Washing your riding gear.

[omega man]

I noticed this thread on rejuvenating the “high-vis” qualities of riding gear-

Hi-Vis Yellow - Fading & Fix

OK, so my KLIM Latitude Hi-Vis Yellow & Black jacket is fading due to the UV it has seen since I bought it in 2016, the Hi-Vis Yellow portion of it that is. Same thing happened to my Aerostich in red. With nothing to lose as it is an old jacket but still like new, I bought some Rit Neon Yellow...

forums.bmwmoa.org

It got me thinking about cleaning riding gear be it jacket, pants helmet liner etc. I usually wash my gear outside with a suitable “soap/cleaner” product. Being that I have a “Redneck” mixer valve outside, I am able to get a nice warm, less than hot, wetting/wash water temperature.
I will first check all the pockets- 3 times then wet the gear. Next it will go into a suitably large bucket or tub with warm water and cleaning agent- all around, I find Woolite has worked well. After a soak, it’s time for a complete rinse, inside and out, with the warm hose.
Drying- All the gear is drip/line dried on a nice day. Pants and jackets will need to be turned from right side out to inside our including pockets every few hours. Be careful not to store the just washed gear with any dampness- completely dry.
For helmets, which can get fairly well stained from head sweat, it’s warm water and Dawn. Easier if your helmet liner is removable.
These “hints” are derived from the way a late friend of mine used to clean his waxed-cotton gear such as Barbour gear.
I have found that this has worked well. Not overly aggressive and will not get all the stains out if it’s been a while since a cleaning, but really suitable.
So, any hints on a “freshen up” for your gear? Riding season for a lot of us is beginning to shut down. A good time to give it a cleaning if needed.
OM

 

[collingsbob]

I only use Nikwax products to wash and renew the waterproofing of goretex gear.

 

[paul_f]

My Motoport riding suit’s washing instructions are to leave the armour in place and use a front load washing machine on gentle wash; hang to dry. I tend to wash the suit mid riding season and again in early winter. This has worked well for the past seventeen years with only one hitch. Lots of pockets and TWICE I have missed one inside pocket that holds my insurance and ownership for the bikes. I must have the cleanest ownership papers.

One day I may buy new ownership papers.

I always wear a head piece to cover my skull before putting on the helmet. These get washed after every ride in the summer. Once when staying with another rider, after a ride he sat me down to clean our helmet liners with some solution. His rag turned filthy; my cloth remained the same colour which I put down to wearing head cover under the helmet.

 

[61996]

I wear Aerostich gear and every off season they run a very attractive special on their refresh, repair and refinish services.
I send my jacket and pants to them and I get them back in a couple of weeks looking and performing as new.

Joe

 

[CaptCF]

You can wash riding gear?

 

[paul_f]

You can wash riding gear?

Oh definitely not during mosquito and black fly seasons!

 

[lee]

Klim and BMW gear usually come with good washing instructions. Our BMW gear is not Gore-Tex.
The Gore-Tex company has good washing instructions on it's website.

Outerwear Care Instructions

It is important to know how to wash your GORE-TEX outerwear properly. Well cared for gear will protect you better and last longer.

www.gore-tex.com

For Gore-Tex gear it's important to keep it clean to keep it waterproof and breathable.
To reactivate DWR (Durable Water Repellant) the gear needs to go back in the dryer for 20 minutes or so at low heat.
Another thing I do is rinse twice for Gore-Tex gear.
After that I spray the garment with water to see if it beads up on the surface.
If it doesn't bead up, I spray it with Nikwax TX Direct and heat it again in the dryer at low heat.

After each trip I put our gear over patio chairs and spray them good with the hose to get the dust off and use a soft car wash brush to scrub off the bugs.

Leather riding gear used to be easier to care for than all this waterproof breathable stuff

 

[omega man]

Patio chair sounds like a good idea for rinsing off the gear after the “suds”.
OM

 

[skibum69]

I use Nikwax products to wash my not waterproof anymore Klim Gore Tex gear. None of the waterproofing products do much of anything anymore so now I pack ranger.

My Langlitz Leathers get a wipe down with a rag and mild soapy water. They get Langlitz leather conditioner applied after that. After 30 years the leathers are still pristine.

 

[92232]

Klim and BMW gear usually come with good washing instructions. Our BMW gear is not Gore-Tex.
The Gore-Tex company has good washing instructions on it's website.

Outerwear Care Instructions

It is important to know how to wash your GORE-TEX outerwear properly. Well cared for gear will protect you better and last longer.

www.gore-tex.com

For Gore-Tex gear it's important to keep it clean to keep it waterproof and breathable.
To reactivate DWR (Durable Water Repellant) the gear needs to go back in the dryer for 20 minutes or so at low heat.
Another thing I do is rinse twice for Gore-Tex gear.
After that I spray the garment with water to see if it beads up on the surface.
If it doesn't bead up, I spray it with Nikwax TX Direct and heat it again in the dryer at low heat.

After each trip I put our gear over patio chairs and spray them good with the hose to get the dust off and use a soft car wash brush to scrub off the bugs.

Leather riding gear used to be easier to care for than all this waterproof breathable stuff

Where do you get DWR?

 

[collingsbob]

Where do you get DWR?

Any outdoor store like REI, Bass Pro Shop or Cabelas will stock Nikwax products..I get my supply at Cabelas..

 

[riderr1150gsadv]

No matter how you wash your gear, found that a loooooong soaking works wonders rather than trying to be hasty but YMMV.

 

[globalrider]

Washing: I have been using Shout for over three decades to wash my Aerostich Roadcrafter 2-Piece suit (2 suits in 25 years and I still have them, cleaned-up of course) and for the last 8 years my Klim Latitude suit.

I wash my riding suit once a year prior to winter storage. I apply Shout straight onto the whole jacket and pants since Shout is cheap (I buy the big jug), rub it in and let it soak for at least an hour in the laundry tub. Then I'll add water and let is soak for another couple of hours and agitate it by hand now and then. Rinse thoroughly and spin the water out of it using the spin-cycle in the washer. I let it hang to dry or if you are using a "water-proofing product" that calls for a wet application, I spray it on at that time. A small 22 oz jug of Shout does both the jacket and pants easily...for $3.48; the 60 oz refill jug is a whopping $5.98.

Water-proofing: I used to use 3M Scotchgard Outdoor for decades, then tried Nik-Wax and have been using Revivex for quite a while now.

Want to stay 100% dry, get a car or buy quality motorcycle gear.

 

[brownie0486]

For waterproofing I like this product. Two light applications letting the first dry completely before applying the second coating. The ballistic nylon chaps get a treatment twice a year, beginning of winter and summer. Been through torrential rains for hours and no water ingress.

Before applying it I'll clean the jacket with soap and water, let hang dry then start the waterproofing applications. I detest Gore-tex.

Silicone Water-Guard - 10.5 oz. Aerosol

Silicone Water-Guard is suitable for outerwear, footwear, tents, sleeping bags, and suede. Our silicone is specially formulated to apply maximum repellency in a single application.

www.atsko.com