How to Wash a Winter Coat

It's easy to overlook winter coats when it comes to laundry day, but these garments need to be cleaned and maintained to keep them looking their best and ensure they last for years to come.

At a minimum, winter coats should be washed once a year, at the end of the season, to remove environmental and body soils, stains, and odors prior to storing them. Washing coats twice a season is ideal. Some winter coats, like fleece or performance outerwear, can be washed more frequently, anywhere from biweekly to monthly depending on usage and factors such as visible staining or odor retention that indicate it's time to wash the jacket.

This guide provides instructions on how to clean winter coats, including parkas and puffer vests, fleece jackets and performance outerwear, and heavy wool and synthetic overcoats.

How to Wash Parkas and Puffer Vests

Most parkas and puffer vests can be machine washed, which is the most effective and easiest method for keeping winter coats in good condition. When drying a filled winter coat, the use of dryer balls, or a dryer ball substitute, is critical to ensure even drying and redistribution of the coat's fill.

What You Need

• Laundry detergent
• Stain remover
• Dryer balls
• Sewing kit (optional)

Step 1: Check for Damage and Inspect Pockets

Before washing a parka or puffer vest, check and empty the interior and exterior pockets. Check the coat for any damage, such as rips or loose threads, and make necessary repairs prior to washing. Zip or button any closures before washing.

Step 2: Treat Stains

If there are visible stains, treat them with an appropriate stain remover. If there is significant dinge around the collars and cuffs, where body and environmental soils collect, pretreat them with an enzymatic stain remover prior to washing. Makeup stains around a coat's collar, as well as ink stains, can be treated with rubbing alcohol prior to laundering.

Step 3: Machine Wash

Check the care tag on the coat and follow any special instructions regarding water temperature, and cycle speed, and length. Also note any products, such as bleach or fabric softener, that should be avoided. In general, machine-washable winter coats can be washed using cold water and the washer's regular cycle.

Step 4: Dry Coat

Parkas and puffer vests can be dried in the dryer; as with machine washing, check the coat's care tag for instructions. Despite their bulk, winter coats are typically best dried on a low to medium heat setting; avoid high heat. The use of dryer balls, or a dryer ball substitute like tennis balls or a toddler sneaker wrapped in a sock, is critical to the redistribution of the coat's stuffing and is highly recommended when washing filled winter coats.

How to Wash Fleece and Performance Outerwear

When it comes to washing fleece and performance outerwear, knowing what not to do is the key to success. Avoid the use of fabric softener and chlorine bleach to keep these fabrics in good condition. Machine washing is the best option, but fleece and performance materials, because they are lightweight and quick drying, can also be successfully hand laundered.

What You Need

• Laundry detergent
• Stain remover
• Dryer balls
• Sewing kit (optional)

Step 1: Inspect for Damage and Check Pockets

Before washing a fleece jacket or performance outerwear, check and empty the interior and exterior pockets. Check for any damage, such as rips or loose threads, and make necessary repairs prior to washing. Zip or button any closures before washing.

Step 2: Treat Stains

If there are visible stains, treat them with an appropriate stain remover. If there is significant dinge around the collars and cuffs, pretreat them with an enzymatic stain remover prior to washing fleece jackets.

Step 3: Machine Wash

Check the care tag on the coat and follow any special instructions regarding water temperature, cycle speed, and length. Pay attention to any products that should be avoided; never use liquid fabric softeners or dryer sheets when washing these fabrics, and avoid the use of chlorine bleach.  In general, fleece jackets and performance outerwear should be washed using cold water and the washer's regular cycle.

Step 4: Dry Coat

Fleece and performance outerwear are quick drying, and can be air-dried flat, or machine-dried on the dryer's lowest setting.

How to Clean Wool Coats

Because of their bulk, heavy wool or synthetic blend overcoats are not well-suited to machine washing. Hand laundering should be avoided for the same reason. Instead, use a combination of cleaning techniques that involve brushing, spot-treating stains, and steaming to clean heavy wool winter coats. Alternatively, send heavy wool overcoats out for professional cleaning.

What You Need

• Clothing brush
• Wool safe detergent
• Light-colored cloth
• Clothing steamer
• Sturdy hanger

Step 1: Brush the Coat

Use a clothing brush to gently but vigorously brush the coat to remove dirt, dust, dead skin, salt, and other environmental and body soils that have collected on the coat.

Step 2: Spot Treat Stains

Apply a small amount of a wool-safe detergent to a slightly damp, light-colored cloth. Using a gentle touch, work the detergent into the stained or soiled area in the direction of the fibers; do not rub in a circular motion or grind at the stain to avoid abrading the fabric, which can cause the fibers to fray or tear, causing pilling and other damage. When the stain is gone, rinse the cloth with clean water, and go over the areas you spot treated to remove detergent residue.

Step 3: Steam the Coat

Hang the coat on a sturdy hanger, and use a clothing steamer to steam the interior and exterior of the coat. Steam has antibacterial properties that will eliminate odors and allergens, leaving the coat clean and ready for wearing or storage.