If you want to refresh your winter clothes before the season, you can use some simple methods before washing your winter jackets. After winter coats and down jackets have spent a few months in the closet, it is advisable to wash these items of clothing again. Surprisingly, not many people think about this until they have to dress warmly in the winter and then encounter musty clothing fabrics. Luckily, this household task can be easily accomplished with tried-and-tested cleaning techniques and home remedies found below.
Are there different ways to wash your winter jackets?
At some point in the winter season and during the Christmas season, everyone inevitably has toMulled wine stains due to spillsor expect and deal with other contamination on winter clothing. As a rule of thumb, winter coats and jackets should be cleaned twice a season and as needed. However, this depends on whether the care label would require dry cleaning or whether the washing machine would be sufficient.
The cleaning products you need for each type of coat or winter jacket vary greatly. Some of them can be doneeasily with detergentclean, while others should not touch water and need a brush. If you wear such items of clothing every day, you should wash them more often.
In addition, the care label usually contains all the information you need about washing, such as whether the fabric is machine washable, what wash cycle and water temperature is appropriate, as well as specific instructions on specific detergents and drying. It goes without saying that you should interpret these instructions as rules and not as suggestions. Here are some guidelines to keep in mind:
- Never attempt to wash natural fur. This fabric needs professional cleaning or skinning.
- Down and wool require special cleaning products, while suede should never get wet.
- In general, many people choose leather, suede, and lined wool coats that they have professionally cleaned. However, faux fur, vinyl, waterproof fabric, fleece, and down are easier to clean from home.
- You'll also find that down and fleece can go in the dryer, while all others need to air dry.
With the right techniques and this guide, you can streamline the cleaning process by washing your winter jackets and keeping them looking neat without the risk of shrinking or fading. Follow the steps below to better care for everything from wool, leather, faux fur, fleece, and other winter coats.
Before you wash your winter jackets
- Pre-treat stains:When you pull out your unwashed clothes, they may already have a few food stains, spills, or just heavy underarm sweating. It is best to pre-treat these stains with a stain remover or a drop of dishwashing liquid. Apply such products directly to the stain and then let them sit for 10 minutes before throwing the clothes in the washing machine or scrubbing with a damp cloth.
- Close all buttons and zippers:The metal teeth on zippers can damage other clothes in the washing machine. To minimize the risk of snags and tears, it is best to zip, fasten and button everything on your coat or jacket before washing. This also helps the clothes retain their shape as they cycle around in the washing machine.
- Wash similar materials and fabrics:When certain opposing clothing fabrics rub against each other, it can cause damage, fading or deterioration of the clothing. To keep your winter clothes in perfect condition, you should always wash them separately or with clothes made from similar materials.
- Pay attention to theempty pockets.
Clean synthetic or polyester winter clothing
Synthetic fibers such as polyester, nylon and elastane are particularly attracted to natural fats and oils such as sebum. In fact, synthetics and polyester are known to be dirt and odor magnets. To make matters worse, synthetic garments are more likely to absorb odors and stink faster than natural fibers. This means that garments that are fully synthetic or contain synthetic fibers are more likely to become musty. Additionally, as with any winter coat or jacket, you should always check the care instructions label before washing. Many polyester items can be machine washed using a high-quality detergent on a cold water program. It is recommended to air dry synthetic/polyester coats to avoid shrinkage and damage.
Clean parkas and down jackets properly
Winter jackets with down are very popular and very warm, but they are also quite expensive. So preserve your down coat for as long as possible by storing itcare for and wash properly. Fortunately, down jackets and parkas are easier to wash than wool. Before you put such clothes in the washing machine, you should again pre-treat any stains.
For best results, down should be washed in a front-loading washer or a washing machine without a center agitator. In addition, a fairly gentle movement during the washing process is recommended. Add your detergent and be sure to choose a product specifically designed for down. When the washing cycle is finished, you can tumble dry the jacket on low heat. Also add drying balls to fluff up the feathers after they've been tossed in the washing machine.
How to clean wool coat?
Regular detergents, hot water, and washing machine cycles can cause the fibers in wool to break or shrink. That's why it's important to be particularly gentle with your unusual wool coat. You can either hand wash it in a tub with cold water and baby shampoo or use the washing machine on a gentle cycle. However, in the second case, make sure you use cold water and a detergent specifically designed for wool products. Lay the coat flat to dry, using your hands to gently reshape the shoulders and arms as it dries. For most wool coats, dry cleaning is the best option. However, if this is not stated on the care label, you can do the laundry at home.
To remove dry dirt that gets on the surface, rub with a stiff brush. Spot clean the collar and cuffs with a damp cloth and mild soap or use a household dry cleaning kit to clean and refresh your wool. Do this over a towel so that dirt and debris can be easily removed. Then spot treat any stains with a product certified for wool clothing. Turn the coat inside out and place it in a mesh wash bag to avoid snagging the material. If your washing machine has a wool cycle, this would be ideal. Hang your wool coat flat to dry. And if that seems like too much work, it's time for dry cleaning.
How to wash or clean faux fur from winter jackets
It is best to dry clean coats or jackets with faux fur trim. However, most of them can also be washed at home. Faux fur is a synthetic blend that you can clean in a washing machine with a very small amount of mild detergent. Allow your machine to partially fill with cold water, add the detergent and allow the coat to soak for 15 minutes.
Set the washing machine to drain and spin and then switch to the rinse cycle. First, you can drain the faux fur, spin again and rinse again if necessary. If the fur is matted and lumpy after washing, use a clean, dry brush to gently separate the fibers.
This is how you can really clean fleece jackets
Fleece jackets are practical year-round, but they serve double duty in the winter as comfortable indoor loungewear and outdoor sweat protection outerwear. To freshen up your fleece clothing, turn it inside out and throw it in the washing machine. Your machine's settings should be on "cold" and "gentle".
Otherwise your fleece will become fluffy and may even be less water-repellent. This also happens when you wash it with materials like cotton, so be sure to wash fleece separately from other clothing fabrics. Run an additional rinse cycle to remove any detergent residue and allow to air dry.
How to wash rubber/vinyl coats as winter jackets
For raincoats and other outerwear made of rubber and vinyl, be sure to pay attention to the care label as usual. According to experts, some vinyl coats can be machine washed, while others are better cleaned by hand. If you wash the garment in the washing machine, you should follow the instructions on the label.
Allow it to air dry as the high heat and movement can cause damage. To hand wash the coat, soak it in clean, cold water in the bathtub for half an hour, just as you would with wool. When you're finished, rinse the jacket with cold water until it stays clean and let it air dry again.
How to wash a leather or suede jacket
It is a mistake to wash leather or suede coats at home. These clothing materials require special care and should always be professionally cleaned.
However, if you want to give it a try and the leather needs a quick touch-up, you can use a damp cloth or suede brush to remove surface dirt from such winter jackets between cleanings.
Do you know how to fold your clothes to save space? You can get tips and tricksfind here!
