Tony P.

I use bike gloves for cycling and my rowing machine. My gloves get get very sweaty and smelly. So, here's my questions:
1. Is there some material I should either avoid or look for that could help me avoid the problem?
2. Should gloves be washed (I never do.) and, if so, how?

RichSPK

I don't wash my gloves often, but I do wash them. When I do, I just throw them in the washing machine on the delicate cycle, then I hang them up to dry.

msquared22

I just throw my gloves into the washer with the rest of my clothes.

shelbyfv

Yes, just wash with your other bike clothes after every use. Kind of disgusting, otherwise.

BobbyG

For years I have been using Dollar store brown cotton work gloves with the fingers cut off for warm weather. I wash 'em a few times then toss 'em. When I started padding my bars, I realized I didn't need the padding in the gloves. But even when I used bike gloves I would toss 'em in the washer every couple of weeks.

mstateglfr 

I soak em in a small plastic food container.

Hot water + a little oxyclean + gloves. Drop em in, wait 10min, shake the container for 20 seconds, remove and rinse.

Washing machine probably works too, but i dont want to chance them accidentally being tossed in the dryer.

Those things are disgusting if you dont wash em- like blacklight in a roach-motel disgusting.

canklecat

Yup, I wash my gloves at least once a week, more often in summer. Otherwise they smell funky. I have Louis Garneau summer weight gloves and Bontrager cool weather long finger gloves, both of which have held up well to repeated washing for more than a year. Didn't surprise me that the Bontrager Thermal RXL held up to repeated washings, but I was surprised how well the LG gel gloves have held up. They're very lightweight with mesh fabric on non-contact surfaces, and minimal padded leatherette only on contact surfaces. But they're durable.

I use Tide or Gain gel flings for pretty much all our laundry now. But the added scent can be a bit much for hand washing so occasionally I'll use All or another detergent without added scent.

Whether hand or machine washing the key to getting out the funk is time. The enzymes need time to work on odors and stains. That's even more important than agitation. I use an enzyme spray to pretreat the parts of cycling apparel that gets funkiest. Doesn't take hot water, just time. I use lukewarm water for most of my cycling clothes, since hot water can set stains.

If I'm not handwashing a few items, which I let soak for 15 minutes or longer, I'll use a nearby laundromat with slow cycle machines that run at least 30 minutes per load. Some of those are high efficiency machines that use very little water so it's important to avoid using too much detergent. Gel flings or liquids are best.

TimothyH

Gloves get disgusting after a ride or two.

An easy solution is to just bring them in the shower along with the heart rate strap. Hang on a towel rack to dry. This is part of my routine. Easy.

They go into mesh laundry bags when I do put them in the washer so that the velcro doesn't snag all the other clothing.


-Tim-

DrIsotope

Gloves go in the washer after 1-3 rides. If they have the salt deposits on the backs after one day, straight in the washer.

If I never washed my gloves, they would probably be able to move around on their own.

corrado33

My hands don't really sweat... so my gloves get washed when I ride in the rain. I'll throw them in the washer once a year otherwise. (Apparently I'm easy on gloves.)

pdlamb

When they're really grotty, I'll soak my cycling gloves in a bowl with water and a handful of Borax. After 20-30 minutes the whole thing (except the bowl) goes into the washer with the rest of the dirty bike clothes. Hang outside to dry if possible, the sunshine and fresh air helps with odor.

TimothyH

Gloves get covered with gatorade, bug splattered, wipe snot in the winter and sweat in the summer, chain grease and Gu gel, road grime when riding in the wet, maybe hold onto your package when you stop for a quick nature break...

To each his own but not washing gloves is gross. Miracle some of you guys don't get sick.

RichSPK

Our rides are different. I typically ride in cities, so I'm not stopping by the side of the road to answer nature's call, but why not take your gloves off for a minute and stash them in a jersey pocket?

I don't carry Gatorade or gu; just water. I don't wipe away snot, though I do wipe away sweat.

Yeah, wash your gloves; my point is just that our rides are different.

TimothyH

These are good points.

LOL to stopping in the city for a nature break. Yeah, don't do that.

manapua_man

I wash my gloves ~once a week or whenever they start to need it. I just toss them in the washing machine with whatever else needs washing.

Marcus_Ti

Completely agree, once "kind of" is replaced with "very"

02Giant 

After every ride along with what ever clothes I have worn.

Tony P.

I have several pair I rotate through but never washed. Good news, I finally hand-washed them all today. Next I'll be asking about my padded shorts.

shelbyfv

It's been awhile, but these threads sometimes turn up folks who admit to not washing their shorts after every ride. Can be fun to read the excuses.

Camilo

Throw your gloves in the washer with any load of clothes you happen to be washing. I wash them with my cycling clothes which I wash about every second or third ride (don't panic: I have several sets I use, usually once each). I also have three pair of gloves I use regularly so if one is disgusting, I just use another until the disgusting pair gets washed.

I use a mesh bag since it helps to keep the velcro from getting stuck on other clothes, but that's the only precaution needed. They are not fragile things, for crissakes, just wash them. And dry them, that doesn't hurt either. Leather palms, whatever. I wash mine every ride or two depending on how many times I have to wipe my nose during a ride.

MRT2

Hand wash with a little mild detergent. Usually in the same water I use to rinse my headband or cycling cap. Rinse, then hang dry outside. Once I went to doing this, my gloves started lasting a lot longer. Before, I would toss my gloves at the end of the season. Now, they last 4, 5, even 6 years.

memebag

Leather. I had some gloves I liked a lot made of a thin leather. Houston summer riding produces copious amounts of sweat. Gloves get drenched and stay drenched for hours. The leather softened up and got gooey. The gloves stretched out of shape. I could pull on them and holes would open up. So I stay away from leather.

Everything should be washed. I chuck mine in the washing machine with my other bike stuff. I wash all of it with cold water. I might go 3 or 4 rides between washing bike clothes (I have a lot of jerseys and shorts).

UltraManDan

no gloves so I don't wash them.

I'll also be one to admit that I go a few rides before washing shorts. But they do get rinsed and hung up after each ride. lol

manapua_man

If you *really* want to run leather gloves, deer leather might be more ideal. Part of the reason why deer leather gets used for kendo gear is because it stands up better to major wet/dry (sweat) cycles better than stuff like cow leather. Or that was the explanation I got way back when I first started that hobby. I still air that stuff out *a lot* because it would stink horribly.

memebag

I don't have a big attraction to leather, it's just what some gloves are made of. But I'm curious which bike gloves are made of deer leather and how that is farmed?