Polygiene Treated Maloja Jersey

Polygiene, the Stay Fresh® odor control technology company has partnered with Maloja, a leading designer of functional apparel for mountain biking, cycling, climbing, and more for some distinctive odor fighting bike gear. We tested one of Maloja bike jerseys that utilize the Polygiene treatment over several months time to see if it provides a decreased affinity for a stink factor, meaning can it pass a multi-use smell test? Will the jersey be unstinkable?

Sweat 101

Sweat is a natural response to any physical activity. The cooling and heat dispersing actions of up to 2.6 million sweat glands in the average human body are essential to help us perform and keep us comfortable. Sweat is natural and odorless but mixed with textiles it creates a moist and warm environment which is ideal for odor-causing bacteria to multiply and grow. The bad odor is released as bacteria break down proteins and fatty acids present in sweat. It is the bad odor released by the bacteria which leads to the reduced self-confidence in 90% of us and which causes 30% of us to discard clothes prematurely. The bad odor is released as bacteria break down proteins and fatty acids present in sweat.

Polygiene

Polygiene prevents the growth of odor-causing bacteria at the source. To do this Polygiene uses low concentrations of silver salt (silver chloride), which has antimicrobial properties. The treatment is applied at the finishing stages of textile production and field, and lab tests show a high level of odor control beyond the usual lifespan of a garment.  Polygiene silver salt technology is only active on the textiles itself. Polygiene is not nanosilver. Clothes and gear stay fresh and odor-free and can be worn several times before laundering. Plus they last longer because bacteria never get the chance to break down the fibers. Polygiene is safe next to your skin and helps reduce your environmental footprint, too.

• Polygiene prevents the growth of odor-causing bacteria and fungi at the source
• Polygiene is only active on the textiles itself
• Polygiene odor control is integrated into the fabric
• Effective and permanent treatment

Impressions

With most running, hiking and cycling shirt or jersey apparel, we tend to wear it once and toss into the washer due to the prevalent stench that was created from our exertion. This repeated washing and drying cycle is tough on garments and can shorten their life expectancy, and also, it increases our water footprint.

Maloja supplied us with a nice short sleeved polyester jersey with the Polygiene treatment that was comfortable and had a long loose fit with a moderate neck cuff. No pockets, zippers or anything superficial, just a nice plain comfy jersey. It has some tasteful but straightforward sublimated graphics that didn’t call out attention to the company’s name, just come cool mountain backdrops.  The jersey itself wicked moisture well and provided good sun coverage and was a perfect blend of thickness, not too warm for hot days and enough light insulation when it cooled off.

I wore the jersey over several days time without washing it, though it was difficult for my compulsive nature too not clean it. I varied my bike rides from my typical 1-2 hour short jaunts to longer 3-6 hour days where the jersey,’ to its limits. The first day or two the odor was almost not noticeable, so it was easy to ignore the jersey. I’d usually hang the jersey to dry (by habit) though sometimes I’d forget, so I am not sure if it made any difference in the overall odor, other than a tad of staleness. Depending on the rides, after 3-4 days of use, the jersey started to have the odor funk, so it was time to toss into the washer for cleaning. Yes, I had to do an armpit whiff to see how the treatment performed, which is not something I usually do!

Bottom Line

In conclusion, the Polygiene treatment allowed me to push a jersey to 3-4 days until it failed the ‘smell test,’ while I usually could only get 1-2 days, though I often wash it after one ride. The Polygiene treatment is based on natural silver salt, and it is embedded into the fabric and is supposed to last the lifetime of the jersey, and I can defiantly vouch for its effectiveness in making a garment closer to unstinkable.