Washing bike jackets?

[tigertim20]

My jacket is filthy, needs a good clean, but it is a perfect fit, and I don't want it to shrink!
How do you wash yours? machine wash on cold? with a damp cloth?

[howdamnhard]

Whats the label on it say.

[Mystic13]

You wash them?

[CookMySock]

machine wash on cold?

Yup.

Steve

[YellowDog]

What's it made of?

I wear one for 4 hours a day and after 2 months though the summer realised that I needed to wash it each week.

The machine program says 'Delicates' but do first look for a label for washing instructions. The may be somethings that you first need to remove (like armour).

[bones135]

Yea washed mine a little while back. Just took all the innards out & into the machine on cold gentle wash, hung out to dry & no problems whatsoever.

[hayd3n]

wash em cold and gentle w/o armour

[James Deuce]

Don't use normal washing powder unless you like foaming the next time it rains. There's a bunch of products out there for washing testile jackets lined with a breathable waterproof liner, so go to a bike shop or tramping shop and ask about it.

[pritch]

There is a range of non-detergent liquids available, they will have names like "Sportwash". As James2 says try Kathmandu or whatever. Be prepared to pay about $20.00 for a rather small bottle.

If the jacket has a detachable lining take it out but wash it at the same time.
I usually do this in the middle of the summer so that things dry quickly. If they take too long to dry they don't smell right.

Follow the instructions and you should be OK.

[p.dath]

My jacket is filthy, needs a good clean, but it is a perfect fit, and I don't want it to shrink!
How do you wash yours? machine wash on cold? with a damp cloth?

Check the label on yours; but for my cordura I just soak it in a basin of cold water with some washing powder for 24 hours or so, and then hang it up to dry.

[Laxi]

go for a ride in the rain! SORTED

[Devil]

Yeah what James and Pritch said.
Gentle cold wash. Armour out. I use Nikwax Techwash (from Kathmandu) and it's been great. $15 last time I bought it. You only get about two or three washes out of it.

[Swoop]

Pah! Fancy washing products.

I have had much success with warm hand washing in regular washing powder.
Rinse it out several times and no worries at all.

This was coming from wearing a cordura jacket in summer and needing to wash it on a weekly basis.

Chuck it in the machine and spin dry, to speed up the drying process.

[vifferman]

I've washed my Teknic jacket (cordura with leather on the sleeves) multiple times. The first couple of times I did it using Sportwash in the tub or bath, then I decided it was too much trouble and chucked it in the machine. Then I decided the Sportwash was too expensive, so just used wool wash ('Softly' or similar). Hung it up to drip in the shower, then outside.
Because of the leather (and because it was of dubious waterproofness), I gave it a couple of treatments with Scotchgard (the one for treating tents and outside fabrics, in the green aerosol). I figured it's better to keep as much water out as possible. The Scotchgard is the cheapest silicon on the market, and the local supermarket sells it.
DO NOT buy the SnoSeal product that you spray on, leave to dry, then "heat activate" in the dryer. It's absolutely useless.

[Foxzee]

Yip...bung it in the washing machine without the armour. I don't spin my in the washing machine I take it out and drip dry on a coat-hanger...ps they don't like dryers tho!!!!!