Road bike clothing: Care of functional vests

FRESH SCENT: Tips for washing functional vests and combating perspiration odour

1. hang vests and jerseys up to dry after the ride if they are not going straight into the washing machine. So don't leave them lying in a pile somewhere, wet and sweaty. This is because the odour-producing skin bacteria love warm and humid environments and thrive particularly well in them.

2. functional clothing should be washed after every wear, as this deprives bacteria of their food source and also maintains the functional performance of the textiles.

3. skin bacteria are heat-resistant and can hardly be eliminated by washing at 40 degrees. Even if the laundry label only allows 40 degrees, Craft, for example, recommends washing at 60 degrees every third time. If you want to be on the safe side, add a bit of hygiene rinse aid to the detergent. Exception: clothing with elastane content must not be washed too hot, as this could destroy the fibres. However, there are functional shirts that can generally be washed at 60 degrees and above, especially those made of polyester and polypropylene. You should therefore pay attention to the information on the label when buying.

4 Armpit hair is a real oasis of well-being for skin bacteria. Shaving them off does not necessarily prevent the odour of sweat, but at least drastically reduces the area where bacteria can settle.

5. sort out older functional underwear. At some point, the time comes when functional shirts no longer shed - odour molecules become stubbornly embedded in the textiles.