exceeded the budget allotted by the wife  this year getting into cycling. I bought one LBS kit that is castelli 1/2 off because they're coming out with a new style, I bought one primalwear jersey and one pair of sugoi bibs (like these much better than the castelli's). I'm not going on tremendously long rides, and I don't really sweat much at all. Just curious if I'm gross for even considering it.

Also, someone told me that normal laundry detergent clogs the pores and it impacts the moisture wicking. True or False?

Thanks All. Hopefully this is in the right section.


----------



## crit_boy (Aug 6, 2013)

Yes, I was hoping this topic would make the rounds again. 

Can you believe it has been almost a year and a half since this gem: http://forums.roadbikereview.com/ap...ny-rides-before-you-wash-your-kit-328156.html.

Let the freaky personal hygiene practices flow forth.


----------



## CudIHavBn (Dec 15, 2015)

Thanks to you both. I learned, which was certainly the point. Didn't think about zipping jerseys before washing. Will do that plus cold water, dye free, and hang dry. Don't think I'll use mesh bags. I'll use the articles to convince the wife to let me get more kits .

Thanks again.


----------



## looigi (Nov 24, 2010)

Hot water won't hurt cycling synthetics. Use borax or Oxiclean to eliminate odors and kill bacteria (never chlorine bleach). Washing generally puts more wear and tear on clothing the wearing it.


----------



## Peter P. (Dec 30, 2006)

I wear cycling clothes twice before throwing in the hamper.

Powdered detergent is more effective at cleaning clothes because the chemical engineers don't have to figure out how to suspend the cleaning agents together in liquid form without reacting in any way or deteriorating their effectiveness. I didn't make that up; that came from Consumer Reports.

Avoid using the dryer. Heat will slowly destroy the elasticity of lycra and other stretch materials on shorts and jerseys.


----------



## TiCoyote (Jun 28, 2005)

I don't find that washing equipment more frequently causes it to wear out sooner. I do find that the elastic in old jerseys that sit in the closet for several months without being worn becomes brittle, and then the jersey dies a sad death. 

Here's my advice:
Take off your shorts as soon as you can, so you avoid saddle sores. Wash them before you wear them again, so you avoid saddle sores. Wash your jerseys every time you wear them, so they feel fresh and clean and nice, and to avoid rashes on your pits and back. Wash jerseys and shorts in the washing machine with cold water, and line dry them. Wash your gloves by hand in the sink when they get gross (something I really need to do soon, as in last month). 

The only time I wear a kit twice before I wash it, is when I commute in to work. I have to wear the same kit on the commute home.


----------



## DaveG (Feb 4, 2004)

CudIHavBn said:


> . Just curious if I'm gross for even considering it.
> 
> .


Your instincts are correct; its gross.

If you are cost constrained, consider less expensive shorts that will be just fine on shorter rides and use you more expensive kits on longer rides


----------



## SPlKE (Sep 10, 2007)

This question is best answered by considering how much you like or dislike Fromunda cheese.


----------



## ziscwg (Apr 19, 2010)

I just use the sniff test.


----------



## Migen21 (Oct 28, 2014)

I sweat like a pig, and generally use some form of anti-chafe cream, so yes, I always wash my kits after every ride.

I machine wash using very mild, unscented detergent on a very short cycle and always a second rinse... No bleach or harsh cleaners (always unscented).

I might toss them in the dryer on a very low temp for a few minutes, just to get the excess water out, but I generally hang them to dry.


----------



## jason124 (Jul 25, 2006)

ziscwg said:


> I just use the sniff test.


I found out I was a salty sweater and the sniff test didn't really work for me. I have gone as far as 3 weeks/12 <20 mile rides wearing the same jersey and shorts (I wear basketball shorts when I ride, haven't jumped onto the padded shorts wagon yet) with no real odors. I also hang my stuff to dry whenever I finish riding. 

When I do wash, I use powdered detergent with cold water on the gentle cycle and line dry.


----------



## Oxtox (Aug 16, 2006)

jason124 said:


> I have gone as far as 3 weeks/12 <20 mile rides wearing the same jersey and shorts...


pretty sure that will get you the Worst Hygiene award...

that's nasty stuff, bro.


----------



## MaxKatt (May 30, 2015)

I hand wash my stuff right in the shower with me when I finish a ride. It's dry and ready to go in 24 hours.


