Eclectus

To answer my own question, Assos instructions (which I only got yesterday) say it is okay to not wash after every ride, but in this case to hang the bibs to dry the chamois; for people who sweat heavily the company alternatively recommends a sink rinse and hang dry.

Otherwise they say use Assos cleaner OR "a mild detergent". Use the wash bag. Remove from washer after the rinse cycle, do not spin.

How many of you have noticed your bib suspenders tangled up and twisted with some other article of clothing? That stretches and stresses the fabric. Not good. Thus the removal before spin cycle instruction. (This may be less of a problem using a front-loader washer because a top-loader's agitator may be the culprit.)

My experience with biking shorts is limited. I only started investing in "good stuff" this year when I moved up to daily longer-distance riding and my budget-conscious shorts pads started chafing my tenders. (And BTW, the "good stuff" really does make a difference.)

So if I can extend the lifespans of these things, I'd like to do that. Anyway I have only received wash bags with my Assos and Gore Xenon Sonic bibs. Previous to this, I had never heard of bike shorts wash bags. Gore, at least, appears to have concluded that most of their shorts don't need them. (The XS's have thinner fabric than their other lines.)

Whether using a wash bag will extend the lifespan of most shorts, I don't know, but it's probably not a bad idea. Dive shops and many mountain-sports stores sell small durable mesh bags, if anyone wants to try this method.

Garfield Cat

For those who sweat a lot, consider what sweat contains. In addition to water, body oils and salt. Do you really think a sink rinse will handle the body oils? If its a sink rinse, one might as well let it soak a while in something that will cut the body oils.

If it soaks a while, might as well let it soak in some kind of detergent. It doesn't have to be Assos detergent.

Fugazi Dave

If it's dirty in a normal way, just regular detergent in the washer. If something is way dirty (read: cycling caps, mess bags, etc), it's all about the bathtub and some Dr Bronner's.

corn oil

Sport Suds...for real stubborn stink try soaking over night. I used Tide and couldn't get the stink out until i tried this stuff.

DScott

Wash bike clothes after every ride, and always air dry.

It's the dryer that'll kill 'em, not the detergent, so much. I always try and use the least amount of detergent, though... if I can smell any on the clothes after they dry, it's too much.

I use regular laundry detergent. Who can be bothered to pamper bib shorts like they're some celebrity's children?

Sea Green Sky

The One Soap To Rule Them All. It's actually soap (none of the other products mentioned so far are). And then air dry.

kimconyc

Eww...

At least you got the first part right though...

socalrider

+1 on Woolite

Terex

In the future, please do a better job of supporting your arguments.

From Proper Care of Bras and Intimate Apparel, : "Contrary to popular myth, Woolite is NOT a gentle detergent."

And from Fuzzy Galore,: "There is also much mythological agitation around Woolite, but it's just a publicity scam. Woolite was 'gentle' in the 50s, if you compared it to the usual regime of hot water and Tide in the machine, with bleach to boot. It was gentle mostly in that it firmly recommended hand washing. But it's not a gentle product, it's very alkaline and strips the hell out of innocent wool fibers. Leave it to the uninitiated."

Chuck G

I use All on my PI shorts and other bike clothes. I seem to remember us using Ivory Snow to wash our kid's baby clothes, I think it's pretty mild.

Fugazi Dave

To be fair I did mention Dr Bronner's, which is an actual soap.

oldbobcat

I've been using Woolite, but I'm ready to try this. I wonder if the eucalyptus flavor will put some zing in my chamois.

Dirt Farmer

Homemade Fels Naptha soap. It is a bit labor intensive, but there is nothing cheaper.

Fels Naptha can be found in most major grocery stores.

MONGO!

None of my bike clothes have seen the inside of a washing machine, hand washing takes a few minutes.
Some of my stuff is white and gets soaked overnight in Oxyclean, otherwise I just handwash with regular laundry detergent.

Atol

Dove soap makes smelling my chamois much more pleasant.

Just sayin'.

kf9yr

I use a regular liquid laundry detergent in a very nice front load washer on gentle cycle (cold water wash & rinse). I do let the washer spin dry. My wife's clothing and undergarments have much lighter material than my bike clothing and they've held up well (she looks much better in lycra also).

I air dry inside as the UV is strong here in AZ...

Fugazi Dave

One more plus about having some Dr Bronner's around is that if you use it in the shower you get a nice all-over tingle, especially on your tender bits.

Sea Green Sky

Missed it, sorry

Especially the peppermint. I've been using the Tea Tree flavor recently and no tingle to speak of.

Fugazi Dave

Ah yeah, I forget that there are variations of it.