How to Wash a Motorcycle Race Suit (Leather Suits and Fire Suits)

Don't machine-wash a leather motorcycle race suit. Take out the armor and liner, wipe the leather by hand with a sponge or soft cloth and cold water with a little neutral soap, then let it dry slowly away from heat. Wash a removable liner separately at no more than 104°F (40°C). Fire-resistant car and kart suits are a different garment with different rules, covered further down.

This tutorial is part of our leather care and cleaning guide. For the jacket-only version, see how to wash a motorcycle jacket safely.

Leather suit or fire suit? Check first

What you need

• A soft sponge and two clean, damp white cotton cloths
• A bucket of cold water and a neutral soap
• A wide, padded hanger
• A leather cleaner and conditioner made for riding leathers, if you use one (test it first)
• A mild detergent for the liner

How to wash a leather race suit in 8 steps

1. Read the label. The care label inside the suit comes first. Where it differs from any guide, follow the label. Suits made of several materials should follow the label only.
2. Take out armor, back protector and liner. Remove armor and liners before any wet cleaning, and close the zips and hook-and-loop tabs. Wipe armor with a damp cloth; don't soak it.
3. Get bugs off quickly. Wipe insect marks with a soft sponge and neutral soapy water as soon as you can, because their fluids are aggressive on leather. The store's own advice is a damp-cloth wipe after each ride for dirt and bugs.
4. Wipe the whole suit. Use a sponge or cloth with cold water and a little neutral soap, panel by panel. No brushes, abrasive pads or solvents. On perforated panels use as little water as you can and blot instead of rubbing.
5. Lift grease right away. Wash oil or grease off at once with a soft damp cloth in gentle circles, without heavy rubbing.
6. Wash the liner separately. If the liner comes out, wash it in water at no more than 104°F (40°C) with a neutral soap, not powder detergent.
7. Dry it slowly. Hang the suit on a wide hanger in a ventilated room, away from sun and radiators, until it's fully dry. Never put leather in a dryer. More detail is in how to dry leather without damaging it.
8. Condition once it's dry, if you want to. Leather can feel dry or stiff after a soaking. Gear makers follow cleaning with a conditioner once the leather is dry, and Leather Collection suggests conditioning its race suits every 6 to 12 months. The US National Park Service, on the other hand, says studies found leather dressings have no preservative effect, though it accepts them on items that still have to work. Test any product on a hidden spot such as the collar.

Refit the armor and liner only when everything is dry. Then store the suit on a wide hanger in a cool, dry place away from sun and heat.

In this No Limits - No Regrets video, a rider cleans his one-piece Dainese suit with the cleaner and protection cream from the maker's care kit, working one panel at a time in light circles and wiping each section before it dries. He uses a leather cleaner on a cloth rather than soapy water and doesn't mention taking the armor out, which this page recommends before any wet cleaning. He also repeats the kit's advice to treat the suit two to four times a year, more often than Leather Collection's 6 to 12 months, and sources disagree on whether dressings help leather last.

Common mistakes

• Machine washing or tumble drying a leather suit. Gear makers say never. The store says no dryer for leather.
• Solvents, bleach or a normal dry cleaner. Makers rule out solvents, bleach and dry cleaning for leather riding jackets. Normal dry cleaning also strips the oils from leather.
• Leaving bugs and sweat for "later." Dirt shouldn't build up on leather riding gear.
• Drying on a radiator or in the sun. Heat can warp and crack leather.
• Storing it damp or in plastic. Use a breathable cover in a dry room.

For a deep clean, some suit makers offer a paid service that cleans the leather, sanitizes the inside and reviews the safety stitching. If the suit has crash damage, see how to maintain motorcycle riding gear for the inspection checklist.

Washing a car or kart fire suit (Nomex)

Most search results for "race suit" are about these fire-resistant suits, so here's what their makers say.

• Follow the label. Fabrics and rules vary by model.
• Sparco recommends dry cleaning. If you wash it, hand wash or use a delicate cold cycle inside a garment bag, with belt and collar closed so the hook-and-loop doesn't damage the Nomex. Use a non-abrasive detergent and no bleach.
• OMP says turn it inside out, hand wash in cool water or use a delicate cold cycle (it names an 86°F / 30°C wash), skip fabric softener and rinse well.
• No dryer, iron or direct heat, which can damage the fire-retardant properties. UV breaks down Nomex fibers, so dry it out of the sun.
• Drying position: the makers disagree. Sparco says drip dry indoors on a hanger. OMP says lay it flat, because hanging can stretch the fabric.
• Dry cleaning only if the maker allows it, and at a cleaner who knows fire-retardant clothing.

Quick answers

Is it okay to put my race suit in the washing machine?

Not a leather suit. Some fire-suit makers allow a delicate cold cycle.

How do I wash my Sparco racing suit?

Sparco recommends dry cleaning. Otherwise, hand wash or use a delicate cold cycle in a garment bag, with no bleach, then drip dry indoors out of the sun.

How often should I clean a leather race suit?

Wipe off dirt and bugs after each ride. Don't let dirt build up.

If you're replacing a worn suit, Leather Collection race suits come in 0.05 in (1.2-1.3 mm) cowhide with Monaco or kangaroo options and a removable liner you can order. The liner can then be washed on its own, as in step 6.