Chamois Butt'r Kit Wash review

Alongside its chamois cream, US company Chamois Butt’r makes a range of other fabric and rider care products, including this kit wash.

Standard laundry products can damage the technical fabrics used in sports clothing and impair their function. Lightweight cycle clothing is made from highly technical fabric which is designed to wick sweat away from the skin efficiently, to the surface of the fabric where it evaporates to effect cooling.

Watch our guide to washing cycling kit

And many winter garments have a surface durable water repellent (DWR) treatment to stop the fabric from absorbing water and wetting out. This can be damaged by the detergents in standard laundry products, resulting in a damp, cold ride. It’s also important not to use fabric conditioner when you wash technical fabrics, as it too damages the fabrics’ ability to wick sweat away from the skin.

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Although the instructions on this kit wash suggest that it should be used for hand wash, I have used it in the washing machine at 30 or 40 degrees without problems.

As it’s fragrance-free it won’t leave your jersey smelling like a rose, but it does still effectively remove dirt and grease as well as getting rid of any less pleasant odours which your kit may have picked up during your exertions.

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It only needs two capfuls – about 15ml – to clean a load, so with a bottle containing 473ml, it lasts for ages: around thirty washes or so.

Chamois Butt’r’s Kit Wash is versatile too: it can also be used to wash swimsuits, with Paceline claiming that it effectively removes chlorine, and is safe to use on wetsuits too.