How To Wash Your Patagonia Jacket: A Practical Guide

How To Wash Your Patagonia Jacket: A Practical Guide

Purchasing a great jacket takes a lot of thought and oftentimes a lot of money. The qualities it should have must be decided, what type to choose is the next step, and then the whole issue with color and style begins.

The brand to purchase from is also of great importance. There is a reason why some brands are more known than others and why people prefer them over the alternatives.

Patagonia is one such brand, which has a large clientele that is loyal to its products, and who can blame them, really? Patagonia makes great products and we have featured several jackets on our selections.

We have also looked at some of the reasons why Patagonia products come with such high prices and yet remain quite popular. You can find out more about it here.

Today we will go through the necessary steps for making sure that your Patagonia jacket is being properly taken care of.

A quality jacket is made to last and knowing the correct way to clean and care for it will ensure that it stays in great condition for many seasons.

Let’s now get started with today’s guide, where we will look at the methods for washing some of the most popular jackets by Patagonia.

Contents:

1. Patagonia: The Brand

Before getting started, we would like to take a minute to go introduce Patagonia, as a means to understand why a guide like this is necessary for this brand’s jackets.

Patagonia is an American brand, established in California in 1973, after the split of Chouinard Equipment.

As we have said in our previous brand comparisons in which Patagonia was featured, unlike many other brands that specialize in outdoor clothing, Patagonia was since its beginnings a clothing-only brand.

It is renowned for the high quality and high performance of its products, especially the jackets, and for having developed a quality fabric technology, the H2No technology.

Patagonia is also one of the brands that place great value on preserving the environment and does so through several means, one of which is making quality products that will last a long time, thus minimizing re-manufacturing.

Another thing that bears mentioning is the use of the Deluge® DWR, a water-repellent coating that lasts considerably longer than the typical DWR product on the market, therefore requiring fewer re-applications.

All of these, and other reasons found in the article mentioned above, are why Patagonia is so beloved.

Why Waste It? | Powder Bowl

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You might also like: 8 Patagonia Jackets for Autumn and Winter

2. Before the Wash

Before actually washing a jacket, regardless of the type it is, there are a few preparatory steps that must be taken in order to minimize the risk of damage.

First, you should check all pockets and close all the zippers, including the central one and any others such as pit vent zippers, side zippers, and pockets. An open zipper can catch on the fabric and rip it, that’s why it should be the very first thing to check.

Next, fasten all flaps and straps, which will prevent them from getting caught on the fabric and tearing it.

Turning the jacket inside out is always recommended because it helps the jacket clean better on the inside, while also protecting the shell from damage.

Lastly, after you have closed the zippers, emptied out the pockets, and turned the jacket inside out, it’s time to get ready for washing the jacket and the one thing that must always be done is looking at the instructions on the label.

This is a must because it will show the correct settings for washing, such as whether you can use a washing machine or should wash it by hand, what the correct temperature of the water should be, and how to properly dry it.

Even if online guides, including ours, will show a certain method of washing, you must always refer to the label because there can be certain jackets that have specific requirements.

Now that you have checked the label, let’s get started with the steps of washing the specific type of jacket you have.

3. How To Wash a Patagonia Gore-Tex Jacket

Gore-Tex is one of the best if not the best, fabric technology. Its performance is excellent and it provides great protection against the elements while being highly breathable at the same time.

Patagonia Men's Triolet Gore-Tex Jacket
Image: patagonia.com

Patagonia is one of the many brands that use this fabric in their high-performance jackets, and these products are not cheap, which is all the more important to know how to properly wash and care for your Gore-Tex jacket.

Usually, a temperature of 105°F / 40°C on a permanent press cycle setting on the washing machine is the recommended method for a Gore-Tex jacket.

Reduced spins and a mild liquid or powdered detergent should be used, which will prevent the fabric from creasing and the DWR coating from getting damaged by the detergent. Rinse, rinse, and rinse again to make sure that the detergent is completely washed out.

Do not use fabric softeners, bleach, or stain removers, because they will damage the fabric and DWR coating, which will greatly compromise performance.

Drying can either be done on the line or using a tumble dryer on a gentle, low-temperature cycle. Even if you line dry the jacket, it still should go into the dryer for 20 minutes, which will help to reactivate the DWR coating.

In case you do not have a tumble dryer, ironing the jacket on a low setting and without steam can help to reactivate the DWR coating.

Lastly, after a while, when you start noticing that the water-repellent coating is not being reactivated by tumble drying and ironing, it means that it should be reapplied. You can use a multitude of DWR treatments available, just make sure to follow the necessary steps on the packaging.

