How to properly wash a ski jacket: valuable tips and tricks
The main advantage of a ski jacket is good thermoregulation during active movements. Therefore, today this wardrobe item is popular not only among athletes.
But how should such things be washed so that they do not lose their positive qualities? In this article, we will look in detail at how to properly wash (by hand and in a machine) and dry a ski jacket, and what products are suitable for this.
Content
What do you need to know before you start washing?
Ski jackets are highly valued by lovers of an active lifestyle. Athletes benefit from good air circulation and optimal body temperature thanks to this fabric.
There are several types of ski jackets:
Made from a hydrophilic, pore-free membrane. The prices seem quite high, but these clothes are very wear-resistant. It is better to wash such a membrane on the mode for delicate fabrics, but ironing is still extremely undesirable.- Made from microporous fabric. To clean such clothes, it is important to use a liquid product without aggressive components, without neglecting additional rinsing.
- From a combined material. This type often has a Teflon coating that looks very much like rubber. Treatment allows you to increase the service life of the jacket, while the breathability properties are maintained at a high level.The combination of microporous and nonporous material should not be machine washed as it may damage the fabric. Preventive cleaning is best done with a soft microfiber.
Studying the tag
To find out exactly the composition of your clothes, as well as recommendations for cleaning them, you need to study the tag. In most cases, the manufacturer allows machine washing, while indicating the permissible water temperature (30-40 degrees).
Some products can only be washed by hand, and it is not recommended to wring hard.
You will find a lot of useful and important information about washing jackets and down jackets. here.
Choosing the right product
Saving on cleaning gels means that you will soon have to buy a new jacket. Therefore, when thinking about the high cost of the product, you should remember the higher cost of the membrane product.
Household chemicals for the care of ski clothing can be found in any specialized department or in a sports store. It is available in the form of gels and sprays.
The former are often intended for washing fabric, while the latter are responsible for maintaining an excellent impregnation condition.
Recommended companies:
- Grangers;
- Toko Triumph sport;
- Nikwax.
It is not necessary to give preference to foreign manufacturers when buying the most expensive product.
Is it possible to hand wash clothes with a membrane?
The procedure takes a lot of time, but thanks to it the appearance and functionality of the product is better preserved.
To wash your ski jacket by hand, you will need:
Prepare a large container. You can use a basin, but a bath is more convenient.Fill it with water at a temperature of no more than 40 degrees.- Dissolve a special detergent for washing membrane products in water. It is better not to use powder, since it does not dissolve completely, clogging the porous material.
- Place clothes in the container. You don’t have to wait for it to get wet enough and start washing right away.
It is important not to rub the jacket too much, the use of brushes and similar tools is contraindicated. Once the stains have been removed, the clothes should be squeezed out only slightly so that most of the liquid drains away.
At the end, you need to rinse the jacket as follows:
- You should fill a bathtub or large basin with clean water with a temperature of no more than 30 degrees.
- Immerse the product and leave for 10-20 minutes.
- Then you need to take out the jacket and let the bulk of the liquid drain. During this, draw new water.
- After the next dive, it won’t hurt to lightly knead the item with your hands.
Read about how to wash a jacket made of membrane fabric Here.
What mode is in the automatic washing machine?
If the product tag indicates that it is machine washable, you can safely begin the process.
This requires:
Lightly clean external contaminants (for example, dry dirt residues), remove all small items from pockets.- Turn the jacket outside, after fastening the zippers. Unlike other fabrics, the membrane does not require soaking.
- In order not to spoil the material, in addition to the jacket, it is recommended to place only membrane products in the drum of the washing machine. It’s better not to download anything additional at all.
- Pour liquid detergent for membrane fabrics into the washing powder compartment.
- Washing is carried out on a delicate cycle at a temperature of 30 degrees. Among the types of material you should choose synthetics. If you don't have a delicate cycle, you can choose to wash wool.
It is important to set the number of revolutions at no more than 600. Additional procedures such as machine drying and ironing can be destructive for membrane fabric. But an additional rinse will help remove any remaining detergent from the fibers.
How to dry it properly?
Even if clothes need to be dried as soon as possible, placing them on heating devices (radiators, various heaters) is strictly not recommended.
Only the following options are allowed:
- The product can be placed on a dry, absorbent fabric. As the fabric gets wet, it is replaced with a new one.
- It is important to lay out the jacket well so that it takes the correct shape while drying. This is the surest way to avoid wrinkles, because ironing such clothes is undesirable.
- A good option would be to hang your jacket on hangers. This can only be done after a large amount of water has drained.
After complete drying, it is useful to treat the fabric with a special impregnation.. Sprays and gels from Salamander, Olvist, Kongur performed well.
The jacket is processed as follows:
The product is spread on a flat surface in a well-ventilated area.- The spray is sprayed onto the fabric at a distance of about 20 cm, then the clothing is left to dry completely.
- Impregnation gels require more manipulation, because you need to soak the item in them. In this case, you must strictly follow the instructions.
It is important to choose a special agent for impregnating the membrane. Analogues intended for other synthetic fabrics are absolutely not suitable.
Conclusion
Negligent attitude towards ski clothing leads to the fact that your favorite jacket stops heating and begins to leak water. After improper washing, even diligent use of impregnation can clog the fibers of the product.
Despite the disadvantage in the form of demanding cleaning conditions, for the sake of positive emotions from operation, you can patiently follow all the rules.
