How to Wash Motorcycle Jacket

Motorcycle jacket becomes dirty and smells for a long time, so whether it should be cleaned and how to wash motorcycle jacket have become a topic of discussion and concern for many motorcyclists.

Many motorcyclists respond that the cleaned motorbike jacket are not as waterproof and breathable as before, and they do not fit too well.

This is because some of the fabrics used in the production of motorcycle jacket need to be cleaned in a special way to prevent shrinkage, stretching and loss of breathability or waterproof ability. Today we will talk about how to clean biker clothes from several aspects.

Why do you need to clean it

We spent a lot of money to buy expensive motorbiker clothes, so we need to take good care of it, not only to make it last longer, but proper care will make your equipment more protective. Some riders believe that washing a biker suit will reduce its durability and wear resistance, and that dirty gear will bring them a sense of professionalism and passion. Most biker suits are made of 300D~1000D cotton and polyester oxford fabric, and the high-end CORDURA nylon fabric is abrasion resistant.

On the contrary, the insect dirt, mud, road dirt, body grease and other stains adhered to the biker clothes will damage the fabric and coating of the biker clothes if they are not cleaned in time and exposed to the sun for a long time. The damage is far greater than the effects of cleaning, and can also be harmful to your body. Some fabrics can lose their waterproof and breathable properties when they are heavily stained and require some cleaning and drying to restore their function. Many parts of the biker jacket are equipped with reflective strips, and untimely cleaning will reduce the reflective efficiency of the fabric and reflective strips, bringing more risks to night riding.

How to wash motorcycle jacket

Choosing machine wash or hand wash? This issue cannot be generalized. Before washing it, you should check the washing instructions, which generally indicate whether you can machine wash, dry, iron, etc. Leather motorbike jacket must be washed by hand. If there are no clear instructions, the safest way is to hand wash. Fading, deformation and non-waterproof are the most common problems after washing.

There is no waterproof breathable film on the clothes of non-waterproof biker clothes, and there is no high-pressure tape at the seams, so you can choose to machine wash at room temperature in mild mode to avoid deformation.

Suggestion: Wash only one set of biker clothes at a time to reduce the risk of clothes being twisted and deformed, and the water temperature should not exceed 40 degrees.

If there is fading when washing biker clothes, you can use color protection tablets to avoid color interaction, resulting in string color phenomenon. Some reflective fabrics will leave water stains after encountering water, and need to be tested before washing. If the biker suit supports machine washing, please make sure to choose a drum washing machine, which will cause less damage to the clothes. The twisting motion of the central agitator of a turbo washing machine can put a lot of pressure on textile cycling equipment, which can damage the molecules and fibers in the material, especially the waterproof membrane can easily fail.

How to choose detergents

Detergents often contain solvents and abrasives that can damage your riding gear. Instead, use a neutral soap. soap packages may have a pH range of 1 to 14. lower numbers are acidic, higher numbers are alkaline. choose a product around 7. Certain detergents and softeners can also affect the stretch properties of stretch fabrics, making your biker clothes looser. Never use fabric softener, it can block up the spaces between the fibers, making it impossible to breathe. In fact, any chemical can damage your biker suit, so do not use bleach (you should check the ingredients of your laundry detergent to make sure it is bleach-free) and organic solvents used in dry cleaning.

How to dry motorbike jacket

In order to dry clothes quickly, many people choose to wring them out, which may damage the waterproof membrane. They should be hung on hangers (to avoid exposure to the sun) or laid flat on a dry towel to help absorb the moisture. If the garment has a lot of stretch fabric, it is recommended that it be dried on a flat surface so that the stretch material does not become saggy. You can use low heat to dry most textile garments in a home dryer. Tumble drying may wear out zippers and metal logos, while not adjusting the temperature too high.

After the garment has been cleaned and dried, thicker fabrics generally will not change, and some lighter fabrics may look a little wrinkled. Unless the label clearly states that you can iron, are not very recommended, due to the average user is difficult to control a reasonable temperature, easy to destroy the waterproof breathable membrane. Ironing can also be a tricky task for the average young person.

How to take care of your motorbike clothes

Depending on how often you ride and the environment you ride in, deep cleaning is recommended at least twice a year, in spring and autumn. You also need to clean and touch up your biker clothes regularly, and take the opportunity to check if there are any tears, loose stitches, missing fasteners or other damage to your clothes, MOTORSOUL also provides biker clothes repair service. Biker clothes are afraid of moisture, so hang your biker clothes on hangers in a ventilated and dry place after each use.

If the surface is not cleaned from insect stains, oil stains, mud and other stains, it will become difficult to clean when exposed to the hot sun for a long time. If the regular cleaning becomes very simple, ordinary stains can be removed by simply applying a wet rag.

Some stubborn stains can be partially soaked and then cleaned using a nylon brush with a citrus cleaner. Dilute the cleaner when cleaning and test the fabric in an inconspicuous area to see if it will fade. When using nylon bristle brush to remove the stain don’t be too strong, it is recommended to clean by spinning in place, otherwise the ash layer will seep deep into the fabric and stain the surrounding fabric.

If you follow the above points for care, you will find that your riding gear will remain brightly colored after many cleanings, while fitting well, and will protect you from riding for many years to come.