----------



## jason124 (Jul 25, 2006)

Oxtox said:


> pretty sure that will get you the Worst Hygiene award...
> 
> that's nasty stuff, bro.



Before I get chastised too much, I only went that long once. It was not crusty, or stained, or smelly... hell, if its wadded up in the hamper, it stinks more after 1 use. 

Under normal circumstances, I wash my kit once a week.


----------



## BCSaltchucker (Jul 20, 2011)

once, then wash. Especially with shorts, I feel the need for impeccable hygiene is important to avoid saddle sores.

Only time I go for days in the same clothes is ... multi-day packpacking treks (hiking). Only one kit to save weight.

BUt I picked up some hitchiking hippies a few years ago. Man they like to go for days and days in the same clothes I think


----------



## cnardone (Jun 28, 2014)

I basically have 3 kits (shorts, base layer, Jersey). Shorts and Base layer get used once. Depending on the time of year and ride type I might get a 2nd use out of a jersey. I do a wash every 3rd ride. Gloves and head gear always get thrown into every wash along with everything else. I use the gentle cycle and hang dry.


The first time I saw this question come up, I had just joined the forum. I was so confused. I thought, "I always thought kit meant clothes. But it must mean your bike."

cmn


----------



## Camilo (Jun 23, 2007)

Although it's not a bad idea, you don't need to air dry cycling clothes. Tumble drying @ low won't hurt them.

I always put my bibs in a mesh bag to wash because the straps tend to get tangled with other clothes and stretch out.

I wash my gloves in the washer and tumble dry (low) with the rest of the stuff. I don't know why anyone would think they need to be hand washed. This goes for cotton crochet, full synthetic, and leather palms. I put them in another mesh bag so the velcro doesn't get stuck to the other stuff.

I wash bibs and socks after every ride, but the jerseys I might wear a couple three times if I hadn't sweated much during the ride and they don't stink.


----------



## Lombard (May 8, 2014)

If it's green, it's time to clean.


----------



## Drew Eckhardt (Nov 11, 2009)

CudIHavBn said:


> So I'm honestly not trolling... Do you all ever wear a kit more than once before washing?


I wear the shorts for tomorrow's real ride and jersey when the temperature is right for a short 5-10 mile round trip commute where I don't sweat much. I sometimes re-use thermal jerseys when I wore a thermal base layer beneath them and didn't exert myself enough to sweat much. I wash outer layers like wind shells and tights without chamois only once a week (at most 6 riding days).

Otherwise no.



> I have far exceeded the budget allotted by the wife  this year getting into cycling.


After losing my middle-age spread I bought a bunch of previous year Louis Garneau custom program sizing samples and team left overs for $15-$35 all new with tags.

I wash everything in cold water on the delicate hang-dry cycle and hang-it because it's a PITA when things wear out after the manufacturers changed their product lines, like Pearl Izumi moving on from flat synthetic leather chamois and Louis Garneau making their jerseys an inch shorter.


----------



## ROAD&DIRT (Mar 27, 2009)

Wash after every ride, bibs, jersey and sox... never mix with regular clothing, the wife won't stand for it... I sweat a lot and my kids always say I smell when I walk in the house (got love the kids). Everything is gentle cycle wash and low tumble dry, sometimes I hang dry. 

About once every two weeks or if I things look bad I'll wash the gloves and arm sleeves too


----------



## black20 (Sep 10, 2012)

Anything that is in direct contact with body (bibs and baselayers, jerseys worn with no base layers on blistering hot days), gets washed after every ride. Anything that is second layer(jersey on top of baselayer, tights on top of shorts) gets washed every other ride. Third layer pieces like a vest goes in the wash when my nose and eyes says it's dirty. Something like that...


----------



## Tschai (Jun 19, 2003)

jason124 said:


> I wash my kit once a week.


Sorry to break this to you bro, but basketball shorts ain't be kit.


----------



## n2deep (Mar 23, 2014)

crit_boy said:


> Yes, I was hoping this topic would make the rounds again.
> 
> Can you believe it has been almost a year and a half since this gem: http://forums.roadbikereview.com/ap...ny-rides-before-you-wash-your-kit-328156.html.
> 
> Let the freaky personal hygiene practices flow forth.


