Your dirt bike pants are a great investment and if you don’t believe me go out for a big ride wearing jeans and then you will begin to love your dirt bike pants! lol.
So after a big days ride, don’t just throw your pants in a bag or in the corner as they will slowly deteriorate from the sweat and dirt, especially if your pants are damp.
Use these following 5 tips for washing and maintaining your dirt bike pants and they will last virtually forever.
#1 Give Your MX Pants a Good Hose Down Outside Outside.
This will remove the large chunks of mud and dirt.
#2 Throw Your Pants in the Washing Machine on the Gentle Cycle.
Use standard clothes washing detergent that you would use for all your other clothes.
Don’t use any detergent that is ‘oxygenated’ as it will dry out the pants inner leather lining and make it stiff and will slowly break down the leather. I learnt this one the hard way L
#3 Hang Your Pants out in a Dry Shaded Area and let them Drip Dry.
Don’t tumble dry as this will beat up your pants and break down the stitching and inner lining. Polyester doesn’t like tumble dryers much either as the heat breaks down the material. Consistently drying in the sun will also break them down faster as well so make sure you look for a shady dry place, like under the porch or in the garage.
When I was riding daily, I had 3 sets of riding gear ready to go. This way I was able to alternate the washing process and I always had a fresh set to ride in. I did this because sometimes my gear wasn’t dry by the next day, especially when the weather was wet and cold.
#4 Store them in a Dry Place.
Sometimes I see riders throw their clean gear in a plastic bag. Don’t do this.
Your pants should be kept in a dry place like a wardrobe where it is free of moisture.
#5 Take Care of the Leather Parts.
I have mentioned the leather inner lining parts of your dirt bike riding pants a few times in this article because they are a really important part of the design for function, protection and comfort.
You have probably noticed that after you have washed your pants a few times, the leather protective linings go stiff. This is because the moisture has leached out of the leather and its starting to break down.
These leather parts need to be looked after to extend the life of your pants.
To do this, simply get a leather conditioner and thoroughly rub it into the leather after each wash. This will extend the life of the leather to its maximum lifespan.
I use Leather Honey leather conditioner. It keeps the leather parts soft and flexible and stops that nasty, uncomfortable hardening of the leather.
Things NOT to do to Your Dirt Bike Pants.
Don’t wash them down with a high pressure sprayer. This will damage the stitching, the fabric and will reduce their life by a huge margin.
As already mentioned, don’t use oxygenated washing detergent or bleach. It is just too harsh and will break down your pants.
Do not tumble dry. They do not like extreme heat.
Do not turn your pants inside out. This can damage the integrity of the inner linings and padding.
Do not leave your dirty pants in a pile or in a bag. The dirt and sweat and moisture will destroy their life.
When they get torn, don’t throw them out! Instead take them to a tailor and see if they can be repaired first. Some tailors work with high strength materials and patching them back up may be a piece of cake for them.
Conclusion.
Use the above tips and you will triple the life out of your dirt bike pants, saving precious cash to spend on cool parts for your dirt bike!!
Let me know your best tips for washing dirt bike pants in the comments below and if you liked this article, please give it a share on social media.
Happy riding!
next articles to read:
- How to Whip a Dirt Bike. A Beginners Guide to Getting Sideways. - September 23, 2019
- The Best Dirt Bike Tool Kit for Trail Riding [that Won’t Break]. - August 6, 2019
- How to Wash Dirt Bike Pants. 5 Tips for Making them Last Longer [and 5 things to never do]. - August 5, 2019