Machine washing striker bibs...

[Sandcountrylivin]

I was blessed to get in on a screaming good Black Friday deal last year and nabbed a pair of bibs from the now defunct Gander mountain. I had such a great season on the ice that my bibs are now soiled in fish slime as well as some mud stains on the ankle as the rains came late ice. I'm wondering if There any do's or donts to washing these bibs. I am afraid of displacing the padding or affecting the bouyancy of my bibs. Have you washed your bibs? If so tell me what "you" or your better half did to wash them and whether you had any regrets or tips to pass along. Thanks!

[illinoisicer]

I wash my ice armor bibs and jacket at the end of every season. Just wash in cold water, gentle cycle and hang dry. The stench of fish and stale beer would Make a great breeding ground for flies in the closet (and the wife would make me keep em in the garage if I didn’t wash them).

[hardwater diehard]

Yes I have ....follow the instructions on the label(believe its cold water and no fabric softeners)....hang dry ...I used a lot less detergent then normal I also used a hunting/sports wash ...on my older Clam bibs I used a borax mix to remove some blood stains with some success . Added note it took some of the stiffness out of them which was an added bonus around the collar etc.

http://www.strikerice.com/faqs/

Can I wash my suit?


Yes, machine wash in cold water using a mild detergent and hang to dry. Never use heat to dry the garment.

[3300]

i use Nikwax Tech Wash and their water repellent treatment. you can find them sold in a kit form.

http://www.nikwax-usa.com/en-us/products/productdetail.php?productid=268
www.cabelas.com/product/Nikwax-Tech-Wash-Fabric-Care-ml/754082.uts
http://www.nikwax-usa.com/en-us/productselector/waterproofing.php
http://www.nikwax-usa.com/en-us/products/productdetail.php?productid=267

when we had our old clothes washer and i wanted to wash all four sets of my ice fishing suits, it was odd being able to push the garments down under water and thinking how would that float me. but then i realized it only has to hold about 12 pounds of weight. when we are in water and because we are mostly water, our weight is less than the 12 pounds that the gear has to float. it seemed like it took less than that to push it under water tho. three of the four sets are float assist.

if i didn't push them under water they would just sit on top of it so it did make it hard to clean. now we have an agitator free clothes washer that uses very little water and should clean them easy enough.

[DR.SPECKLER]

cold water and gentle cycle then hang them up to air dry,dont try putting them in the dryer.lol.float/insulation material will melt.they do tend to float up in the washer.

[Sandcountrylivin]

Thank you all for your replies! I just wanted some reassurance that some other crusty ice dogs have pulled this off. I think I have all the info I need.!

[UFCreel]

Nikwax Tech wash and TX Direct spray on here. Works and works good.

[Steve Sr]

NOT ME!!!!!!! LOL!

Wash my waterproof ice wear? NOOOOOOOO! 
If it gets "fish slobbers" on it I'll wipe it down good with some anti-bacterial cleaner cloth soaked rag.

Not taking ANY chances that might make me end up buying ANOTHER one. Not at today's prices.

Or fasten them up and hang them out in a good rain. 

That said, the "lil woman" has gone to her rewards so no one around to complain.  If anyone says anything about a "slight smell"......I tell them "That's just good luck accumulating".   

God Bless

[Chris338378]

Yeah I'm with you there, I'd hand wash them and hose them off before I took a chance putting them into a washing machine.  I washed my daughter's snow suit in the washer a few years ago and it exploded so I'm not willing to chance it again.