I too find this topic hilarious Hard for me to believe that some people actually consider not washing an article of clothing that has been rubbing against their butt for a couple of hours and the best part is sticking their nose in the sweet spot to justify reusing it!!!! That's just gold!!! Thanks for the laughs!!


----------



## vic bastige (Jan 22, 2004)

I'm curious: does everybody wipe after each time they go? The wife limits the T.P. in the house, so I was wondering what strategies you all use.


----------



## Migen21 (Oct 28, 2014)

vic bastige said:


> I'm curious: does everybody wipe after each time they go? The wife limits the T.P. in the house, so I was wondering what strategies you all use.


Wow,

Whats it like to be married to Sheryl Crow?


----------



## Lombard (May 8, 2014)

Migen21 said:


> Wow,
> 
> Whats it like to be married to Sheryl Crow?


Can you spare a square?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bbne8cQVUcM


----------



## Wetworks (Aug 10, 2012)

I wash my bibs (inside out), jersey (zippered), socks, and any headgear I may have worn after every ride in a cool cycle with whatever onsale, perfume/additive-free detergent I have on hand, then I line-dry. Same as R&D, I will wash the gloves on an as-needed basis, but during the summertime that usually means after every ride. 

I'd also recommend manually drying off the lining of your helmet and your HRM strap (if you use one) as well after every ride, with a wash being done at least once a week or so. I will occasionally use alcohol swabs on them as well, although some people have said that's not a good idea. So far, I haven't had any problems.

Remember, this is less about keeping your kit up to snuff and more about keeping you healthy. If your kit is dirty that means it's harboring potentially harmful bacteria that will take advantage of the first vulnerability your body presents, which will put you out of commission for awhile. No one needs that, so wash after every ride. :thumbsup:


----------



## PBL450 (Apr 12, 2014)

Absolutely every ride! I hand wash my bibs in the sink, it only takes about 5 mins and it's easy to toss in HR strap and Road ID. Jerseys and most everything else goes in the washing machine. Winter and this time of year, when it's cold and windy I practically have a full load of laundry after every ride. My soft shell outerwear (PI) is once a week or so, more or less depending on conditions. I like things clean. But there are good reasons beyond that as have been mentioned...


----------



## SPlKE (Sep 10, 2007)

vic bastige said:


> I'm curious: does everybody wipe after each time they go? The wife limits the T.P. in the house, so I was wondering what strategies you all use.


Perhaps if you required your wife to inspect your hiney hole immediately after each bowel movement to determine the correct amount of TP to be used, she would soften her stance on limiting TP and allow you to be in control of your TP usage.


----------



## Pirx (Aug 9, 2009)

Wetworks said:


> If your kit is dirty that means it's harboring potentially harmful bacteria that will take advantage of the first vulnerability your body presents, which will put you out of commission for awhile.


That's a fairytale and flat-out BS. There are no health reasons to wash your kit after every ride. Cultural/social reasons are a different matter, of course.

Bottom line: Yes, you should wash your kit after every ride, but no, you won't die if you don't.


----------



## vic bastige (Jan 22, 2004)

Migen21 said:


> Wow,
> 
> Whats it like to be married to Sheryl Crow?


It stinks.


----------



## Wetworks (Aug 10, 2012)

Pirx said:


> That's a fairytale and flat-out BS. There are no health reasons to wash your kit after every ride. Cultural/social reasons are a different matter, of course.
> 
> Bottom line: Yes, you should wash your kit after every ride, but no, you won't die if you don't.


Not sure why you'd feel that way when the mechanical action of just washing alone is enough to decrease bacteria significantly. Your kit, post ride, will certainly lend itself to being a conducive environment for bacteria and fungi to thrive. If you continue to ride in said kit, the likelihood for an opportunistic infection to take hold is therefore higher as well. It doesn't take much. Develop a small zit, ingrown hair or even a slight tinea infection and a bug has the opening it needs. More bugs in a dirty kit coupled with a moist environment created while riding, well you're pretty much guaranteeing something happening. 

Never said you would die, but you could put yourself out of action from an infection.


----------



## Oxtox (Aug 16, 2006)

Pirx said:


> Bottom line: Yes, you should wash your kit after every ride, but no, you won't die if you don't.


flashback to jr high gym class...

an hour of high-energy activity...calisthenics, running, playing basketball, etc etc. and then 75 grungy teenagers strip off their dirty, sweaty shirts, shorts, socks, and jockstraps and stuff them in tiny metal lockers to incubate for 24 hrs. repeat for 5 days, then the coaches would bark at everyone to be sure and take their gear home to get it washed. most kids did, but there were always some that didn't...

even with that lax laundry regimen, there didn't seem to be many major issues among the ranks...


