Laundry - cleaning bicycle clothing

[AndrewB]

Hi folks,

It's been a few months since I was on the forum. Sorry about that. Transition to a new company and ramp up have occupied most of my free time.

Everyone knows that bike clothes aren't cheap. I've noticed recently that after ~3000 miles the last 1.5 years on my road bike, some of my clothes aren't getting clean in the wash.

How does one get grease and road grime out of brightly colored fabrics?

I have been using Sports Wash and Win detergents. Generally this isn't an odor problem, but more of a "get the dirt out but keep the colors bright" type of issue.

Any general laundry tips that work well for other riders?


AndrewB

[Bill]

Now this is a very good post! Personally, I would probably talk to someone that worked in a professional dry cleaning/laundry business! They may have a better answer then I would.

[bobtravers]

Put WD-40 over the spot, and wash it twice!!

[AndrewB]

Ok, I'll try WD-40 on the grease spots. Will that decolor brightly fluorescent jackets you think?

As for just the normal grime/dirt, I'm still hunting. For instance, I've got a nice fall/sprint Canari jersey, full zipper. Grime that I can't remove is at where the zipper starts, and around the elastic on the rear pockets.

I have a hunch that Sports Wash and Win are good at removing stink, but may not be the best at removing dirt.

[bobtravers]

Well try WD-40 on a small part inside of your jacket to check if it's decolorating, but it shouldn't be for my experience...

[onwheels]

I have used WD-40 and not had any problem. However, I would suggest that you soak the clothing when you are washing it with some sort of stain agent. This will allow the stain time to loosen up before the washing. There are all kinds of stain agents out there!

[tbrowne]

A well kept secret is non-flammable brake parts cleaner sold at any auto parts store. It's the same fluid used by dry cleaners and takes grease out very well. I'm not sure it will work on clothing that's already been washed, but it can't hurt to try. I've never had a problem with discoloration on any fabric, but a test in a non-visible location would be a good idea.

[JohnV]

One of the safest things to use on fabric to remove grease is GoJo hand cleaner or some other brand of cream hand cleaner; the same hand cleaner that mechanics use. It is safe to use with colors and does remove the grease. I don't know how long the grease stain has been in the fabric, but the longer it stays and the more washings with the stain in the fabric, the harder it is to remove. You may have to put some GoJo on the fabric and leave it there for a day or so and let it soak in real good. Put some more hand cleaner on the stain then rub the area vigorously and the grease should come out or, at least, not show as much. I use GoJo and it has never failed me.

My wife washes my riding clothes in a detergent that contains color safe bleach and that helps bring out the color in them.