I am sure most people will look at the price of this laundry detergent and think - what is wrong with this guy rating this as a steal as far as value - well, it is all relative. I am not sure what it is about the smell of this stuff but I love the smell and I love the way it cleans my Assos kit.
When you pour normal detergent into a washer - it takes a lot to get that soap out of the cup into the machine - even pouring in water it takes a while to get it out, then you have to wipe it out. The Assos cleanser is easily rinsed out with a bit of water - why does this matter? It is easy to rinse out of your clothes. I think it ends up with a better clean. None of the smells from riding remain after being washed and you are left with a great smelling piece of kit.
With my normal clothes detergent, I end up with residue on the clothes from time to time. If you buy the 1L size it is a lot more reasonably priced. I have been using this stuff for many years and would never consider using anything else at this point
You paid big bucks for your Assos, Castelli, Rapha or other cycling gear right? Why would you shorten it's life with products that are inferior?
Your technical clothing provides you with pleasant features like sweat-wicking, saddle comfort etc. Unfortunately a number of those features are sensitive to detergents, and a lot detergents or their perfumes love to cling to your fabrics. Prior to this I hand washed with a detergent free cleanser. Time consuming and very expensive. Now I use lingerie bags, the delicate cycle and this wash. I don't notice any difference in function off my fabrics. Further, other anecdotes claim if your have been using normal tide, those stuff can help remove those aforementioned residues and restore your technical clothing to almost brand new.
I'll be purchasing this again, if you're paying for nicer clothes, treat them nice.
I like the product. While hand-washing in the sink the 1st time, the water became slightly milky with a sheen on top - which I assume was all the residues from other detergents and borax I've tried to use to solve the acrid stench problem with my cycling jersey. I spike my Gatorade with Emergen-C, so my pits are a Superfund Site!
Dawn anti-bacterial dish soap works well too, and I like the Apple scented one, but I'm not sure Dawn won't damage the fabric over time, so this seems a reasonable expenditure if hand-washing (1 cap-full vs 2-3 in a machine).
It appears from the Material Safety Data Sheet that the anti-microbial agent used is Methylisothiazolinone, which is generally safe except that it is a powerful eye irritant. Google it.
I love this cleanser, it works great. The only thing that I find an issue with is I use a lot of it, not the products fault! I ride 5 days a week and I wash most of my gear by hand in a deep sink so I go though the cleanser fast but BTD has a pretty good price on the big bottle and it is worth it to keep my gear in good condition.
Great product and now part of my daily routine. Immediately after my daily ride, my kit goes in for about a 15 minute soak with the active wear cleanser. A quick rince and hang to dry. My cycle gear is still in new condition after months of use.
I use it for all my lycra workout gear.
Highly recommend.
I've used this stuff exclusively for all of my cycling kits. I hand wash because garments are delicate and expensive. You adjust the amount depending on sweat and grime factor. They recommend one cap per gallon. I'm a little more liberal, probably because I love the way it smells. Clean, bright, and keeps the shape of your garments. No residue. Rinse well and wring them out. Hang em up. Repeat as necessary
Tried many other products this is the one! Generally a capful for multiple jerseys, shorts and running gear. My better half has started to use for her yoga gear also.
I won a bottle in a post-race raffle last fall and use it on all my running & cycling clothes. It's the best I've used for removing odors but I'm not sure how well it would work for stain removal. It really shines in hand washing (specifically winter gloves) - odors are gone and the cleanser fragrance is mild. I'd definitely buy a replacement when it runs out, especially since VIP points would cover the cost of 1-2 bottles per year.
This is not a heavy duty cleanser. It will generally not remove heavy stains. However, it otherwise does a good job of cleaning your kit, and leaving it smelling fresh.
I have been using it for over five years on all of my cycling clothing (even that from other manufacturers), and have never noticed any problems. It only takes about one or two capfuls to do a small wash load, which is typically one or two complete kits.
Assos cleanser is expensive, but then so is Assos gear in general. You can feel comfortable knowing that you are using a product that will not damage your expensive Assos clothing.
I thought I would try the product because I wanted to be sure that I took proper care of my expensive Assos bibs. My biggest complaint is that the bottle is rather small and it does not go very far, especially if you are using a top loading wash machine. It does leave a pleasant scent. In my opinion you are dollars ahead just to use a store brand like Woolite. Its goes further and is safe for all fabrics. As far as the anti-bacterial claim for the Assos cleanser, my wife who is an RN claims all soaps are anti-bacterial to one extent or another. So its probably a dubious claim.
I use this to wash all my cycling clothes-it leaves them looking and smelling clean, the colors don't fade, and it seems to help them last longer (at least that's what I'd like to believe). A little goes a long way, and I like the large size because it lasts a couple months during cycling season.