----------



## MaxKatt (May 30, 2015)

Oxtox said:


> flashback to jr high gym class...
> 
> an hour of high-energy activity...calisthenics, running, playing basketball, etc etc. and then 75 grungy teenagers strip off their dirty, sweaty shirts, shorts, socks, and jockstraps and stuff them in tiny metal lockers to incubate for 24 hrs. repeat for 5 days, then the coaches would bark at everyone to be sure and take their gear home to get it washed. most kids did, but there were always some that didn't...
> 
> even with that lax laundry regimen, there didn't seem to be many major issues among the ranks...


Medically, probably low risk, but what adult wants to smell like that in public?

I think of thru hikers I occasionally encounter on the Appalachian...not going to die, but ugh the smell.


----------



## Pirx (Aug 9, 2009)

Wetworks said:


> Not sure why you'd feel that way when the mechanical action of just washing alone is enough to decrease bacteria significantly. Your kit, post ride, will certainly lend itself to being a conducive environment for bacteria and fungi to thrive. If you continue to ride in said kit, the likelihood for an opportunistic infection to take hold is therefore higher as well. It doesn't take much. Develop a small zit, ingrown hair or even a slight tinea infection and a bug has the opening it needs. More bugs in a dirty kit coupled with a moist environment created while riding, well you're pretty much guaranteeing something happening.
> 
> Never said you would die, but you could put yourself out of action from an infection.


No, you could not, any more than you could by just going on a ride in fresh clothes. I repeat, your story is an old-wives tale, with no, but absolutely not a shred of medical/epidemiological evidence behind it, at all. Enough said.



Oxtox said:


> even with that lax laundry regimen, there didn't seem to be many major issues among the ranks...


Exactly. We might add that there have been and are many, many examples of situations where people had to significantly reduce personal and/or laundry hygiene for any number of reasons, or where such is the case as a matter of course, with no ill effects. Our bodies, and our skin system in particular, are perfectly self-sustaining systems. Believe it or not, but we are capable of surviving just fine even if we do not have our twice-daily shower and a spritz of cologne every now and then.


----------



## PBL450 (Apr 12, 2014)

Pirx said:


> No, you could not, any more than you could by just going on a ride in fresh clothes. I repeat, your story is an old-wives tale, with no, but absolutely not a shred of medical/epidemiological evidence behind it, at all. Enough said.
> 
> 
> 
> Exactly. We might add that there have been and are many, many examples of situations where people had to significantly reduce personal and/or laundry hygiene for any number of reasons, or where such is the case as a matter of course, with no ill effects. Our bodies, and our skin system in particular, are perfectly self-sustaining systems. Believe it or not, but we are capable of surviving just fine even if we do not have our twice-daily shower and a spritz of cologne every now and then.


Absolutely... But the question in play involves long term grinding skin to surface contact. A very different thing than you describe with gym clothes or other awful hygiene hellsscapes. What actually causes saddle sores? An answer to that might clear up the concern?


----------



## Pirx (Aug 9, 2009)

PBL450 said:


> Absolutely... But the question in play involves long term grinding skin to surface contact. A very different thing than you describe with gym clothes or other awful hygiene hellsscapes.


Well, in the olden days cowboys, the cavalry, Genghis Khan's hordes, etc., etc., etc., spent days, weeks, even months in the saddle. These guys hardly ever had a shower, and probably didn't see a change in clothes, any of their clothes, for very long periods of time. I hear most of them did just fine. Well, relatively speaking. I'm certain they didn't smell very nice, and a few of them probably did get saddle sores, every now and then. Those for whom this turned out to be a persistent problem did not last, is my guess.



PBL450 said:


> What actually causes saddle sores? An answer to that might clear up the concern?


Bad luck, mostly, in my experience. As far as I can tell, some people just seem to be prone to them, but I'm not sure the reasons are well understood. Others don't get them, even if they wear their shorts/bibs a dozen times between washes.


