Cleaning Gear

[SFSV650]

I have two kinds of gear, textile and leather. Both are covered in bugs. The leather stuff is fresh enough, but the textiles smell like someone, I don't know, got rained on and dried out by the desert sun about a half dozen times, with another couple of thousand miles of regular riding thrown in.

Nice, I know.

How do you all clean this stuff? Armor all leather wipes on the leather? Something else?
Should I throw the textile jacket and pants in the washing machine with the armor removed? Have them dry cleaned?

 

[SummerLove]

Most textile gear should have care instructions on a tag inside it.
Follow those.

 

[SFSV650]

"Do not dry clean.
Do not wear for Sumo wrestling"


It would seem you are correct, for one of the pieces anyway.

 

[Mr. White]

For textile gear:

- remove all armor. close all zippers and velcro.
- use front loading washing machine. don't use top loader with center agitator.
- delicate cycle
- cold water
- cleaner for delicate clothing. I use Woolite.
- hang or lay flat to dry. do not put in dryer or in the sun.

 

[corndog67]

What do you mean, "Clean your gear"?

How can you perpetuate the smelly, badass biker image with clean gear?

 

[Gabe]

Use leather conditioner on the leather stuff regularly (couple times a year, and ALWAYS after it gets wet and dries out), and the textile stuff you remove the armor and wash with Tek Wash--you can find that at sporting-goods stores where they sell camping gear, like REI, or you can buy it on the Aerostich site.

 

[Yo!Joe!!!]

Go to Cycle Gear or the "D" store in SF. There you will find the answers you seek..! :|

 

[Bravnik]

I usually just use warm water and a sponge and hand wash and hang to dry. Remove all pads first of course (and check all pockets).

 

[redruM]

just buy new stuff

 

[Oh My Sack!]

Been doing it for years with textiles. Specifically, Hi Viz textile which really shows off the grime. Grocery store, WalMart, etc has a tub of Goop Hand Cleaner for a buck three eighty. Get it. Treat the bad grimey spots with this. Use the remainder on stains on your good clothes. Let it sit for 30 minutes. Now, a capfull of Woolite in a partially full bathtub with warm water, I use a brush and give everything a good scrubbing. Drain. Rinse twice. Hang dry. None of this will compromise the waterproof liner. You're good for another 10k+ miles.

 

[SalCal]

Leather:
put it on
have friend brush off the loose stuff
have friend take damp wash cloth and clean you
have friend take damp/cleaned off wash cloth and apply leather conditioner.
watch some tv or make her a sammy for helping
fabreeze inside pits after outside is dry, hang dry on big hanger.

 

[SalCal]

textiles:
brush off loose stuff w dry rag or soft brush.
spray with fabreeze in pits, let sit for 10 min
fill sink with liquid soap of choice in warm water, put garmet in (do liners sep), squish down and let sit for a bit. Occasionally squeeze and swirl, water will get yucky looking. Drain, redo if nec. Drain. Rinse with cold water a bunch of times. hang in shower to drip dry.
ta da.

 

[JPK]

For leather I use Lexol cleaner followed by Lexol conditioner.

For textiles it depends on the material. My Rev'It Cayenne Pro outer layer is just abrasion protection. The middle layer handles the wind/waterproofing duties, which means I don't have to be super-careful with the outer layer or use special soaps. Whenever it starts to smell funky I just remove the armor, throw the suit in the washer (front loader) with warm water and some regular ol' laundry detergent, and then hang it up in the sun to dry. Looks and smells great. For Gore-Tex or other materials you have to be much more careful.

 

[Lucky Jones]

You guys don't just wear it into the shower???


I must be doing SOMETHING wrong....


dv

 

[gameboi]

Febreze that sh!t and its good to go....

 

[SFSV650]

textiles:
brush off loose stuff w dry rag or soft brush.
spray with fabreeze in pits, let sit for 10 min
fill sink with liquid soap of choice in warm water, put garmet in (do liners sep), squish down and let sit for a bit. Occasionally squeeze and swirl, water will get yucky looking. Drain, redo if nec. Drain. Rinse with cold water a bunch of times. hang in shower to drip dry.
ta da.

Done, thanks. You were right - that water was nasty.

 

[ThumperX]

Another trick to Textile gear:

If super buggy, mist with H2O3 (hydrogen peroxide) breaks down the goo that sticks the bug to stuff

Remove armor
wash on delicate cycle with woolite or other gentle detergent
run again with no detergent but a bottle of Nicwax for water repelling
Hang dry

 

[sfdj_tim]

Leather:
put it on
have friend brush off the loose stuff
have friend take damp wash cloth and clean you
have friend take damp/cleaned off wash cloth and apply leather conditioner.
watch some tv or make her a sammy for helping
fabreeze inside pits after outside is dry, hang dry on big hanger.

Girl, if you want to put on some leather, and have someone rub on you just say so... and yes, I would like cheese on my sammich.


What, that's how I read it...

 

[sprorchid]

I have textile and leather jackets.
my fav textile jacket was smelling like someone too, and I'm a gal, so that's not a good thing. I have a front loading HE washer. tossed it in, with out the armor. used whatever soap I had from target, all or tide. done. awesomely clean, like new.

I have a white leather jacket that was just looking gross. got that dry cleaned. I'm a lexol girl too. I use the liquid white stuff for leather to do touch ups.

two of my favorite leather jackets that I wore a lot this summer were both uber ripe with scent. I used fabreze on the liner for that stink, works great.

 

[SalCal]

Girl, if you want to put on some leather, and have someone rub on you just say so... and yes, I would like cheese my sammich.


What, that's how I read it...

Well, thank you for the offer
This technique works really well/better than trying to lay the offending dirty leather on a table or floor and rub the dirty away.