Anyone have any advice on cleaning/drying leather/gel gloves? I got caught in the rain the other day and my goves are still wet and they absolutely stink to high heaven.. Please god, someone give me some advice!!
Glove Funk
- Thread starter Spacegh()st
- Start date
I'd love to know if anyone has defeated this. I've washed mine - nothing special, just put them into the machine with all of the other cycling gear (I use woolite) and then air dried them - the funk remains. I even accidentally spilled about 1/4 of a bottle of Febreeze on them and the funk was still there under the sickly sweet smell - when the Febreeze scent finally went away the gloves were still stinky. I decided it wasn't going away and got a new pair. About 3 months of not wearing the old ones and the funky scent is almost gone, but I've gone back to wearing them because the replacements that I got fell apart - they were really cheap and literally dissolved in the last rainstorm that I rode in - the palms had holes in them- not going to buy those again.Spacegh()st said:
I've not had to deal with this problem with cycling clothes but with small wash towels. It's bacteria or mildew that won't go away with washing. You can disinfect with either bleach or short (15-30 sec) periods in the microwave 1-2 minutes apart. Then put it in the wash and see if they come out smelling better.
I wouldn't try the bleach option on anything that's not white.
I wouldn't try the bleach option on anything that's not white.
I wash 'em after every ride, air dry. Never had a problem, though I do have a number of pairs so I'm not using the same ones all the time.
I guess some people must think washing hurts the leather (not in my experience) and so they never wash 'em. No wonder they stink when they get wet!
I guess some people must think washing hurts the leather (not in my experience) and so they never wash 'em. No wonder they stink when they get wet!
Thanks russ6789... I tried washing them with Woolite and air drying and it worked like a charm.. now they smell like brand new and the leather is no worse for wear... took them about 6 hours to dry outside.. I find myself missing that smell already (or not!)...russ6789 said:
Sounds like russ is satisfied, and least for the present, but eden's post suggests this can be more recalcitrant. I am with squint, this is similar to the "mildew on dish cloths and sponges problem". And, like squint I find the microwave to be a good solution, especially if followed by a wash. Bleach will kill the mildew, but as noted it might kill more than that, and might be reserved for a last resort. One thing not yet mentioned (and the reason for my post) is sunlight: line-drying outside after washing. UV kills mildew organisms very well. If necessary, expose both inside and out.
Chero
Chero
I got caught in the rain yesterday and got soaked....anyway, soon as I got home I threw EVERYTHING in a cool wash (pity the Bike wouldn't fit)...and everything came out great...I just hung the gloves up to air-dry...I even chucked my Plastic Rain Jacket in...the only problem was, my socks stuck to the Velcro.....
My shoes were full of water...I could feel my back paws squelching on every pedal rotation....any tips for keeping water out of shoes...anyone??
My shoes were full of water...I could feel my back paws squelching on every pedal rotation....any tips for keeping water out of shoes...anyone??
Spacegh()st said:
I have the cure for this problem. This also works for the rest of your cycling clothing. Wash it in the sink using laundry detergent and rinse thoroughly. Ring out as much water as possible by hand, then lay everything in front of a fan overnight. The fan-drying is much faster than hanging out to dry, and doesn't let any smelly bacteria build up. Everything will be 100% dry within 8 hours and will smell Spring fresh.
russ6789 said:
if after washing the leather hardens then soften with bodymilk ( works with chamois shorts inserts as well ) - there is a product specially made that is better but costs a lot more and everybody has bodymilk in the house anyway so try that first .
