Cleaning textile riding gear

[Richard230]

What I do with my dirty textile jackets and pants is to take them out in the backyard, hang them up, spray them with Simple Green, hose them off with a stiff water spray and then let them air dry on the hanger. However, Motorcycle.com has this advice for cleaning textile riding clothing - which is probably better than my way:
http://www.motorcycle.com/how-to/cle...otorcycle-gear

[WildWilly]

I remove all armor and wash as instructed on the label. As I'm very lazy, I only do this once a year.

[notacop]

Aerostich suggests NikWax wash and waterproofing. I've used both before with good results. I've also washed a jacket I really liked and it absolutely blew up in the machine even though it was on the gentle cycle.
Come to think of it, the last time I washed my Darien jacket a lot of the seam tape fell off the seams.
Maybe the soft brush and gentle soap and rinse with the garden hose may be a good idea?

[Rev Ken]

My HG Gortex gear had many machine washes and waterproofing with Nikwax products as it was Hi-Viz and soon looked grubby. It never complained and remains waterproof to this day, but it is now 'low-viz' and I can no longer get it looking clean and it is starting to fray at the edges, so it is now 'in reserve'.

[Daboo]

...I've also washed a jacket I really liked and it absolutely blew up in the machine even though it was on the gentle cycle...

You have to wonder what would happen if you took a spill in the jacket. The amount of stress on the jacket in a wash machine on the gentle cycle is a lot less than sliding across pavement.

For years, I've put my gear into the utility sink I have in the laundry room. I soak the gear in laundry detergent, Simple Green and dish washing soap. Why dish washing soap you might ask? Because it is made to cut grease. But recently, I've just put the gear into the old top-loading washing machine we own and it seems to come out just as clean. As they mention, make sure you rinse the gear at least twice to get out the soap. Soap is made to attract dirt, so if you leave soap in your nice hi-vis gear, it'll attract dirt to it.

Chris

[catfish800]

I wash mine with Woollite it’s none detergent. You should use only none detergent to clean water proof gear.

[flyrider]

Just saw this. I always wash my textile stuff by removing all armor, and soaking in the bathtub (clean the tub first if you use it at all!) in lukewarm water with Seventh Generation plant-based laundry detergent. Let it soak for 20 minutes, then gently agitate by hand and use a washcloth to gently remove all bugs. Drain tub, refill with clean lukewarm water and agitate the soap out of the fabric. Lift out of tub, put on a hangar and air-dry. Always looks and feels new when I do this. I only do it a couple times a year, but I do use wet microfiber towel to wipe off bugs after rides, between cleaning in the tub.

[cyclerosis]

Wow! Reading these posts about washing riding gear reminds me that in the last 20 years, I haven't washed my gear! I'll have to take a good whiff of my jackets before the new season starts and respond accordingly.

[Daboo]

I washed my gear yesterday afternoon. Wow! What a difference. It almost looks like new.

I didn't look at this thread though first. I put the gear into the top loading washing machine (circa 1986) and put it on a normal soak cycle. It seems to have survived, even though all the recommendations are for a Gentle cycle.

I did one thing different this time that seems to have helped a lot. I sprayed everything first with Simple Green and scrubbed that in. But then I also have a small tub of generic white hand cleaner (like Goop), and I applied that liberally and lightly scrubbed that in too.

In the washing machine, I used warm water, laundry detergent and two scoops of OxiClean.

Now I'm ready for more bugs and road spray.

Chris

[Gunther]

Hy all,
I read that some guys use Nikwax after cleaning. is this a hydrorepellent, or something like that?
I ask because I have waterproof jacket and pants until a couple of years ago, I've kept them, but they are no more waterproof: that damn stuff leak water from a pocket on the chest and down both legs... (and they costed me one eye of my head, as we say here). Have someone had experiences like this one, how can I solve ? (without buying a new one )
Thanks for any comment

[notacop]

When I got my Aerostitch, NicWax was the suggested product. It seems to help with the water proofing.
I end up spraying the back of the pants, the butt, with tent water repellent as a double down against getting saturated.

