How Often Should You Wash Hoodies? 10 Washing Tips

Hoodies are an essential garment that provides warmth, comfort, and a sense of smartness and trendiness. One great thing about hoodies is that they can be worn by people of different ages, races, gender and nationality. It is mostly worn by students, athletes, and artists especially during winter to keep the body warm.

A hoodie is a modified sweatshirt with the addition of a hood, which covers the neck and most of the face. It also comes with a kangaroo pocket to keep the hand warm and can have a full zip, lace-up to the neck or a raw split neck. A good hoodie is known for its fluffiness and softness which is a result of the materials they are made from.

 A hoodie can be produced from cotton, fleece, wool, nylon and polyester. Cotton and polyester hoodies are the most common hoodie or a mixture of both materials. The cotton hoodie is natural while polyester is manmade fabric. A hoodie can also be produced from a mixture of both cotton and polyester materials with cotton having the lesser percentage.

A hoodie can either be heavy or light depending on the raw materials it is produced from. Polyester hoodies are usually light in weight when compared to cotton hoodies and this can influence the mode of maintenance and cleaning of the garment.

Maintaining a hoodie is easy and cheap but it requires having the right information about when and how to care for your hoodie. Knowing when to wash your hoodie will prevent fade, shrinkage and loss of fluffiness.

How Often Should You Wash Hoodies?

Hoodies are known to be overlay garments and they tend to absorb less sweat when compared to clothes worn directly over the body. Hoodie becomes dirty when it gets stains, dust or dust which should be removed before the next use. A hoodie can still be worn as many times as possible in the absence of stains, dirt and sweats. This is to ensure the longevity and durability of the clothing

Washing your hoodie after every wear will reduce the quality, colour and fluffiness of the material.

Ideally, the hoodie should be washed after 7 – 8 wears when using it for an outdoor purpose because it is exposed to more dirt and dust. If it is being worn inside the house, then you can wash it after 10 wears.  Most times your instinct will tell you the right time to wash your hoodie.

In the absence of stain, a dirty hoodie will develop a foul smell and that is just a perfect sign to you that you need to wash your hoodie. Also, the type of hoodie depends on how often it should be washed as polyester hoodie still maintains its quality after being washed than a cotton hoodie.

Polyester hoodie tends to absorb more sweat than cotton hoodie because of the breathable ability of the cotton fabric. This signifies that a cotton hoodie should be used wisely to prevent stains and dirt on it, this is to prevent excessive washing of the material. 

List of Tips on How To Wash Hoodies Without Getting It Spoilt, Explained

It’s no doubt that washing clothes is very important in maintaining personal hygiene but when it is not done in the appropriate ways, it can affect the clothes negatively.

An inappropriate method of washing can lead to shrinking, fading and reducing the longevity of the hooding.

When doing laundry of cloth, it is essential to know the type of fabric it is made as this will serve as a guideline in knowing the dos and don’ts of the fabric. The following are the tips on how to wash hoodies.

i. Read the label instruction of the hoodie

Most hoodies always come with laundry guidelines and instructions. These guidelines are in line with the type of fabric, colour, design and style the hoodie is made up.

Some labels require you to hand-wash them while some don’t. You can wash a cotton hoodie in a washing machine while you can’t wash wool or fleece with the machine.

ii. Do not wash in hot water

Hot water is harsh on hoodies and it can lead to shrinkage and fading of the clothes. Hot water tends to remove dyes from clothes faster than cold water.

Using cold water to wash the hoodie will prevent wrinkle, shrinkage and brighten the colours of the hoodie. Coldwater is also safe and faster to use.

iii. Ensure to wash the hoodie alone

When washing your hoodie, it is always advisable to wash it alone without mixing it with other clothing. This is to prevent any damage that can occur to the hoodie from friction with other clothes.

iv. Prewash stains on the hoodie

Wash the dirt and stains on the hoodie first before the general washing especially if you are using a washing machine.

Using a natural stain removal like lemon, baking soda and vinegar are preferred to harsh chemicals.

v. Turn your hoodie inside out before washing

Washing your hoodie inside out will prevent the designs, patterns, arts and colours from washing away.

