Cleaning your bike and your kit is pretty obvious, but what about everything else? I recently went through a bit of a skin conundrum where I was freaking out that I was having hormonal issues… and then I realized that it wasn’t my hormones that were causing me to break out, it was my gross, gross helmet strap. Because who thinks to clean that? So, here are a few other things I’ve come to realize need regular cleaning, but that we tend to forget about.
Helmet
Seriously, your helmet straps and pads are super important to clean regularly. I soaked mine in my bathroom sink with a bit of dish soap (and made sure to rinse it really well). This is really key in the summer when you’re sweating and have sunscreen and bug spray building up on the straps. It can get pretty freaking gross.
Chest strap
Again, avoid chest acne by washing your heart rate monitor chest strap on a regular basis: most are detachable so they can go right into the washing machine with the rest of your gear. It doesn’t have to be after every ride, but it’s probably something you should be doing on a weekly basis.
Caps
My run cap was similarly sweaty, but I hesitated about washing it because I didn’t want the brim to lose the shape. I started taking it in the shower and hitting it with a bit of shampoo as I’m washing my hair. Easy-peasy.
Shoes
Your shoes are probably gross. Because we spend a lot of time in a van, I might be super aware of this, since smell can get a little … pungent. So, we wash our shoes on a regular basis. A shoe wash like this is super easy to use and it’ll make your shoes last just a little longer, and make your significant other a lot happier.
Bags
Gear bags get nasty. You put damp, dirty clothes in there, wet towels, mud, et cetera. So every once in a while, empty yours out entirely and either hang it outside inside-out to air it out, or throw it through a laundry cycle.
Towels
Are you washing your towel in your gear bag regularly? (That’s what I thought.)
Before you go, are you subscribed to the newsletter?
