LMAssosO

+1 on Woolite for Darks

Go easy on the detergent, cold/cold or warm/cold short setting, extra rinse, high spin. Our drier has an air dry feature so I just throw the shorts and jersey's in with a couple dry towels (keeps the damp tech fabric from just sticking in one spot on the drier drum) and let it go for 30 minutes. I don't have any Assos, but the Primal, LG, and Aerotech I have all do very well. Colors look good, no odor, no visible wear or damage after multiple washings.

1 cup of dawn dishsoap in the washing machine. Works great.

I handwash my bibs and jerseys with Dr Bronners in the shower after my ride and only put them through the machine after 4 or 5 handwashings. At that point, it's standard detergent, cold water, and line dry.

I didn't think it mattered either, until a biker friend recommended Penguin's. It turns out that Atsko Sport Wash is the same stuff, but cheaper. I get it from Amazon. It's really pretty amazing. No stains, no odor. Not supposed to effect water repellency (DWR) either.

You should be aware that dish detergent foams way too much for automatic clothes washing machines. They are designed for low sudsing detergents, not high sudsing dish products. You risk damaging your washing machine or at least overflowing your machine using a detergent like that. I wouldn't do it.

Even if you insist on using dish detergent, a couple of tablespoons would be plenty. A whole cup is crazy over the top.

Shhhhh.... You're ruining it.

Sorry. I tend to believe most folks are as dumb as they pretend to be when they are pulling my leg. Sorry. No offense intended.

That's why I had the winky face there.

Ahhh! I was wondering about that.

Feel free to come back at me regarding my seven dwarfs post.

wooooah, you mean you really dont have Sleepy, Grumpy et al washing yer biking clothes?!

When I ride regularly, I tend to hand wash my kit after soaking it with Woolite, spin in the washer and hang dry. Is fast to do and if we dont have laundry to do, the bike stuff doesnt sit around before being washed, plus it doesnt make sense to use the electricity and water for so few clothes items. I just rotate my diff shorts and tops so I always have one set ready to wear.

added bonus of washing by hand is that on a touring trip its all part of the standard routine.

Charlie Soap. Wash cold, double rinse, hang dry.

Whatever our regular laundry detergent is, usually Tide HE. If they're lucky and I happen to get to them before my wife, they get the synthetics cycle... So far no issues (and I've been riding for, what, 19 years?

Cheers

I'm not sure what the soigneur is using these days.

- Delicate Cycle
- Cold water
- Hang to dry
- No Fabric Softener
- Landry Detergent = Free & Clear (since I got this email below from PI)

I've actually seen this recommended on several websites for washing merino wool (though with more like 1/4 cup Dawn) because it was so gentle and had been about to try it. Good to know I shouldn't believe what I read on the interwebz.

If you do try it please post the results.

No way I'd add that much (and we have an old school low efficiency top loader), but I'll probably just keep on using the all free and clear or whatever we started using when our daughter was born. I'd just been hoping to find an easier alternative for washing my merino sweaters than doing it by hand because I'm lazy, but hate the pilling that comes from over machine washing them (had to pick up a bunch of new ones this fall/winter as I'm now teaching and sweater over dress shirt is professional enough without having to pull out one of the sportcoats and tie a tie every day).

I just throw it in the pile...a few days later, it's clean and back in my drawer...like magic.

Perwoll Sport - though it doesn't seem to prevent yellowing of white synthetics from sweat.

facepalm.

face palm.

correct.

You have got to see where this is going: Jockey Wash for Jockey briefs, Hanes Wash for Hanes T-shirts, Fruit of the Loom Wash for and so on. Do you honestly think that mild detergent isn't just mild detergent, that Assos is putting foo foo dust in the package to make a difference? P. T. Barnum was so right! God I wish I owned some ocean front property in Phoenix I could sell you guys.

fredelicious.

i bet you throw your kit in the dryer as well.

Every single time. Full heat. They have been going for so many years that I can't remember when I bought them.

I hang dry all my cycling bibs and jerseys and the shirts I wear under my jerseys. The damage is done by the dryer in my experience. I have a bunch of Nike dry fit shirts that I like for their bright colors and reflective stripes and one of their salespeople told me the wicking quality wears off if you dry with fabric softener. He said while drying them in the machine won't ruin them initially, it lessons their lifespan. My favorite under-the-jersey shirts are Campagnolo "multi-season-system" and they stay much softer if I line dry them. Ive found over time that anything that's not all cotton wears worse if you machine dry it, so I err on side of caution and once a week, my bathroom looks like the back alley of a residential neighborhood in Italy.