This is because clothing tends to rub together over one another thereby washing away the outer layer.

It is also necessary to close the zipper up, if there is any zipper there, to prevent snagging of the zip. It also helps to clean the inside of the hoodie.

vii. Leave the hoodie unbuttoned before washing

There is a buttoned hoodie even though they are not common. Leaving a hoodie buttoned will loosen the threads taping the buttonholes thereby stretching the buttonholes.

Once the buttonhole becomes stretched, the button will not be firmly hooked.

iix. Rinse very well

You can rinse your hoodie twice or thrice, to ensure there is no trace of dust and chemicals from detergents.

This help to keep them soft and fluffy, it also helps to reduce the risk of respiratory diseases like common cold and allergy.

ix. Do not use the dryer

It is better to air dry the hoodie because using the dryer will cause the hoodie to wrinkle, shrink and rip off its colour.

Air drying can be done by changing your clothing on a wireline but a heavy hoodie should be laid flat to dry up, this is to prevent stretching of the hoodie. Avoid rubbing or wringing your fabric.

x. Use a mild detergent

Use a mild detergent to wash your hoodie. They are soft and easy on clothes thereby ensuring a long-lasting and durable hoodie. It also prevents fading and shrinking of clothes

xi. Wash when dirty

Wash your hoodie only when it is dirty, excessive washing of the hoodie will damage it quickly. Wash the hoodie after 7-8 wears or when it is stained.

The polyester hoodie is not breathable giving it a high tendency of getting dirty or consumed with foul smells easily

Frequently Asked Questions and Answer

In this section are answers to common questions on how often should you wash hoodies and other related topics.

How often should I wash my hoodie?

Answer: You should wash it after every 7- 8 wear if it doesn’t get stained. Wash it immediately you notice a stain on it or once it starts giving a foul smell.

How do I keep my hoodie soft after washing?

Answer:  Wash with a mild detergent, cold water and air – dry it.

How do I wash my hoodie in a washing machine?

Answer: Wash alone and set your machine on the delicate cycle. Do not mix it with any other clothing, use cold water and mild detergent. Lastly, do not spin but air-dry it.

How to wash hoodies with designs?

Answer: Turn it inside out before washing; wash with mild detergent and cold water. 

Can I iron my hoodie?

Answer: It depends on the instructions of the brand, however, it is best to put a barrier like a towel between the iron and the hoodie to reduce the effect of the heat.

What is the difference between after-wash of polyester and cotton hoodie?

Answer: Cotton hoodie tends to shrink and wrinkle faster after the first wash while the polyester keeps its shape fit.

Can I bleach my white hoodie?

Answer: Bleach is a harsh chemical product used in removing colours from a fabric. You can use bleach on your white fabric if it has no patterns, designs, arts or embroidery on it. You can’t use it if it has designs because it will remove the dyes from the designs thereby causing damage to the hoodie.

How do I hand wash my hoodie?

Answer: Turn it inside out and soak in cold soapy water for 15 minutes, ensure it is soaked alone and zipped up. Remove stains and soak for another 5 minutes then wash gently with your hand and rinse twice or thrice. Airs dry it on a flat surface. Use a mild detergent to wash the hoodie to ensure its softness and fluffiness. 

Conclusion 

Knowing the type of fabric a hoodie is made from will influence your preference in the selection of hoodies. Cotton is more expensive to buy, maintain and wash than polyester. this means you can only buy a cotton hoodie if you can afford its maintenance otherwise polyester is better.

Washing the hoodie requires a gentle approach because it’s very delicate and expensive clothing. Most times damage to the hoodie is not reversible and that’s why it must be handled with utmost care.

Following the tips and guidelines will prevent shrinkage, wrinkle and fading of the cloth. This will make the hoodie soft, fluffy and last long after several uses. Avoid stains to reduce frequent washing, use cold water, and use a mild detergent. Dry outside the house on a flat surface and store properly in the wardrobe before the next use.

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