The fitter I get, the grosser I tend to be, and the greater my tolerance for being gross becomes. Before I go further, let me suggest that our modern standards for hygiene are perhaps warped by the marketing predations of the toiletries industry and the very real fear of communicable disease. So like, your body odor isn’t really a problem, but you maybe oughta wash your hands more thoroughly.
I’m a heavy sweater, by which I mean I sweat a lot, not that I’m a cozy garment for cold winter days. The more I sweat, the fitter I get, the more I smell like sweat, or more specifically the bacteria that thrives in warm, moist places. Because we live in the age of Lycra, the places bacteria make home are spread over larger areas.
If I ride to work in the morning and then change out of riding clothes into “regular” clothes, I have a time bomb on my hands. Later in the day I’m gonna put that stuff back on to ride home, and that’s kinda gross, not so gross that I’m going to back two sets of riding clothes every day, but still not entirely appetizing. It’s a thing to make some sort of peace with.
And lest this scenario seem odd or off-putting to you, consider your helmet. How often do you clean you clean your helmet? After every ride? No. Occasionally? Maybe. Never? Likely. And you put that thing ON YOUR HEAD!!
When I was younger, I didn’t let any of this bother me very much. Now I make a sincere effort to get out of chamois and jersey as soon as I’m done riding. I keep a towel in my car. I always have a change of clothes nearby.
Every once in a while, I fill a large bowl with water and dish soap. I stir it up and then set my helmet in it, letting it soak for a good long while. I squeeze the water out of the pads and let the helmet air dry. This may only be a salutary effort to avoid getting head cooties, but it makes me feel better.
This week’s TCI Friday wonders what your hygiene standards and practices are. Are you content to live your outdoor lifestyle in its fully fragrant splendor, or are you fastidious in your habits? Also, am I gross?
I’ll share good news and bad news on this front. The good news is since I had Covid back a few years now, I’ve pretty much lost my sense of smell. The bad news is most people around me haven’t. The weird thing seems to be that my sensory memory kicks in for a lot of things that are pleasant everyday scents like morning coffee, toast, sauteed onions and it feels like I’m smelling those. But new odors seem to come out of nowhere and jolt me, and I’m not talking about roses …
First off, just because you sweat a lot doesn’t mean that you can’t also be a cozy garment for cold days. You need to stop limiting yourself, Robot. Also, yes, you are probably gross but no more so than most people.
My hygiene standards are good enough for the girl I go out (and stay in) with, so that’s all that really matters. She rarely complains, has been with me for 24 years, and is still here. So there’s that.
1 ride, 1 chamois. Get that thing off ASAP. I never wear socks 2 days in a row if I can help it. I change my underwear everyday. I shower if I get sweaty during the day. If I don’t, then every other day is my routine. I only shower at night or after exercise/when I’m dirty. I never go to bed dirty, except when camping then all bets are off. Wet washcloths can substitute for a shower when camping if there is no creek or lake nearby.
Here’s a kicker, I stopped wearing deodorant years ago and nobody misses it. It turns out that actually washing my armpits works better. I also stopped using washcloths in the shower, I ready something about how all that friction is bad for your skin’s natural biome. Believe it or not I think my skin is healthier for it. I also use a bidet.
As for my gear, I wash my bike helmet not often enough but probably more than most. Anything against my skin gets 1 wear, unless it is wool, then it gets a few more before washing. For my moto gear, I have 2 helmet liners so I can wash it every 1 to 3 rides. Same with my goggles. I have a boot dryer that I put my moto boots and skate ski boots on after every ride. Same for my bike shoes if they get wet.
Now, looking back I am pretty sure that this is my longest post on TCI. Does that mean I care more about hygiene than anything else? I dunno, but given how often I wash my hands (I am an RN) it could be. What I do know is that if I see somebody in the locker room at work exiting the stall or urinals without washing their hands, I will not hesitate to give them shit until they do.
I have to say, it just feels good to distract myself from all the shit going on in the world by typing about keeping my own house clean.
First a disclaimer. I am not a stinky person and never have been. It’s not that I don’t sweat; I do a ton and I live in the Deep South so it’s a given. It also isn’t b/c I bath maniacally either; once a day before bed works for me. However, I can be sweaty, dry off in a cool(er) environment and be fine to be around.
Gear regimen: I cold wash my shorts, chamois and jerseys (mostly t-shirts) after each ride, but rarely wash my helmet, gloves, headbands, armor or packs. Sounds like a recipe for an olfactory holocaust, but there is a trick I began employing years ago that works perfectly. I have mentioned this before, but it is worth repeating.
Immediately following a ride remove gear and hang where it can air dry. If it is caked in mud then do a light hand wash to remove the gunk and continue. Take a spray bottle and fill it with water and then 10-15 drops of an essential oil or aromatherapy oil you like. Shake it up and mist all of the gear you just hung up. Let it dry overnight and it will smell great regardless of how sweaty you were. This method doesn’t destroy fabrics nor lock in stench like high heat washings do either. I have literally have had riders tell me that I smelled good on rides many times. It is simple, inexpensive and it works.
I’m not a shining example of cleanliness. Everything that touches my torso gets washed after every ride. Wool socks will get a few outings before they get tossed into the hamper. My gloves always seem to smell funky no matter what, so it’s a rare occasion that they get cleaned. Up top I’m spurred into action when the crusty salt embedded in the helmet padding starts abrading my forehead. I leave my shoes in the shed with my bikes.