3 Tips for Fleece Care

Fleece is a favorite material in the winter season, and why not? It’s warm, soft, cozy, and cuddly. A fleece sweater can help you look cute and feel comfortable when you’re out in snowy or just cold weather, and there’s nothing quite like snuggling up under a soft fleece blanket when you’re home alone on a cold night. 

However, you want to make sure that at the end of the season, your fleece items can be put away and saved for the next winter, and that means knowing how to clean and care for them without damaging them. Take a look at what you need to know about caring for fleece. 

Keep Fleece Away From Heat

Fleece is a material that’s most often used in cold conditions, and that’s just as well because it doesn’t respond well to heat. If you’ve owned many fleece items, you’ve probably noticed that they have a tendency toward pilling, and this is often caused by exposure to heat. 

You should never wash your fleece items in a hot water wash or expose them to the full heat of your dryer. Instead, wash fleece in cold or lukewarm water (check the tag on the item for specific instructions). You can dry fleece by hanging it on the line or laying it flat on top of a dry towel. If you do need to use a dryer, choose the lowest heat setting and remove the item as soon as it's dry. Fleece doesn’t need to be ironed and should never be exposed to the heat of an iron. 

Avoid Using Fabric Softener on Fleece

Another thing that you want to avoid when cleaning fleece is the use of fabric softener. That includes the sheets that you throw into the dryer with your clothes, not just the liquid. 

Why avoid fabric softener on fleece items? Most fleece is treated with a water-resistant finish during manufacturing. Fabric softeners contain chemicals that can damage or destroy that finish, which puts your fleece at greater risk of more damage in the future. Play it safe and stay away from fabric softeners. 

Washing Instructions

In addition to using cold or lukewarm water on fleece, it’s also a good idea to turn fleece items inside out before washing. Taking this step is another way to help reduce pilling in fleece items. Don’t worry, the outer side of your fleece garments will still get clean.

However, if you have noticeable stains on your fleece garment, you can always spot treat them before washing to help ensure that they come out clean. Just apply some gentle laundry detergent to the spot with a clean, damp cloth. Work the detergent into the stain and let it soak in before washing. If you’re going to use the dryer to dry your fleece, check to make sure the stain is completely gone before adding it to the dryer. If it’s not, spot-treat and wash the fleece again before drying.