----------



## Camilo (Jun 23, 2007)

Harmful bacteria in clothes? Ok maybe if they're so dirty they stink (maybe) and certainly if soiled due to bad toilet hygiene. but just from sweat and such? Same attitude that buys disinfecting wipes for normal household cleaning etc.


----------



## PBL450 (Apr 12, 2014)

Pirx said:


> Well, in the olden days cowboys, the cavalry, Genghis Khan's hordes, etc., etc., etc., spent days, weeks, even months in the saddle. These guys hardly ever had a shower, and probably didn't see a change in clothes, any of their clothes, for very long periods of time. I hear most of them did just fine. Well, relatively speaking. I'm certain they didn't smell very nice, and a few of them probably did get saddle sores, every now and then. Those for whom this turned out to be a persistent problem did not last, is my guess.
> 
> 
> 
> Bad luck, mostly, in my experience. As far as I can tell, some people just seem to be prone to them, but I'm not sure the reasons are well understood. Others don't get them, even if they wear their shorts/bibs a dozen times between washes.


Good point on long-term horseback riding! In my searching and looking for credible sources the actual cause is handled subtly differently in different articles and there is not great consensus on whether the open sore allows harmful bacteria an entrance vs. just repeatedly aggravating an open wound.


----------



## Wetworks (Aug 10, 2012)

Pirx said:


> No, you could not, any more than you could by just going on a ride in fresh clothes. I repeat, your story is an old-wives tale, with no, but absolutely not a shred of medical/epidemiological evidence behind it, at all. Enough said.
> 
> 
> 
> Exactly. We might add that there have been and are many, many examples of situations where people had to significantly reduce personal and/or laundry hygiene for any number of reasons, or where such is the case as a matter of course, with no ill effects. Our bodies, and our skin system in particular, are perfectly self-sustaining systems. Believe it or not, but we are capable of surviving just fine even if we do not have our twice-daily shower and a spritz of cologne every now and then.


I couldn't find research on it directly, I agree, but that doesn't mean what I'm saying lacks "a shred of medical/epidemiological evidence." The epidemiology of pressure sore formation and infection rates is pretty well established, so it's not exactly a foreign concept to think the same could apply with cycling. The chafing and pressure on the sit bones and groin could certainly lead to an opening for infection. My only argument(?) was that washing clothes after every ride would help in reducing that risk, same as changing linens everyday in a hospital setting. Maybe I'm wrong and the risk for infection is the same, but I doubt it.

Good point about the cowboys riding their saddles; I bet the epidemiological studies would have shown a direct correlation to time in the saddle, clothing choice and hygiene, but we'll never know. It sure makes for a great strawman, though. And yes, our skin is a wonderful deterrent to organisms, until it's breached. Then your wonderful (and hopefully, uncompromised, immune system kicks in), at which point you have an infection. 

I know that what I wrote won't convince you to see my POV, but I felt a desire to at least respond. Sucks how conversations have to deteriorate into pissing matches. I know my last paragraph contributed to that, but you sure as hell inspired it with your responses. On to the next thread for me, this one is all yours now, sir.


----------



## jason124 (Jul 25, 2006)

Oxtox said:


> flashback to jr high gym class...
> 
> an hour of high-energy activity...calisthenics, running, playing basketball, etc etc. and then 75 grungy teenagers strip off their dirty, sweaty shirts, shorts, socks, and jockstraps and stuff them in tiny metal lockers to incubate for 24 hrs. repeat for 5 days, then the coaches would bark at everyone to be sure and take their gear home to get it washed. most kids did, but there were always some that didn't...


Oh man... you just brought back a flood of memories. There was one kid who either did not wash his clothes at all or during the second half of the school year. I had the privilege of sitting behind him during roll call. That was *not* fun. Coincidentally (or was it strategically?) he was the fastest runner of the class by a wide margin. Not sure if people didn't want to challenge him or if everyone just gave him a wide berth to avoid smelling him.

Fast forward a few years from jr. high, I was a volunteer at my high school throughout the year. Some of my duties included locker clean outs and taking return inventory at the end of sports seasons. Judging by the scents, there were kids that also did not have the best laundry practice. Yep some funky smells, and judging by the shared environment of the weight room, and the rough nature of football, not sure how many students ended up with bad infections. Not sure what the percentage of injuries were cleaned up since there was no on site nurse aside from the nurse's office. I have a hunch most kids wanted to be macho and "not be a wuss" by going to the nurses office.


----------

