Cleaning Your Kit
Tuesday, May 17th, 2022
In association with Cycle Superstore
Cycling clothing is every cyclist’s best friend. It keeps you warm during those cold winter cycles and keeps you cool during the summer months. It is made of high-performance fabric and is designed to channel moisture away from your skin.
When it comes to washing your cycling kit – treat it well and it will last.
Read The Label
Cycling clothing is expensive and somewhat delicate so treat it with care and follow the manufacturer’s washing instructions. If it is machine washable, use a delicate setting. Use a non-bio detergent and avoid fabric softeners as it will cause the clothing to lose its breathability and clog the fabric (especially rain jackets). As you will be washing it at a low temperature try to use a detergent that works at low temperature.
Some clothing manufacturers have produced their own bespoke detergent which is designed specifically for technical athletic clothing.
Zip It & Bag It
When it comes to washing your clothing try to wash it separately from your regular clothing. A pair of hard tumbling jeans or something with Velcro can cause damage to your delicate cycling clothing. Before putting them into your washing machine, zip everything up and turn inside out and put inside a mesh bag or pillowcase.
Doing this will help protect the print on the jersey and prevent loose zips damaging the rest of your cycling kit.
Drying Out
When it comes to drying your clothing let them dry naturally. Do not use a tumble dryer. Heat from the dryer can be a dangerous place for high performance fabric. If you have hand washed your kit, a great little trick would be to place the wet kit flat in the middle of a large towel. Fold the edges in so the garments are covered.
Waterproof Clothing Care
Only wash rain jackets when absolutely necessary. Over washing of waterproof gear will reduce its performance. However, it could be possible to restore waterproofness using a DWR (Durable Water Proofing) coating. There are several products available on the market that will re-proof your jacket. Some of them will clean and re-proof in one go and will need heat to activate them. Always follow the applications instructions. The garment should be clean and dry before starting this process. Be sure to avoid areas that are not fabric (eg. buttons and zips) and stand well back to avoid inhaling chemicals. Also be aware that some of products are flammable.
Cycle Superstore’s range of clothing care products can be found here.
To help you complete this year’s Wicklow 200, Cycle Superstore are offering 10% off any of their service options. The offer is valid from the 1st – 31st of May. You will need to present the barcode below as well as providing confirmation of your entry.
