Muc-Off Anti Odour Spray

Muc-Off Anti-Odour Spray is an easy way to de-funk your odorous cycling gear. Just spray it on, let it dry, and you'll be rewarded with a slightly more pleasant, if slightly chemical-like, smell afterwards. The spray is a good choice when your gear needs a quick fix, and when you're away from home. It's no replacement for putting things in the wash, for a proper scrub, but it's ideal for items you want to avoid putting in a washing machine, such as your Sunday-best shoes.

Muc-Off says its 250ml bottle of Anti-Odour Spray contains a 'triple effect odour remover using SILVERPLUS silver ion technology', which is designed to neutralise any bacteria found in fabrics.

The spray is safe to use on all kinds of fabrics, including suede, cotton, and softshell, and can be used on socks, shoes, body armour, liners, and gloves. Muc-Off says each application will keep your kit fresh for three to six months, depending on how often it's being used, and in what kind of climate.

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In testing, it worked reasonably well. I tested it on the worst offenders in my household – that is, helmet liners. I applied it to two helmet liners, one of which has only been used for a few months so isn't that bad, and another that I've been using for a few years now.

The latter's liner hasn't been machine washed in some time. I also tried it on the liner of my motorcycle helmet, which hasn't been washed properly in about a year, purely because it's harder to remove, so that's definitely a bit funky.

To get the best results, you need to shake the bottle thoroughly, apply liberally and then wait 24 hours to ensure it's properly dried. The spray contains decussate sodium, ethanol and silver chloride, so the smell is a bit acrid. You really don't want to breathe in too much, and you undoubtedly don't want to get it in your eyes (drinking it wouldn't be too good, either).

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On all three helmets there was a definite improvement. I repeated the process twice on the motorcycle helmet, as I felt the first pass could be improved upon.

There's still a slight whiff remaining on the older bicycle helmet and the motorcycle helmet, but it's possible that some smell could be coming from the helmet itself, not the liner.

Though there's a decreased smell of sweat after an application, the only downside is you're left with a slight chemical smell – no wonder, given the contents of the bottle.

Is it worth your £12? Well, it's certainly not cheap, but if you're liberal with how often you use the spray, it'll last you a decent amount of time. And, as I mentioned above, it's handy as a backup to regular washing.

There aren't too many cycling-specific kit deodorisers out there, as you might imagine. It's been around for a good few years now, but Muc-Off also still offers its Foam Fresh shoe and helmet deodoriser. It's £7.99 for a 400ml can of pressurised foam, which Stu found to work pretty well at de-ponging your kit. Furthermore, it's cheaper than Muc-Off's more modern alternative, but you'll probably go through it a bit quicker.

A much cheaper alternative to the Anti-Odour Spray is Dettol's Spray and Wear Cotton Fabric Clothes Freshener. Looking at the ingredients list, this one also contains ethanol, but also isopropanol and a meagre helping of citric acid. It says it's for cotton fabrics, but at just £2.99 for 250ml, it could be worth a try, if that's your thing.

Personally, I'd be happy to continue cleaning most of my kit with my usual eco-friendly washing liquid, though occasionally it's nice to not have to run a cycle just for a single helmet liner. In theory, washing less and spraying more means your kit might last a bit longer, too. Plus, I do appreciate it's convenient for the occasional quick de-funk when you're busy.

Verdict

An easy way to make smelly cycling kit a bit more bearable between washes