# How often to wash biking shorts?



## missin44 (May 24, 2010)

Finally got my used Motobecane tuned and on the road. Note: I have not rode in over 25 years, last time I rode hard I was in college. Since I have gotten semi-chubby and old. Anyway I now have killer ride, and new everything else. This may be a stupid question but how often should I wash my biking shorts. The reason I ask:

1. I have never owned a pair.
2. On my first day, June in S.Fla., I only rode 10 miles, my shorts were soaked with sweat.
3. The biggest question, how do they hold up to repeated washings. At $100 it's a concern. 
4. Not so much worried about the smell, more so the wear and tear on shorts and to my ass.

Thanks Heaps


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## carveitup (Oct 25, 2008)

Bacteria can lead to saddle sores which you don't want. I wash mine every time and they seem to stand up well. Use mild detergent and the gentle cycle and hang to dry. And since this is the beginner forum, a reminder - they are designed to be worn without anything under them. Thus the washing every time.


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## indysteel (Jul 21, 2006)

I wash mine after every ride, and they hold up just fine. If you'd like to get more mileage (pun intended) out of your $100 shorts, reserve them for your longer rides. Get some cheaper shorts for short rides. If you plan to ride several days a week, you'll probably want multiple pairs anyway.


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## Kerry Irons (Feb 25, 2002)

*Cold and mild*



missin44 said:


> how often should I wash my biking shorts.


After every ride. You can wash in cold water with liquid detergent, normal cycle with the rest of the wash. If you're paranoid, you can use the gentle cycle. Then tumble dry, no heat. You don't want your shorts to sit around with body oils and sweat incubating who knows what. Most people have several pairs of shorts and rotate them.


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## Oxtox (Aug 16, 2006)

if you're worried about wear and tear from a washing machine, just hand wash them in the sink using a few drops of shampoo.

takes about 2 min.


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## jmlapoint (Sep 4, 2008)

I have 3 pair of Performance elite-Ii Bibs which i rotate and wash in the machine after each ride. Never had a problem with washing, and line dry.
works great.

john


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## ldh6 (Jul 13, 2009)

Ditto on the multiple bibs. Wash and hang dry after every ride.


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## nor_cal_rider (Dec 18, 2006)

+1 for wash on delicate and line dry.....after EVERY use.

Would you go work in the yard for a few hours, and put the same underwear on the next morning?


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## Nimitz (Jul 8, 2004)

Kerry Irons said:


> After every ride. You can wash in cold water with liquid detergent, normal cycle with the rest of the wash. If you're paranoid, you can use the gentle cycle. Then tumble dry, no heat. You don't want your shorts to sit around with body oils and sweat incubating who knows what. Most people have several pairs of shorts and rotate them.


don't put them in the dryer.

Chad


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## frpax (Feb 13, 2010)

I wash after every usage. I throw them in with the rest of the normal load, and I do put them through the dryer. Always have. No issues at all.


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## cxwrench (Nov 9, 2004)

Nimitz said:


> don't put them in the dryer.
> 
> Chad


i've always dried every pair of shorts i've ever had, no problems. ever.

and the OP...not concerned about smell? whoa...you must ride alone!


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## tober1 (Feb 6, 2009)

Yeah I wash them in the sink after each ride. Hang em on the shower rod. Every once in a while I throw them in with my laundry for a 'good' washing. Seems to work. They've held up over a year so far..


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## skyliner1004 (May 9, 2010)

i've been hand washing my jerseys thus far. They're really thin and i dont want my other clothes to stretch them out in the machine. Cold water, shampoo, hang dry right before i shower after a ride.


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## Dave Hickey (Jan 27, 2002)

Every ride


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## Kerry Irons (Feb 25, 2002)

*Hand washing*



skyliner1004 said:


> i've been hand washing my jerseys thus far. They're really thin and i dont want my other clothes to stretch them out in the machine. Cold water, shampoo, hang dry right before i shower after a ride.


We wash our jerseys in the washing maching (along with our shorts) on regular cycle, then tumble dry (no heat). I have jerseys that are 15+ years old. They've faded from the sunlight, but no washer dryer damage of any kind.


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## arcustic (Mar 17, 2010)

I wash almost everything after each ride.....bibs, jersey, socks, gloves, bandana, helmet.


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## Hank Stamper (Sep 9, 2009)

tober1 said:


> Yeah I wash them in the sink after each ride. Hang em on the shower rod. Every once in a while I throw them in with my laundry for a 'good' washing. Seems to work. They've held up over a year so far..


That works for me too. Especially when I had only one pair because I try to ride 4-5 times a week and doing laundry that often ain't going to happen.


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## Keeping up with Junior (Feb 27, 2003)

*Never*

That's woman's work so my wife does it.

She washes our bike shorts after every ride, neither of us wears our bike clothes for more than one ride. Actually we ride multiple times a week and have multiple shorts so she will do a load once or twice a week.

Gentle cycle, cold water, powdered detergent, extra rinse if extra stinky. Line dry. 

We have worn shorts out from riding but not from washing.


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## PJ352 (Dec 5, 2007)

Keeping up with Junior said:


> That's woman's work so my wife does it.
> 
> She washes our bike shorts after every ride, neither of us wears our bike clothes for more than one ride. Actually we ride multiple times a week and have multiple shorts so she will do a load once or twice a week.
> 
> ...


But.... how would you know?


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## djetelina (Oct 9, 2007)

Keep Woolite _in the shower_ inside a small travel size shampoo bottle. Standard routine of wash the gear, wash the bod, spin dry gear and hang to dry works mighty well for me.


