OK, weird question here. I washed my bibs before going on vacation for 10 days. The issue is I forgot to take them out after they were done. Argh.
I’ve since re-washed them and run them in the low-heat dry cycle. Do you think it’s fine for me to wear them?
Thanks!
er…yes - nothing wrong with them - bar a few creases!
Sometimes leaving things wet in the washing machine if its delicate materials causes them problems but if that hasn’t happened they’ll be absolutely fine. FWIW, I never tumble dry any piece of cycling kit, it dries overnight anyway.
They are probably salvageable, but if they have that sickly sweet mildew smell, I’ve had a hard time getting that out of other clothes. Some combinations of bleach, baking soda, and vinegar, as well as drying them outside in the sun would help. I’ve had no issues bleaching my bibs from time to time. I wouldn’t do it every cycle, but one time shouldn’t hurt.
You absolutely want Nathan Power Wash detergent (in general, for cycling gear, and especially for this). It uses enzymatic cleaners to break down that awful urine / sweet smell in cycling gear.
Use a full capful, set your washing machine to use a) cold water, b) pre-soak, and c) extra rinse. Then line dry them in the sun for a day, and you should be fine.
I cannot stress Nathan Power Wash, enough – this stuff is worlds better than any laundry detergent I’ve used for my clothes.
Oxyclean works as well ime