Our customers tell us about fleece pants where the zip still works after years, and bush shirts worn every day that are still in one piece. That's partly how they're made. But it's also how they're looked after, and a few simple habits make the difference between gear that lasts three winters and gear that lasts ten.
Here's how to wash and care for fleece, wool and water-resistant outer layers so they keep doing their job for as long as possible. None of it is complicated. Most of it is about what not to do.
Fleece
Fleece is the easiest fabric in your wardrobe to look after, which is one of the reasons we use so much of it. But there are three things that shorten its life: heat, friction and fabric softener.
Washing
- Cold or warm wash, never hot. Fleece is polyester. Heat damages the fibres, flattens the pile and over time makes it less warm. A cold wash cleans it perfectly well.
- Zip everything up and turn it inside out. An open zip in a washing machine is a saw blade for every other garment in there, and for the fleece itself. Inside out protects the outer face from rubbing against hard items.
- Wash with similar fabrics. Fleece picks up lint from towels and cotton. Wash it with other synthetics.
- Normal detergent, no fabric softener. Softener coats the fibres, which stops fleece wicking moisture and makes it hold odour. If your fleece has gone a bit stiff or smelly, a wash without softener will usually fix it.
- Gentle cycle for the lighter pieces. Heavier fleece like the Wilder II or Buffer Pants handles a normal cycle fine.
Drying
- Hang it. Don't tumble dry. Fleece dries fast on its own — a few hours inside, less in a breeze. The dryer is the single biggest killer of fleece: it melts the tips of the fibres, which is what causes that matted, hard feeling on old fleece.
- Out of direct sun if you can. UV fades colour over time. The shade of a verandah is ideal.
- Never iron it. It'll melt. If it's creased, hang it in a steamy bathroom.
Pilling
Good tricot fleece resists pilling, but any fleece will develop a few bobbles with hard wear, especially under pack straps and where your arms rub your sides. A fabric shaver (or a disposable razor, carefully) takes them off in seconds and the garment looks new again.
Wool
Wool asks for a bit more care than fleece, but it rewards it with decades of use. The two things to avoid are heat and agitation, because together they cause felting — the wool fibres lock together and the garment shrinks and stiffens. Once wool has felted, it doesn't come back.
Washing
- Wash it less than you think. Wool is naturally odour-resistant and self-cleaning to a degree. Airing a Wool Wilder outside overnight will deal with most smells. Wash it when it's actually dirty, not after every wear.
- Cold water, wool cycle or hand wash. The wool setting on a modern machine is slow and gentle, and it's fine for a Wool Wilder. If you're unsure, hand wash in a tub or laundry sink.
- Wool detergent. Normal detergents contain enzymes that break down protein, and wool is protein. Use a wool wash — it's cheap and it matters.
- Don't wring it. Press the water out, or roll it in a towel.
Drying
- Flat, in the shade. Wet wool is heavy, and hanging it stretches the shoulders and body. Lay it flat on a towel or a drying rack, reshape it, and leave it. It will take a day or two.
- Never the dryer. This is the fast way to turn a Wool Wilder into a Wool Wilder for a ten-year-old.
- Away from direct heat. Not on a heater, not in front of the fire. Slow is fine.
Storage
Moths eat wool. If a Wool Wilder is going away for summer, wash it first (moths are attracted to sweat and skin oils), make sure it's completely dry, and store it in a sealed bag or box with cedar or lavender. Check it once over summer.
Water-resistant and waterproof outer layers
Jackets like the Mokau (water-resistant fleece with a DWR finish) and the Outlander (fully waterproof) have a coating or membrane that does the water work. Caring for them is about protecting that.
Washing
- Wash them more than you think. This surprises people. Dirt, sweat and body oils clog the DWR finish and the fabric's pores, which is why an older jacket starts to "wet out" — the surface goes dark and soaks up water instead of beading it. A clean jacket performs better than a dirty one.
- Technical wash, not normal detergent. Standard detergent leaves residue that attracts water. Use a wash made for waterproof gear (Nikwax Tech Wash or Grangers are the common ones in NZ) and rinse twice.
- Zips closed, pockets empty, hood out.
- No fabric softener, ever. It destroys the DWR.
Drying and reproofing
- Hang dry, or tumble dry low if the care label allows. Gentle heat actually reactivates the DWR finish on many fabrics — check the label on yours first.
- Reproof when water stops beading. Pour a little water on the shoulder. If it beads and rolls off, you're fine. If it soaks in, run it through a wash-in reproofer (Nikwax TX.Direct or similar) and dry it. Once a season is usually plenty for a jacket in regular use.
Zips and hardware
Zips are the first thing to fail on most outdoor gear. They don't have to be.
- Keep them clean. Grit in the teeth wears the slider. A rinse and an old toothbrush deals with it.
- Don't force them. If a zip is catching, back it up and clear whatever's caught — usually fabric or a stray thread.
- Lubricate occasionally. A rub of candle wax or a dedicated zip lubricant along the teeth once a year keeps them running.
- Zip them before washing. Said it twice already. It's the one that matters most.
Stains and smells
Blood (hunters, you know): cold water immediately, never hot — hot water sets it. Soak, then wash as normal.
Mud: let it dry completely, brush off as much as you can, then wash. Washing wet mud just spreads it.
Fish and diesel: a pre-soak in cold water with a bit of dishwashing liquid before the main wash.
Persistent smell in fleece: a cold soak in a bucket with a cup of white vinegar for an hour, then wash without softener. Smell gone.
The one-line version for each fabric
- Fleece: cold wash, zips closed, inside out, hang dry, no softener, no dryer.
- Wool: wash rarely, cold, wool detergent, dry flat, keep moths out.
- Waterproofs: wash often with a technical wash, reproof when it stops beading, no softener.
- Zips: closed in the wash, clean, don't force.
Do that and the gear you bought this winter will still be going when the kids are wearing it.