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## Keeping up with Junior (Feb 27, 2003)

*Riding with stinky...*



PJ352 said:


> We have worn shorts out from riding but not from washing.





PJ352 said:


> But.... how would you know?


Because my son was notorious for not doing his laundry and often times keeping even the most devout wheelsucker off his wheel. He would get two to three seasons from a pair of shorts (with infrequent washing) the same as I would get with regular washing.


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## PJ352 (Dec 5, 2007)

Keeping up with Junior said:


> Because my son was notorious for not doing his laundry and often times keeping even the most devout wheelsucker off his wheel. He would get two to three seasons from a pair of shorts (with infrequent washing) the same as I would get with regular washing.


I was joking, but your explanation was more than adequate.  

Thanks (I think).


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## cdhbrad (Feb 18, 2003)

As with most others, wash my stuff after every ride. I have plenty of gear so I do bike clothes twice a week. I turn the bibs inside out as it helps the chamois dry faster. Be sure you zip your jerseys to keep them from snagging other bike clothes. My wife and I both ride, usually 6 days a week, so no trouble getting 2 full loads of bike clothes only each week.


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## Argentius (Aug 26, 2004)

Usual here, machine wash with woolite on delicates, hang dry.

Most chamois now have antimicrobial stuff in the chamois, and that's probably good for me, since I will admit I do not bring a second pair to work, for the ride home (who does that?)


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## Loraura (Jun 30, 2008)

We ride our bikes too much to worry about fussing about the laundry.

We wash and dry our stuff after every ride in the washer and dryer along with all our other clothes.

If I happen to notice a jersey while moving clothes from the washer to the dryer, I'll pull it out and hang it to dry. If not, never had anything damage or shrink in the dryer.

Absolutely, positively, wash the shorts in SOME manner after every ride.


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## zipptrek (Jun 16, 2002)

missin44 said:


> Finally got my used Motobecane tuned and on the road. Note: I have not rode in over 25 years, last time I rode hard I was in college. Since I have gotten semi-chubby and old. Anyway I now have killer ride, and new everything else. This may be a stupid question but how often should I wash my biking shorts. The reason I ask:
> 
> 1. I have never owned a pair.
> 2. On my first day, June in S.Fla., I only rode 10 miles, my shorts were soaked with sweat.
> ...


I have 4 sets of riding clothes and have a strict rule about wearing them only once per wash. I've heard about saddle sores and have never had one, but they don't sound like fun.
Not worth the money to me to wear stinky clothes.
Plus my shorts last at least 3 seasons, Performance liquacell, they can usually be found on sale in the $30 - 40 range. I actually think Nashbar has the liquacell now.
I line dry all my bike clothes and don't mix regular clothes in the wash with them.
I find cotton leaves pills on my bike clothes.


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## Spanky_88007 (Aug 28, 2008)

I wash shorts, jerseys, and socks after each ride. I toss em in a mesh bag and wash em with my slacks and dress shirts on the gentle cycle, but i don't use laundry softener on them. The mesh bags are really handy. I throw anything with velcro in one, and the lycra and jerseys in another. Best to keep them separate, as velcro doesn't play nice with much of anything in the washer. I've got super old jerseys that still look and smell like they did when they were new, the shorts obviously wear out faster, but I won't complain about getting >2 years out of a 45 dollar pair of shorts. It helps to have more than one pair so that you can distribute the wear and tear. Like most everyone else, I hang all of it up to dry.

-zipp, saddle sores are just about the furthest thing from fun that I've ever experienced...


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## Camilo (Jun 23, 2007)

Multiple sets
Single use only (unless I commute, then I ride in, hang the short to air and dry, ride home w/ same shorts)
Machine wash, normal cycle. Dry extra low or hang dry, doesn't matter.

We 'segregate' our synthetic athletic and cold weather gear and wash it separately from the heavy cotton stuff. That way we don't have to sort for drying.

The only special thing I do is I have a little mesh bag I put my gloves in because I think the only danger to any cycling clothes from washing machines or dryers is - in addition to excessive heat (extra low, duh) - is the gloves' velcro snagging and damaging synthetic fabrics.


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## waterobert (Nov 24, 2009)

wash them after every ride!


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## tommyrhodes (Aug 19, 2009)

Machine wash/dry after every ride. I was my gloves arm/leg warmers hat every week or so.


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## JCavilia (Sep 12, 2005)

> Single use only (unless I commute, then I ride in, hang the short to air and dry, ride home w/ same shorts)
> Machine wash, normal cycle. Dry extra low or hang dry, doesn't matter.


I do like Camilo, except almost always just hang dry. I commute by bike almost every day year-round, so that's a regular routine.

I have enough pairs of shorts to get through the week's commute plus a weekend ride or two, so I can wash one a week. If a pair of shorts isn't going to be washed within a day after riding, I make sure to let it air out before putting it in a bag or hamper.

If you're buying a new washing machine anytime soon, and expecting to use it for several years, look seriously at front-loaders. They cost substantially more, but you make it up in a few years in savings on water, energy and wear-and-tear on clothes. The horizontal tumbling motion beats clothing up a lot less than the back-and-forth agitator in a top-loader.


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## cdsmith (Apr 13, 2008)

After every ride - Everything goes into the sink with some Woolite. I let it soak while I'm in the shower. 
About once a month I grab everything I've been wearing over the past month and do a "big" wash - gentle cycle and hang dry.
cd


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