washing

All Ground Effect clothing enjoys a warm machine wash. Try to avoid cold-water detergents and those with bleach. The cold-water varieties have little enzymes that are super-charged to brave the cold but can damage technical fabrics and cause skin irritation. And bleach rots natural fibres like cotton, strips the dye and can also cause irritation. As a rule of thumb, product that is easy on the planet is also easy on your body. Plant based soaps like 'Ecover' or specific sport wash formula are recommended.
Hand washing is sometimes the only option on tour, but a washing machine rinses more thoroughly and is preferable if you have the choice.
Drying on the line or hanging on the bedpost is generally preferable to using a dryer. Most Ground Effect gear dries super-fast anyway. High heat can damage some fabrics so if you must take your threads for a spin set the device on 'medium' or 'warm' rather than hot.
 

Some fabric specific advice…

HydroFoil & Microfibre shells

• Avoid cold-water detergents and those with bleach or fabric softner. The cold-water varieties have little enzymes that are super-charged to brave the cold but can damage the HydroFoil fabric. Bleach may attack the HydroFoil laminate. Also avoid products containing fabric softeners, ie. wool wash. These destroy the water repellent finish.
• Select a mild plant-based soap - like 'Ecover' or a specific sport wash like Grangers Extreme Cleaner, Nikwax Tech Wash or our new favourite Atsko 'Sport Wash' (from the makers of 'Sno Seal'). Around NZ$30 from most outdoor shops. Check out www.grangers.co.uk ; www.nikwax.com ; or www.atsko.com for more info. Any stubborn stains should be dabbed not rubbed clean. For grease spots you can use a degreaser like Swarfega. It's aggressive stuff though so take care - it might be best left alone as added character
• Try not to wash too often. General wear along with washing progressively removes the water repellent treatment from the outside the fabric. This treatment helps rain to bead and run off - and enhances the overall performance of the fabric. You can help restore it after a wash by chucking your jacket in the dryer using a warm (not hot) cycle. This 'recharges' the water repellent treatment so it lasts a bit longer. When this trick no longer does its magic you can beef up the original treatment to some extent with a product like Grangers Extreme Synthetics or Nikwax TX Direct (around NZ$30-40 from most outdoor shops). A bottle is good for two or three rounds with your jacket. The effectiveness of this process depends on the age and condition of your jacket. Expect ok results if the fabric is only 'wetting out' in patches (the 'mid-life' crisis). If the entire jacket is 'wetting-out' rapidly in light rain then it already has one-foot-in-the-grave and beading is unlikely to improve much from the treatment. The 40 bucks maybe better spent put towards a new jacket. Note that while the fabric's wetting-out impairs performance, particularly breathability, the HydroFoil laminate should still be waterproof.

Heatwave and Lightwave Merino

• Try to avoid cold-water detergents, those with bleach, fabric softener or 'oxygen whitener'. Bleach rots natural fibres like wool. Sodium Percarbonate (the main ingredient in oxygen whitener) can make colours run. Fabric softener can do both.
  
• Warm machine wash, 40ºC. Any hotter and this may cause colours to run.
  
• Wash colours separately.
  
• Most Ground Effect gear dries super-fast so drying on the line or hanging over the bedpost does the trick. Or use a dryer on a warm (not hot) cycle.

WindFoil & micro-fleece 100

• Be sure not to wash with socks, fluffy towels or flannelette sheets. Lint clings to the fleece and your top will suddenly look very old.
  
• Wash inside-out to resist pilling.
  
• Line dry if possible - a warm (not hot) cycle in the dryer if you must.
  

Shorts

• Hand washing is sometimes the only option on tour, but a washing machine rinses more thoroughly and is preferable if you have the choice.
• With shorts in particular, cold-water detergents and those with bleach or fabric softner can cause 'nappy-rash' so if you're experiencing issues in that department try a warm wash and a change of cleaning brew. As a rule of thumb, product that is easy on the planet is also easy on your body. Plant based soaps like Ecover or specific sport wash formula are recommended.
  
• Most Ground Effect gear dries super-fast so drying on the line or hanging over the bedpost does the trick. Or use a dryer on a warm (not hot) cycle.
• UV rays accelerate the decay of Lycra. Our fabric is knitted so the Lycra component lies on the inside of the fabric - shielding it from the sun when you're out riding. Consequently you should avoid drying these shorts inside-out. It's not a bad idea to do so occasionally as the sun does help keep the pad hygienic - although it is treated with an anti-bacterial finish anyway. But drying in this manner is a trade-off with the damage done to the Lycra.
  
• It's common practice to not wear underwear with your riding shorts so you need to wash your shorts daily. And it's recommended to give your shorts an initial wash when they're new - the Softail pad in particular becomes less stiff after the first wash.
  

Gloves

• Wash your gloves separately - the synthetic suede can cause havoc staining other clothing.
  
• Air dry only - no dryers for these puppies.