[ccramerusc]

The reason for using nikwax is two fold. It safely/effectively cleans synthetic materials (without damaging them), and it re applies/conditions the outer water proof coating of the outer material. A goretex, or other brand waterproof/breathable liner will get it's air passage pores clogged up with time. It will remain waterproof, but loose it's breathability. Nikwax will get in there and dissolve the gunk clogging these pores, and will also add a protective water proof coating on the material on the outside later of the garment (that covers the Goretex layer). This outer layer helps repel water and dirt to keep the Goretex layer clean and to allow it to breath.

So simple green, dish detergent, or others will help dissolve the gunk if soaked for a while, but they won't do anything to help the outside layer other than make it look clean when it's dry. A fairly new jacket might improve it's outer layer waterproofing with a washing because the chemicals added to the material are still coming out of the fibers, but after a couple washes with soap or detergent, they will need something like nikwax to be restored.

I test my gear to see how well water beads to determine when it needs a good cleaning. Then I follow the nikwax instructions with a little added scrubbing on the really dirty areas.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G891A using Tapatalk

[Gunther]

Thank you guys for your replies, if I can find Nikwax or something like that, I'll give it a try.
My previous waterproof jacket (goretex) lasted 10 years, more or less, used almost every day, this other (goretex, from the same brand) lasted 10 years also, but I used that only a couple of weeks each year, so I'm "a bit disappointed", so to say

[notacop]

My old washer recently died and i got a top loader with no agitator. I can only imagine it's less stress on the fabrics than having the agitator whipping back and forth. But, I do notice this agitaorless machine seems to wrap garments up looks like Medusa snakey hair all entwined. It self locks so one can't open the door and see what is happening during the different cycles.

[Rev Ken]

Nikwax have a 'Tech Wash', as well as a waterproofing Nikwax. I've used them for years and my 9 year old HG Gortex is still waterproof.

[Gunther]

Hello,
just tried techwash and nikwash on jacket and pants, after applying all that stuff with washing machine, I soaked the pants in a plastic bowl: after 5-6 hours the space between outer and inner layers of pants was full of water, and some moisture entered inside the legs; jacket resisted say 2 or 3 hours, but got wet inside, so I assume that there must be a tear or more near pockets on the chest area. I'd say the best solution is buy a new jacket

[Rev Ken]

Hello,
just tried techwash and nikwash on jacket and pants, after applying all that stuff with washing machine, I soaked the pants in a plastic bowl: after 5-6 hours the space between outer and inner layers of pants was full of water, and some moisture entered inside the legs; jacket resisted say 2 or 3 hours, but got wet inside, so I assume that there must be a tear or more near pockets on the chest area. I'd say the best solution is buy a new jacket

I've used these products for over ten years and kept my Hein Gerick jacket and trousers totally waterproof for 7 years. They are still waterproof after passing them on to my son three years ago.

[Daboo]

Hello,
just tried techwash and nikwash on jacket and pants, after applying all that stuff with washing machine, I soaked the pants in a plastic bowl: after 5-6 hours the space between outer and inner layers of pants was full of water, and some moisture entered inside the legs; jacket resisted say 2 or 3 hours, but got wet inside, so I assume that there must be a tear or more near pockets on the chest area. I'd say the best solution is buy a new jacket

It's a good excuse to tell the Missus if you're wanting a new jacket...

I just went to the local store and picked up some more cans of Thompson's water proofing spray. I wash my Olympia gear, let it dry, then hang them up and spray them thoroughly. It's worked for over 10 years in keeping me dry.

Leaving the gear in water for 5-6 hours is nothing different than when you put it in the washing machine. Eventually, the water will soak through. You could do the same thing with rubber rain gear that is totally waterproof...to water hitting it and running off. But when you put the rubber gear into a bowl and let it soak, of course it'll get water on the inside. It's made to let water run off, not be used to swim in.

Chris

[Gunther]

No Missus here, so I'll have to spend my own money, in case
I know that I'm not going to swim with motorcycle gear on, but last year that bloody jacket let the water in in few minutes, so I'll try a new waterproof test, a less severe one and see. I hate when my gear get wet. A couple of years ago, rain got in jacket, trousers and gloves (all waterproof, of course), I was 1500kw from home, and there was no shop where I could buy something useful to stay dry.
By the way, I can hardly find clothing for my size here in Italy, you can figure in small cities or villages in rural Europe

[HughPolish]

Bookmarked the motorcycle.com link. Thanks!