For an in-depth guide about how to wash a Gore-Tex jacket in general, you can read this.

Here are two videos to learn more about Gore-Tex and how to care for products that use this technology:

What is GORE-TEX Product Technology

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How to wash your GORE-TEX outerwear (jacket & pants) | Wash & Care

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4. How To Wash a Patagonia Fleece Jacket

Fleece jackets are quite forgiving when it comes to washing and the process is usually straightforward.

Stains are often a concern with these jackets and using stain treatments is not a problem.

You can also rely on vinegar treatments to remove tree sap or gum stains, and pre-treatments for grease stains can also be used without much risk. As long as you are not using bleach, of course.

Powder detergents are preferred in this case and a mild, biodegradable, and non-toxic formula will be the best choice.

Either cold or warm settings should be used, preferably around the 105°F / 40°C mark.

After it is washed, drying racks or lines are your best bet, because drying machines can cause serious shrinkage even in low settings.

Read also: How To Wash a Fleece Jacket: A Useful Guide

Laundry Tips : How to Wash Fleece

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5. How To Wash a Patagonia Torrentshell Jacket and H2No Fabrics

Torrentshell is a waterproof rain jacket that is made of H2No fabric for its shell. For that reason, we will look at the correct steps for washing H2No fabrics, which also applies to the Torrentshell jacket.

Removing stains beforehand can be done with dishwashing liquid for grease stains, and if it requires further removal after washing with a mild detergent, then a specialized, safe cleaning fluid (Carbona or Renuzit) can be used.

Sap and gum should be frozen with an ice cube beforehand and then scrapped off with a dull knife. A vinegar solution can then be used to soak it and then put into the washing machine.

H2No fabrics are waterproof fabrics treated with DWR coating, which, just like in the case of Gore-Tex above, will require reactivation and reapplication.

It’s best to rely on specialty soaps for waterproof jackets such as Torrentshell. We have compiled a selection of such specialty treatments and DWR products that you can check out here.

If you cannot find a specialty detergent, then a product free of enzymes, bleach, fabric softeners, surfactants, and perfumes will work just as well.

Patagonia Men's Torrentshell Jacket

Rinsing well is very important because no detergent residue should be left on the jacket, as it will affect the DWR coating.

It should be washed in a warm temperature setting, around 105°F / 40°C, and with a low number of spins.

While drying on a rack or line will work, tumble drying is also necessary for reactivating the DWR coating on the shell. When using a dryer, a warm and gentle setting must be used to ensure the best result.

When you start noticing that the shell has started to soak up water rather than keeping it out, it’s time to reapply DWR finish.

Use a spray-on product for two-layer jackets and a wash-in product for three-layer ones.

Patagonia Men's Torrentshell Jacket

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6. How To Wash a Patagonia Nano Puff Jacket

Nano Puff is an insulated jacket that is made out of 100% Recycled polyester and insulated with PrimaLoft® synthetic insulation.

It can be washed into a front-loading washing machine, in a permanent press setting, using a mild laundry detergent.

Warm water of around 105°F / 40°C should be used, on a gentle cycle.

Drying is not too complicated, because either a tumble dryer on a low setting or a line/rack will work just fine.

When in a tumble dryer, using a tennis or dryer ball will help fluff up the insulation as it dries.

7. How To Wash a Patagonia Down Jacket

Down jackets, regardless of their brand, have a very specific method of being washed and dried, which in this case resembles that of the Nano Puff above.

Using a down wash is the best way to clean a down jacket because these cleaners are formulated especially for cleaning down without damaging it.

Cold water is preferred for down jackets and the washing machine should be on a gentle cycle.

Double rinsing is a great way of ensuring that all of the cleanser has been washed out.

After being washed, a Patagonia down jacket is best dried on a tumble drier with two tennis balls inside. They will help to break up the clumps of down as the jacket dries, restoring the loft of the jacket and ensuring that the insulation will fully dry.

A low-heat, gentle setting must be used and it might be necessary to run the dryer more than once.

If drying the jacket out on a line or rack, keep in mind that it will take more than one day for it to fully dry, depending on the weather, and that it should be frequently taken down to break the clumps of down by hand for even drying.

We have a more detailed guide on washing a down jacket here, that you can use to make sure everything goes accordingly.

How to wash your down jacket

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8. Conclusion

That is it for this guide. Once again, refer to the label first and foremost and make sure to only wash the jacket when really necessary.

Recommended reading: https://www.patagonia.com/product-care.html

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