How Often Should You Really Wash Your Winter Coat?
We all have to do a lot of laundry on a regular basis, so a seasonal item that we wear less often may not fit into our regular laundry routine. How often do you think about washing your winter coat, for example? No matter how you answer this question—because, frankly, most people don’t think about it very often—let’s look at how often you should do it . The answer depends on several factors, including how often you wear your coat and the material it’s made from.
Wash wool and leather coats seasonally.
Wool and leather coats should be cleaned once a season, provided they receive less wear than other coats. If you wear them often, choose twice a season. So, wash it once around the beginning of November and again at the end of January to make sure it is clean enough to last until the beginning of March. Luckily, says Cheryl Nelson, laundry expert and founder of AcademicWithCher.com , wool naturally repels dirt and odors, so it can be washed a little less frequently than other coats. For tips on cleaning leather and fur , check out my guide here .
Be careful, though: Wendy Saladyga, fabric care expert and technical performance manager for Henkel Persil, notes that while some wool coats are machine washable, others can only be dry cleaned, and if you accidentally wash them, they shouldn’t be washed. wool can cause permanent shrinkage. Check your tag please!
Wash fleece jackets frequently.
Fleece jackets should be washed every few wears, says Saladyga. If you wear yours every day, do it every week. You can get five or six wears out of one, but anything beyond that is more difficult. (Of course, if you notice they get dirty more quickly, wash them sooner.) Don’t iron them, and be sure to line dry fleece jackets to keep them soft and fluffy.
Rain covers need more regular cleaning
Rain jackets should be cleaned regularly as you only wear them in bad weather. If you live in a rainy area, choose a twice-a-month washing schedule. Otherwise, clean them once a month (assuming you actually wore them that month, which you might not unless you live in a very humid climate). Before washing, make sure the jacket is zipped, wash it according to the label instructions, and apply a waterproof coating or repellent to it after drying. I have a complete guide to washing raincoats here as it is actually quite a complex process. When you’re done, you’ll need a solid repellent, so consider this kit from Nikwax :
Down jackets are similar to wool ones.
You might think that since the fluffy, absorbent parts of your down coat are hidden under a repellent surface, you’re safer here, but they still need regular washing. Nelson says the filler can still trap oils and odors inside, which means if this is your everyday coat, you’ll need to wash it quite often. Down coats should be washed as often as other coats, that is, at least twice a season. However, you want it to be a gentle process, so don’t use a washing machine with an agitator. Use a mild detergent (best designed for down coats) and dry on low. Throw in a few dryer balls to fluff it up again as it dries, but take it off while it’s still a little damp and hang it up to dry completely, Nelson says.
General rules for cleaning wool
No matter what type of coat you have, there are general cleaning rules that you should follow. Saladyga says you should at least wash it once a season, but you should also wash it every time you get the wool dirty.
A great time to wash a coat, according to both Saladyga and Nelson, is just before you put it into storage at the end of winter, so it will better maintain its appearance and be ready when you need it next year. Dirt and oils can penetrate deeper if left on the fabric during storage. Plus, Nelson says, “The last thing you want is to dry clean your coat and then not have it during a late-season cold snap.”