The suggestions on this page are supplied to ensure the longest life span for the vests.

Stretch Vests are made from two fabrics:-

Racing Vests: Polyester elastaine, containing lycra®
Trial Vests: Nylon & polyester elastaine, containing lycra®

Use cold, lukewarm or warm water.

NEVER use HOT Water. Using hot water will cause loss of recovery (elasticity) over time.

Advice on the washing of race vests can be obtained by contacting

Jon has suggested Cold Water "Surf"® as an excellent choice for washing vests and advises that the addition of Cloudy Ammonia to the wash, and also as a "spot cleaner" to be very effective.

If machine washing, choose the shortest wash cycle

All vests may be washed together.

Use detergents or powders that contain Oxygen bleaches e.g. Napisan® and White King Colour Safe Bleach®.

DO NOT use any detergent or powders that contain chlorine bleaches.

Following the "spin cycle" in the washing machine, the vests will be "touch dry" and will only require a brief airing in the shade or indoors.

If a clothes dryer is used, it should be placed on the "delicate" or "cool" setting.

DO NOT use a clothes dryer on a hot setting.

Store the vests in laundry baskets, open weave crates etc. Also use these for transporting vests. When transporting the vests, cover the basket or crate with a towel to protect them from excessive and unnecessary exposure to sun and heat, especially in hot weather.

DO NOT leave vests in a vehicle on a warm to hot day.

All vests may be stored together.

After racing, all vests may be placed in a basket, wet or dry.

DO NOT place or store vests in plastic bags, espcially when wet.

The only conditions that will cause colour transfer are to place the vests in plastic bags in a humid environment or to repeatedly subject the vests to hot water or a hot dryer, in effect duplicating the heat transfer process that produces the colours and numbers of the vests.