Congratulations, you are now the proud owner of Life Behind Bars Cycling / CustomWear.US Performance apparel made of the technical fabrics.

 

Take care of your clothes the right way, they will do what they are intended to, last longer and feel better. Performance fabrics need extra laundry care love due to their unique yarn content and special construction. 

 

Please follow these simple care instructions to maintain a healthy relationship with your athletic apparel:

 

• Cold, gentle cycle: Always wash your technical fabrics using the gentle cycle with a cold wash and rinse. (never hot water). They're "delicates" and should be treated as such. Promptly remove garment from washer once cycle has finished

 

• Turn inside out and Zip up apparel for a thorough cleaning: Zippers will damage other clothing, get tangled up, caught in the washing machine. Zip up anything with a zipper and place in a bag to avoid damage

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• Detergents and Softeners:

  Either use detergent specifically made for technical, high performance materials or keep it as simple as possible:

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• No perfumes, No dyes, No bleach. Never use detergents or stain removers containing bleaching agents or additives. Do not pour the detergent directly onto the fabric, but rather pour it into the washing machine when filling the water.

 

• Do not use fabric softener: It strips the apparel fabric’s specialty enhancements; breathability, wicking, windproof and water-repellent properties.

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• Avoid the dryer: Hang Flat Dry

  Heat can cause damage to materials and ‘bake in’ odors. Avoid the dryer altogether and hang dry. Technical fabric dries quickly so you won’t be waiting long and Do Not wring or twist.

 

• Velcro and zippers can be evil: (when they encounter technical fabrics)

  • Nothing will destroy technical fabrics faster than Velcro, metal zippers or snaps!

  • The sticky side of Velcro and zipper teeth will fray and ruin just about anything it touches. Keep them separate or better yet, wash anything with Velcro or zippers individually. (lingerie bags)

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• Real performance wear is special so here is one more tip: Get yourself a mesh laundry bags (aka lingerie bags). Yes, we said it enough: Washing in a laundry bag will ensure fabrics stay protected during the wash, get clean, will not stretch and get all tangled up in everything else.

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The Dirty Truth: 

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We know walking in the door it’s all too easy to remove sweaty gear and toss it into the scary dark hamper environment, or that lonely pile. Worst yet; never store the garment moist, in a closed environment like a plastic bag. This is the perfect recipe to fabric deterioration and one of the worst things you can do as over time as odors will be much harder to get out.

 

 

Don’t Let Your Stuff Sit Around Waiting Days to Wash. The Dirty Truth: 

 

Odor is caused by bacteria and sweat is toxic. On some individuals it's more, never the less this phenomenon is known as bacterial attack. The not so friendly bacteria that cause those nose-wrinkling odors in your clothes can flourish, marinating the smells into the fabric. Sweaty moisture loves to promote microbial growth. The longer they grow, the more odors and funky stuff they will produce. In other words, you may soon find yourself dealing with “perma-stank” (the scientific name).

 

Washing your gear right away means; YOU won’t allow odor-causing bacteria friends to flourish and build up, embedding deeply into the performance materials. (it’s like being the bouncer at the door)

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Finally, don’t forget to check your pockets: Gels, multi-tools and energy snacks can make for a serious mess.

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Enjoy your new apparel and follow these habits, as you will thank us later.