Washing chaps

[southsoundtree]

Any favorite cleaners?

Baking soda and vinegar are a suggested combo for normal fabrics to remove petroleum, but may not be good for chaps fibers.
Anyone know about this combo?

 

[Reach]

Any favorite cleaners?

Baking soda and vinegar are a suggested combo for normal fabrics to remove petroleum, but may not be good for chaps fibers.
Anyone know about this combo?

We just use laundry detergent and spray the chaps with Shout to deal with the oil. We’ve never had any trouble with that combination.

 

[Dan Cobb]

I've noticed quite a few people have the erroneous belief that baking soda and vinegar make hydrogen peroxide and it's good for cleaning. Baking soda and vinegar actually make water, carbon dioxide and sodium acetate. The CO2 is liberated as a gas, so you're left with water and sodium acetate, which isn't a cleaner.

 

[southsoundtree]

Vinegar and baking soda is a good deodorizer.

The Google says it breaks down gasoline to deodorizer.




The chaps were hanging indoors.
Certainly not meant for indoor use.
They smell ok. Better than before.

Wouldn't mind better than now.

 

[southsoundtree]

We just use laundry detergent and spray the chaps with Shout to deal with the oil. We’ve never had any trouble with that combination.

Any idea if it affects the protective fibers?






Btw, I'm more interested in deodorized, and still protective, than clean.

 

[Serf Life]

I've noticed quite a few people have the erroneous belief that baking soda and vinegar make hydrogen peroxide and it's good for cleaning. Baking soda and vinegar actually make water, carbon dioxide and sodium acetate. The CO2 is liberated as a gas, so you're left with water and sodium acetate, which isn't a cleaner.

Nice for cleaning plugged drains.

 

[Dan Cobb]

Nice for cleaning plugged drains.

The bubbling from the neutralization reaction can help break up drain gunk. But if you want to go whole hog, pour in half a cup of Diet Coke then drop in a couple of Mentos.

 

[Reach]

Any idea if it affects the protective fibers?






Btw, I'm more interested in deodorized, and still protective, than clean.

I do not believe that it does, my understanding is that a fairly mild detergent does not affect the fibers, and the Shout probably never makes it that far in anyway. Washing chaps is no different from washing chainsaw pants, and normal detergent doesn’t hurt those.

I use Arm and Hammer powdered detergent, which contains baking soda, so that is probably a very good deodorizing detergent. It certainly seems to work well, and the chaps always come out nice and clean. We don’t wash them often, maybe 2-3 times a year if I get ambitious.

 

[27RMT0N]

A detailed cleaning guide to chaps/chainsaw pants from Clogger was recently posted in another thread here: https://blog.goclogger.com/how-to-best-maintain-and-clean-clogger-chainsaw-pants-and-chaps/

 

[southsoundtree]

I read that. Thanks.
Mentioned using gentle/ perm press. Cool dry to not risk any melting fibers.

This is the first I've ever washed chaps.

 

[27RMT0N]

Really? I've worn chainsaw pants for years so no actual chaps, but I wash them somewhat often, more in the winter than other times of year, because they get pretty muddy.

 

[ATH]

You need to be careful with too much agitation - either washing machine or dryer because that will mis-align the fibers which won't pull like they need to of you hit them. That is why hand wash cycle and hanging to dry is recommended.

For mud, I let them dry and brush them off with a stiff bristle brush. Wash when the smell gets stronger...

 

[southsoundtree]

Really? I've worn chainsaw pants for years so no actual chaps, but I wash them somewhat often, more in the winter than other times of year, because they get pretty muddy.

Pants need washing more than chaps that are worn over pants.

I've had these a while, mostly getting dirty from bar oil, and they got a bit moldy over the holidays in a damp truck. Been overly busy with thing.