How to Wash a Hoodie Without Ruining It

Most hoodies do not wear out. They get washed out. Heat, agitation and fabric softener between them account for nearly every complaint people have about a garment they liked when it arrived.

The five rules that matter

• Wash cold. Hot water is what shrinks cotton and sets creases into fleece. Cold water on a gentle cycle cleans normal wear perfectly well.
• Turn it inside out. This protects the outer face from abrasion against the drum and keeps prints and embroidery from rubbing against zips.
• Skip the fabric softener. It coats fibres with a waxy film that mats fleece pile flat and reduces how much moisture cotton can absorb. Once the pile is matted, it does not come back.
• Line dry in shade. Tumble drying is the single biggest cause of shrinkage and shortened cuffs. Direct sun fades dark dyes, so dry in shade rather than on a rooftop at noon.
• Wash less often. Hoodies worn over a t-shirt do not need washing every wear. Airing one out overnight handles most of it.

Drying without stretching

Never hang a wet heavyweight hoodie from its shoulders — the weight of the water pulls the shoulders and hem out of shape permanently. Dry it flat, or fold it over a line at the waist so the load is shared.

Ironing and prints

Iron on low, inside out, and never directly over a print or embroidery. Direct heat on a screen print cracks the ink; on embroidery it flattens the stitch and glazes the thread. If a garment needs a crease removed, hang it in a steamy bathroom instead.

Jackets are different

• Puffer jackets should be washed rarely, cold, and dried with clean tennis balls in the drum on a no-heat cycle so the fill redistributes instead of clumping.
• Zip every zip before washing. An open zip acts like a saw against the rest of the load.
• Water-resistant shells lose their finish faster with detergent residue — rinse twice rather than doubling the detergent.

Follow the care label on your specific garment first. Where a label and this guide disagree, the label wins.