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So turns out the dead smell is simply my biking gear - gloves, backpacks and waterproof jacket and trousers.
They all absolutely stink. They get used in all weathers (well waterproofs during wet weather) and I tend to be a heavy sweaty person.
How do you clean and refresh the smell? Waterproofs get a reproofing cycling once or twice a year but that doesn't refresh the smell much.
Gloves probably need a more frequent wash, everything once soaked does get dried, but clearly it isn't getting rid of the sweat smell.
So what can I use on the kit to keep the absolute stench away? Kit gets used a few times each week.
Halo SportsWash.
Also, I found my gloves smelt better (and stayed fresher longer) when I switched to those laundry pod things rather than basic laundry powder. Pod in the machine, SportsWash in the drawer.
Gloves get washed pretty much every time I put the machine on. I do the helmet pads very regularly as well.
As well as trying different washing products, leave your stuff to dry out in the sunlight — if you don't already.
Napisan/Vanish/Oxyclean/Astonish/Own-brand versions. All the same stuff, put some in every wash along with normal detergent, works a treat.
(It's Sodium Percarbonate, aka Oxygen bleach, kills the bugs that cause the stink and works as a stain remover too)
As well as trying different washing products, leave your stuff to dry out in the sunlight — if you don't already.
Not often an option for folk up north like Rich and me... but yes, UV and fresh air definitely nicer for drying.
Napisan/Vanish/Oxyclean/Astonish/Own-brand versions. All the same stuff, put some in every wash along with normal detergent, works a treat.
Napisan for us. If it copes with getting poo out of traditional nappies, it should just about cope with my sweat.
wash above 60 ( plus the other ideas)
Napisan for us.
Prett sure it's the most expensive of the lot, BTW. £5ish for 800g of Napisan, £3ish for a kilo of supermarket own-brand "oxy stain remover"
I sweat profusely and This stuff in the conditioner compartment stops my base layers walking about on their own.
"So turns out the dead smell......" ....is something the puppy left behind the turbo trainer cos it's been raining and he's not a waterdog
I sweat profusely and This stuff in the conditioner compartment stops my base layers walking about on their own.
which looks very like their own label version of the dettol one, which we use as we don't have a morrisons nearby. Reckon it might take you a couple of washes, but i think you can probs soak it to gain effect, as you can with those Oxy products
FYI i haven't tried this with waterproofs, just lycra/pertex/roubaix etc
The only thing that completely removed the lingering armpit odour on my most used jersey was a combination of the new Persil Wonder Wash Odour Defy along with Dettol sanitiser in the conditioner drawer. 30degree wash. I tried all sorts before that - white vinegar, baking soda, Vanish - couldn’t completely eradicate it. Once gone though, regular washing with one or the other of the Persil or Dettol keeps it in check.
Ta...thanks.for.thenrwcommendations.foe.fixing the gloves, what about the backpacks?
I find getting stuff dry quickly, rather than have it lying round will stop the stink. Same goes for shoes - get them dry ASAP. Our drying cabinet at work was turned off by someone too early yesterday. Clean cycling kit that morning, the lot stunk by home time as it had been sat there festering all day.
I stick my riding pack in the washing machine when the mrs isn't around.
I swear more than most people, but I find that washing my bike clothes after every ride means it really doesn’t smell. I don’t even use detergent in most washed of my bike stuff - just in case there’s any semi waterproof stuff in there.
For my packs, I have always tended to give them some kind of annual wash, probably in the washing machine. Apparently this is not possible with the latest Camelbak packs. The straps do look much lighter than the older straps, so I can see that they might not be as robust.
For shoes, I just leave them somewhere to dry thoroughly after each ride. And I normally wear merino socks, which don’t get pongy.
I agree with the post above that recommends drying gear thoroughly in order to prevent smells. But for myself, regular washes (and drying after) is the secret. I wash almost all my biking gear after every ride, even a short ride.
115kg of wobbly lard, makes me a very fat and sweaty lad. Sweaty enough that I've destroyed the paintwork on several bikes. My cycling kit gets worn then washed after each ride at 40 degrees and smells shop fresh when dried. Shoes go under the radiator at the front door. Gloves need to be washed after every 4-5 rides, or when Kerry shouts at me to get those smelly things in the wash.
How often are you wearing the same kit without washing it Barton? I need to know this before we meet up for another ride!
Gloves don't get washed often and I can be 4 days on the trot riding...so gloves and helmet tend to feel 'cool' when putting back on (so still slightly damp).
Clothing is worn once and washed. Waterproofs probably reproofed every 3 months (apart from middle.of the summer). Backpacks...never washed them as I've never had them smell before.
Summer time so heating is off so suspect it just isn't warm enough to dry quickly and thoroughly.
Always a bad sign when even the flies veer off!
I am riding more frequently and is it mainly gloves and backpack with the stench, so I should pick up a second pair of gloves and get them washed far more frequently.
Backpacks - stick it in a net laundry bag if you have one, or a pillow case if you don't, and stick it in the washing machine on a normal cycle.
It’s only partly related, but I do struggle to get my stuff dry at times - mainly when it’s too warm to have the heating on, but not warm enough to dry stuff out (which means spring, summer and autumn here in belfast!). I bought one of these from Lakeland and it’s a good job for drying out stuff:
How do you clean and refresh the smell?
Line dry outside on a sunny day. The smell is bacteria, UV kills it.