I'm looking for 50+ experience with de-odorizing gloves and helmets. We just wrapped up a 6 week long heat and humidity wave here in the midwest, and today I noticed the accumulated stink. What's your trick for cleaning them?

I handwash my gloves, and spray the helmet and shoes with Febreeze.

No idea on the helmet issue, but I wear a cap under the helmet, and it goes in the wash.

Machine wash gloves and then hang them to dry. Usually do this about every 2-3 rides. Hand wash helmet and pads with dish soap and then let them air dry overnight. I do this after every ride.

The helmet pads are usually in there with velcro. Take them out and wash them in the sink, Helmet can do the same. The rest...........washing machine.

First, don't wait six weeks before washing your smelly stuff!

I throw my gloves in the washer with my jersey, shorts and skull cap/bandanna every week or so, more often when needed. Shoes and helmet get laid out in the sun occasionally for deoderizing and drying. If I notice my helmet pads starting to get funky, I'll take the helmet into the shower with me and clean the inside with shampoo. A few sprays of Febreze now and then between cleanings helps.

FOr me, cleaning the helmet pads isn't enough - the strap also begins to stink. I tried washing in mild detergent and sun-drying, but that didn't really do the trick. Now I submerge the helmet in a large bowl (weighted down to keep it from floating) and fill the bowl with a dilute bleach solution, followed by sun-drying. THAT does the trick.

Gloves just go in the washing machine, as others have said, and then in the drier. Only trouble is that the velcro inevitably attaches itself to some other article of clothing. A couple of weeks ago I showed up at a ride and somebody said, "hey, there's a glove hanging off the back of your jersey!"

The smell is a badge of honr, attesting to your bicycle prowess, and should be honored and cherished.

My gloves go in the wash; and then laid out in the sun to dry. Oxyclean in the washer helps with odors.

Everything else, helmets I wash in the sink occasionally when the salt on my strapes build up. I use shampoo and that seems to work. To keep down odors, I have been doing this for 3 years on my helmets and shoes and it works. I keep handy a little spray bottle filled with rubbing alcohol; the cheap stuff. After every ride I lightly spray the inside of my helmet and shoes. Its kills off any bacteria that would form and cause odors. I do occasionally wash my shoes if they get dirty and muddy. I can't believe I do this but I've had no issues; I wear leather Sidis... I fill the sink with warm water and alittle bleach, soak the shoes and then let them dry (outside in sun is preferable). The leather has stayed soft and the odors are knocked down.

Probably most important is after each ride your clothes, equipment including shoes, helmet and gloves is either sprayed, put out to dry or cleaned. I never allow my stuff to sit wadded up and damp for any length of time. Even if I can't get to washing it right away, I'll just put it in the sun or someplace to dry out before dropping it into a hamper. I've found out once the funky smell takes hold, nothing gets it out.

I almost always wear a headsweats skull cap and rinse or wash it frequently; keeps the helmet cleaner but an occasional warm water rinse helps get the salt out of the helmet straps etc.

Not wearing gloves much these days - not so necessary with 'bents - but they get funky if worn too long between washings.

The clothes I ride in get washed frequently.

Don't forget the bar tape. I replaced mine a few days ago and boy was that bar nasty.

Skullcap and gloves go in the washer after every ride, then hung out to air dry. Helmet gets washed w/dilute Simple Green or dish soap periodically.

I'm thinking of giving this stuff a try (Motorex makes good stuff):
https://www.biketiresdirect.com/produ...met-care-spray

If you make a habit of wiping down the bike after rides, then that's the time to soak the jersey and shorts, etc. in a 2 gallon bucket like the kind they sell at Home Depot. The helmet fits right in there.

I handwash gloves and removed padding strips in the kitchen sink with dishwashing liquid. Rinse well and put them in the open windowsill until they dry. Gloves are laid with palms up so the leather is exposed to sun and breeze.

Man, they get stinky sour smelling if it's been real humid. They will almost yell at you, "better wash me or else!".

If the helmet is really stinky squirt the inside with dish soap, let it soak, then hose it down with a garden hose and let it dry in the sun.

Never wash gloves with jerseys and such. Here is my method. Get a plastic coffee can, empty and cleaned out of course. Put gloves, warm water and small amount of mild detergent. I like All Free and Clear, no perfume. Put on the cap and you are ready to use your mini washing machine.

Roll the thing around for several min. in a bath tub or laundry tub. Do it in a tub or something as it will leak at the top a bit. Drain, refill with warm water, repeat. Rinse and then air dry the gloves. Works great and the gunk that seems to come out of gloves does not get in anything else. Helmet pads can go in the regular wash in a lingerie mesh bag.

Helmet straps are a real challenge however.

Pour 3% hydrogen peroxide solution on them. They will start foaming right away as the peroxide denatures the proteins in the sweat residue and generates oxygen gas. The oxygen gas, being highly reactive, will assault any bacteria growing on the sweat residue and destroy them. Allow it to foam away for several minutes, then rinse with water and allow to dry.

Bring the helmet in the shower with you and give it a good scrubbing. Hang to dry...

Thanks to all for a generous dose of advice! (including DenverFox's sidebar) I did the gloves in an empty 2 lb. protein powder plastic bottle with some oxyclean equivalent last night, and this morning the gloves seemed more comfortable. Of course, they did smell so much better. I'll tackle the helmet & its straps next.