Washing Fleece Pants

May 2, 2011 5:43 AM

What is the best way to wash fleece products?

I have a pair of nice, thick fleece jogging pants that I just LOVE. I haven't had them too long, and I want to wash them but I have had bad results washing fleece products in the past. I have washed fleece vests and jackets that ended up getting really "pilly" (is that an actual word??).

Anyway, suggestions for washing my fleece jogging pants so I can get the best results and they will last the longest (and look the best)?

Thanks!

posted by dbirchum to clothing, beauty, & fashion (6 answers total)

Be sure not to dry them at "hot" dryer temperature. The air in a dryer can get hot enough to soften the (effectively plastic) fibers that the fleece is made of, not enough to make it really look melted, just enough that there's an odd matted texture to the outer surface.

I know this from having a faulty extra-hot dryer that turned the tips of the fluff noticeably crunchy - regular hot cycle effect isn't as drastic but I noticed it once I knew what to look for.
posted by aimedwander at 6:53 AM on May 2, 2011

It's been my experience that whether or not fleece gets pilly is entirely a function of the fleece itself. If it's dense and not fuzzy, you're much less likely to see pilling. We've had a pair of Land's End fleece pajamas in our family for four years, passed from kid to kid, worn nearly daily and thrown in the washing machine and dryer with no special treatment. Damn if those pajamas aren't as soft and nonpilly as the day they arrived. Other fleeces (from cheapo target pullovers right up to patagonia items) tend to pill up under the same or better treatment.

That said, your best chance at keeping them nonpilly is to handwash/line dry.
posted by apparently at 7:40 AM on May 2, 2011

Wash them inside out, if the fleecy side is normally on the outside. You'll get less pilling if the brushed surfaces are not exposed to the friction of the laundry. Consider buying a large-sized mesh lingerie bag to put them into when you wash them.
posted by Ery at 7:41 AM on May 2, 2011

I throw my fleece stuff in with my regular clothing wash loads, which I wash in either cold or warm (not hot) water. Pulling them out to hang dry over night instead of going in the dryer has avoided weird textural changes for me.
posted by Atalanta at 7:42 AM on May 2, 2011

Fleece dries so quickly that it's rarely necessary to subject it to the abusive treatment of a clothes dryer. Take it out of the washer, give it a couple of good shakes, and hang it on a chair or clothesline to dry. Even cheap fleece looks better for longer this way. A little less static to deal with, too.
posted by Corvid at 12:04 PM on May 2, 2011

The better-quality fleeces I have haven't pilled, despite hard wear and frequent washing. They still attract and keep cat fur like you wouldn't believe, but they haven't pilled. I wash them with regular loads of laundry (i.e. not delicate stuff), and I try to never put them in the dryer - they come out of the washing machine nearly dry anyway.
posted by rtha at 12:26 PM on May 2, 2011