One benefit about cycling shorts is that they are mostly made of Spandex which is pretty easy to clean. Firstly, you should separate your cycling shorts and put the ones with similar colors together and close the zips of all your shorts. Once you have done this, turn your cycling shorts inside out and put them inside your washing machine. Lastly, add some sport wash detergent in the washing machine and let it wash your shorts for about 55 minutes, then remove the shorts and let them dry on a hanging line.
Cycling shorts are made of anti- bacterial material which helps to prevent you from bacterial infections around your genital area. In addition to this, they also come with synthetic chamois which usually absorb sweat every time you cycle. However, these materials will lose their efficiency if you don’t wash your cycling shorts frequently.
Therefore, you should ensure that you wash your cycling shorts after using them to ensure that you maintain high levels of hygiene throughout. It is also important to note that you should only use sport wash detergents such as Sports Suds wash detergent and Nikwax Basewash detergent. This is because such detergents clean all the dirt off your cycling shorts without destroying their fabric.
How to hand wash your cycling shorts
We also understand that not everyone has a washing machine back at home however, this shouldn’t be something to worry about. This is because you can still wash all your cycling clothes by hand. The washing process is pretty much the same as using a washing machine although washing by hand is more tiring. Here are the steps that you should follow to effectively hand wash your cycling shorts.
Separate your cycling clothes from your regular clothes
This is the first and most important step that you should follow when washing your cycling shorts and even all your regular clothes. Once you have done this, you should put all your cycling shorts with the same color together and separate the ones that have a different color. You are required to do this so that you prevent the dye on dark- colored clothes from seeping in to light- colored clothes. This is because once the dye seeps into the light- colored clothes, it leaves them with patches of a different color and ruins how they look like.
Soak your cycling shorts in a basin or sink
After you have separated your cycling clothes and put the same colored clothes together, you should turn them inside out, zip them up and then fill your basin or sink with water. Once your sink is full of water, add some sport wash detergents to the water and mix it up then put your cycling clothes inside the sink. After doing this, massage your cycling shorts inside the water and then let them soak for about 15 minutes.
It is recommended that you use cold water during this process as soaking your cycling shorts in cold soapy water helps to kill bacteria.
Rinse your cycling shorts
Once your cycling shorts have soaked with soapy water, you should remove them from the sink or basin and pour the soapy water. Then turn on the tap and rinse the cycling shorts with cold running water until it stops feeling soapy. You should rinse your cycling shorts at least twice so that you make sure that they are completely clean. However, you should be careful when rinsing your clothes so that you don’t waste too much water.
A simple hack that you can use to save on water usage is rinsing your cycling shorts when you are showering.
Dry your cycling shorts
After you have successfully gone through those two steps, you should hang your cycling shorts on a hanging line and let them dry.
How to wash your cycling shorts using a washing machine
For sure, this is the easier method of washing your cycling clothes as it is less tiring as compared to handwashing them. In addition to this, washing your cycling clothes through this method also helps you to save on time as a washing machine removes moisture from them after its done washing. Therefore, your clothes take a shorter time to dry. These are the steps that you should follow when washing your cycling shorts using a washer.
Separate your cycling clothes from regular clothes
You should separate your cycling clothes and ensure that you put together clothes that are the same color. This is because mixing clothes with different colors will allow dye from dark- colored clothes to seep into light- colored clothes which will ruin them. After doing this, you should turn your cycling clothes inside out and then zip them up so that they don’t tear other clothes in the washing machine.
Put your cycling shorts inside the washing machine
You should then put your cycling shorts inside the washer however, it is important to note that you should soak them in water first if they are muddy. If they are not too dirty, you can just toss them inside the washing machine, add some sport wash detergent and let it wash them for about 45- 60 minutes. It is important to note that you should use delicate cycle when you are washing your cycling clothes so that their fabric doesn’t get spoiled.
Remove your cycling clothes and dry them
After you have gone through the first two steps successfully, remove your cycling shorts from the washing machine and hang them so that they can dry.
The table below is a summary of how to wash your cycling clothes using a washing machine and through the hand wash method.
Method |
How to wash |
Washing machine |
You should put the cycling clothes with the same color together and toss them in the washer. Then add some detergent and let it wash for 45- 60 minutes. After doing this, remove them from the washer and hang them. |
Hand wash method |
You should put the cycling clothes with the same color, then wash and soak them in soapy water for 15 minutes. After doing this, rinse them with clean running water and dry them after. |
Conclusion
As you have seen, it is pretty simple to wash your cycling shorts. You can either use the hand wash method or wash them using your washing machine. All you have to do is follow these few simple steps that we have laid out for you and you’ll be good to go.
FAQs
Can I hand wash my cycling clothes?
Yes, you can hand wash your cycling clothes however, it is tiring as compared to using a washer.
How many minutes should I set my washer to delicate cycle my cycling shorts?
You should set it to wash your cycling clothes for about 55 minutes so that it can properly clean them.