How To Wash A Gel Bike Seat Cover?

You have to be extra careful when cleaning a gel bicycle seat cover. You cannot clean it like you would like to wash a vinyl or leather seat cover. We have compiled a few steps to help you out in the process.

Take off the seat cover from the bike’s seat.
Fill the bucket with warm water.
Add soap or detergent, making foam, into the water.
Soak the gel seat cover in warm water for around 10-15 minutes.
Take off the gel seat cover from the water.
Scrub or rub it gradually using a soft sponge.
Rinse the seat cover.
Take a towel and dry the gel seat cover
Leave it to get completely dried by the air.

You can use a wet or moist cloth to scrub these gel bike seat covers. Some of the gel covers allow the use of detergent, while others do not. Make sure you check the instructions of the brand you buy before going to wash it.

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Can You Use Any Kind of Dryer to Dry the Gel Bike Seat Cover?

From the name, you can guess that these seat covers are made out of gel. Hence, we highly recommend not putting it in drying machine.

Just as most of the seat covers need to be washed with hands, they also need to be allowed to air-dry or rinsed with a towel.

How Often Should You Wash the Gel Bike Seat Cover?

The main reason for regularly washing gel bicycle seat covers is to prevent those from smelling. It is usually the seat cushion that smells due to your sweat sweeping in or damp conditions allowing bacteria or fungus to grow. These microbes could also lead to diseases and infections.

That is why it is good to keep an eye out and check when these seat cushions as hence the gel bike seat cover starts to smell. You can usually also see changes in the colors if there is some kind of microbial growth.

How often you see it is something that is determined by how frequently and in what atmosphere your bike is mostly ridden. It is completely up to you how often you want to wash it anyway.

Some people prefer to wash the gel bike seat cover after almost every ride because they are prone to a lot of sweating. That is then a good and safer choice to make. Otherwise, washing the seat cover once a week is also pretty decent, given you are frequent with using the bike.

Some Tips Before Winding Up

Before winding up our guide on how to wash a gel bike seat cover, we have some tips for you to keep your gel bike seats clean and to wash them well.

When buying the gel bike seat cover, try to check the quality of the gel that is used in the seat cover.

This is because in many cases, the gel bike seat covers can be too delicate and fluid. They may even get a bump on one side over time. You will want your gel bike seat cover to last you long.

In most cases, the gel bike seat covers are made up of gel materials that are quite cheap and feel very soft when you touch them. That is why, in the first look, you will automatically think that it is going to be the most comfortable option to opt for.

However, it can change your opinion over time if you are compromising on quality or washing it without taking the guidelines into consideration.

When making use of waterproofing agents, only use what is recommended. If the soap you are using contains an ingredient that should not be used with gel, you must refrain from it.

Not every gel seat cover allows you to use detergent. The ones which do, also recommend a detergent that is light, meaning not too strong or concentrated with the usual ingredients of detergents. You can ruin the gel on the gel seat covers if you do not make a clear note of these recommendations.

Avoid leaving the gel bike seat cover on your bicycle before it has fully dried out. You cannot clean a gel cover the way you would clean a vinyl or leather seat cover. The cleaning and washing procedure will always differ between materials.

Be careful with the maintenance of bicycle seat covers. They might be affordable, but you do not want to keep spending on them every other week. To avoid this, regular washing is recommended.

Related reading: How To Make Bicycle Seat More Comfortable?

Learn more about washing your gel bike cover

Concluding Remarks

You are now well-aware of why it is important to keep the gel bicycle seat covers clean and how to wash them in the best way possible. We urge you to go through each step carefully. They are simple and easy to follow, but important to apply in the right place as well.

You do not want to damage the seat or worsen the condition it is already in while trying to clean the cover that is supposed to rather protect it. Wash regularly, keep your seat clean and you will not have to run to a seat cover store to purchase a new one every other month.

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