Fifty Plus (50+) - Laundry Question

I don't put my bike shorts or jerseys in the dryer. Why not? I forget.

uhhh.... to reduce your energy use / carbon footprint?

Uhhh....I forget , too! Was it that fabric softeners aren't good for the synthetic chamois??

Because my wife does the laundry. (I'll just duck now to avoid thrown objects.)

I don't put my bike shorts or jerseys in the dryer. Why not? I forget.
They'll melt. :twitchy:

All of mine go in the dryer on low heat. Never had a problem.

My bike shorts get washed with everything else but my wife doesn't put them in the dryer. Not long ago one of my sons took all of the clothes out of the washing machine, including my Performance Century shorts, and put them all in the dryer. I would say they shrunk about one size.:eek:

Mom says: Read the fabric care label.

Mom says: Read the fabric care label.

oh yeah.

oh yeah.

Can't read the fabric care labels if you've cut them off to save weight.:lol:

I hang mine on a line to air dry. Dries overnight in time to ride again.

I put mine in the dryer on low heat. Often times they will go into a mesh bag, especially if there is something in the dryer with velcro or sharp hooks. I've been doing this ever since the introduction of synthetic cycling clothing will no ill effects.

I remember old movies and TV shows that had the woman's underthings hanging all over the bathroom, to the chagrin of the male of the house. Now, it's my bike shorts hanging over the shower door.:lol:

I remember old movies and TV shows that had the woman's underthings hanging all over the bathroom, to the chagrin of the male of the house. Now, it's my bike shorts hanging over the shower door.:lol:

Better than on a laundry rack in the middle of the living room. :D

I almost always hang my shorts and jerseys in the laundry room to dry overnight. There is no real need to put them in the dryer unless I need them in a hurry for some reason. The fabric and the pads seem to last longer and retain their soft feel and loft longer. It frees up space in the dryer so the remaining clothes dry better. If I accidentally put them in the dryer, it's no big deal.

There are some "wicking" fabrics (don't know which or what) that involve some synthetic "Magic" in the fibers. Those are not supposed to go into the dryer. I don't know if this is important to know for bicycle jerseys as it is folk lore that I learned while I was still working as a soccer ref.

As to the shorts. The dryer does strange things to my chamois, and an inappropriate wrinkle is tough to live with. All 50+ers should know this.

They will shrink up and your peepee will look bigger.

I feel terrible or at least embarrassed because when I saw the title of this thread, I thought it was about sex. When my wife and I still had a child at home, "laundry" was a code word for sex. Like in "Honey, we need to do the laundry tonight." :D

Back on topic: Lycra doesn't like heat or dryer sheets according to an article that I read a long time ago, so gentle wash, line dry or failing that, read the label. Cheers! :)

sex

What is this sex of which you speak?

Mine get washed in cold water and hung in the laundry room to dry. Why waste the gas and electricity to do what will happen all by itself?

Because it kills any elastisity in the shorts for one. The elastic will remain stronger much longer if you don't expose it to dryer heat. Not sure about the jerseys.

You're supposed to wash them?

You're supposed to wash them?

So you're that guy I met at Starbucks........
Weeeewwwwww.......

So you go into Starbucks........
Weeeewwwwww.......

You're supposed to wash them?

If you wash them they don't stand up in the corner.

Damn..I thought this was a 'senior moment' thread OO

In the past, I would throw bike clothes into the dryer. Over the past couple of years, I've begun to let them air dry. I thought about this thread today when I was removing some other stuff from the dryer. The dryer has a filter, and the filter usually collects a wad of fuzz. That fuzz comes from that which is subjected to the drying cycle. That means that your expensive bike stuff is slowing giving up a small portion of that which it is composed, each time it is dried mechanically. Now I'm for sure going to keep air drying.

In the past, I would throw bike clothes into the dryer. Over the past couple of years, I've begun to let them air dry. I thought about this thread today when I was removing some other stuff from the dryer. The dryer has a filter, and the filter usually collects a wad of fuzz. That fuzz comes from that which is subjected to the drying cycle. That means that your expensive bike stuff is slowing giving up a small portion of that which it is composed, each time it is dried mechanically. Now I'm for sure going to keep air drying.

good point, besides cycling clothing air dries pretty darn fast.

I run everything I own through the wash on a cold or warm water wash, then it goes in the dryer with fabric softner on high cotton setting, no problem. This goes for my gloves also. Never had a problem. I will agree that maybe I am shortening the life of the items but I replace my gloves about once a year, and the clothes so far are fine after over 2 years. I see no problems with them at all.

then it goes in the dryer with fabric softner

I've heard fabric softener isn't the best for cycling clothing also. Is that true? Supposedly hurts it's wicking ability or something like that?

I've heard fabric softener isn't the best for cycling clothing also. Is that true? Supposedly hurts it's wicking ability or something like that?

This is another of these things that we all believe, whether it's true or not.

I use my dryer for towels only.