How to Wash a Snowboard Jacket

Keeping your snowboard jacket clean is as important as wearing them skiing. You sure want to have that pleasant fragrance that emanates from clean clothing. Before washing your jacket, ensure you read the manufacturer’s care label on your jacket.

Be careful to follow any manufacturer’s guidelines regarding water temperature, products to avoid, and other helpful guidelines. Experts recommend you wash your snowboard jacket at least once during the ski season. 

Can you wash snowboard jackets?

wash snowboard jackets

Yes! But it would be best if you were careful to follow the care guide for your specific jacket. There are helpful tips to guide you in washing your snowboard jackets. Let’s dive in!

Zipping-up

Before washing your jacket, ensure all pockets are empty and all zips and velcro straps are closed. Gently loosen any drawstrings and close all flaps and straps. You don’t want your garment chaffed in the washing process, and it would be best if you also turned your outerwear inside out for a great washing experience.

Machine Washing Your Snowboard Jacket

washing machine for snowboard jacket

It’s generally advised that you do not wash your jackets with other garments; they clearly have a distinct texture to almost every other fabric. You also shouldn’t wash more than two jackets at a time; otherwise, the machine can become overcrowded. An overcrowded machine might not get the job done.

Do not use regular household liquid or powder detergent

While using household liquid detergents helps wash your synthetic fabric better than powder, it’s best to use detergent specially formulated for skiing gear. Powder detergents might leave residue on your jacket that would be difficult to remove.

Nikwax Tech Wash is a highly recommended, specially made detergent for snowboarding jackets and the like. About 30 ml or 1 ounce of a liquid detergent will do for one or two jackets.

Ensure your detergent is bleach-free (read the information on your package). Note, do not use fabric softeners; they can ruin the moisture-wicking finish of the outer layer.

If your washer has detergent residue issues, run a rinse cycle without any fabric in the washer to clean it before you wash your jacket.

Setting The Right Temperature

Using your washing machine, select the “synthetic” wash cycle at 40°C or 105°F, and put the spin cycle at 800 rpm maximum. If handwashing, your water should be about the same temperature; your fabric would wash better with water at this temperature.

Please do not use hot water to wash your fabric; it most likely would damage your jacket’s outerwear and the DWR treatment.

Rinsing & Drying your Snowboarding Jacket

Thoroughly rinsing your garment is one step to improving the long-lasting impact of your outerwear. Rinse twice and opt for a lower spin setting on your washing machine to reduce creasing.

There are several ways to dry your garment, but it’s better advised to line-dry it. If the care instructions don’t indicate otherwise, you could also tumble dry the garment on a warm, normal cycle.

Do not dry your jacket by hanging it over a heat source; this can damage the waterproof/breathable coating.

If drying using a dryer, do not use high heat. If laundry instructions on your jacket are not clear, it’s best to tumble dry the garments on medium heat. Extremely high heat will damage the seam-taping of your ski jacket.

Washing Your Snowboarding Jacket by Hand

handwashing a snowboarding jacket

Want to wash your jacket without using the washing machine? No worries, It’s not as tedious as you think.

Start by filling the tub or sink with water at room temperature. You definitely would have the water at the level your jacket can fit.

Unlike the machine, handwashing could be powdered-detergent friendly. However, we still recommend using mild powder detergent specially made for skiing gear. A scoop of detergent added to the water or 30ml of liquid detergent would do.

After adding, you should get a soapy solution. Put your jacket in the tub. Once there’s a soapy solution, press down lightly to submerge all the fabric in the detergent water. Let it sit for 20 to 30 minutes.

Given how heavy it is, it most likely will be difficult to clean the entire jacket with your hands. Just swirl it around the tub a few times. After that, rinse it under running water to properly get rid of the detergent. Rinsing ensures you don’t get any skin irritation due to tiny bits of leftover soap particles.

If necessary, drain the dirty water from the tub and refill it with clean water; this can help remove the soap suds properly. Gently squeeze the excess water once it’s clean. Avoid twisting or wringing the jacket, as that can damage the fabric layers.

Reapplying DWR

Most ski apparel brands use a technology known as DWR (Durable Water Repellent Treatment) coating on the outside of the fabric of both ski jackets and pants. The DWR coating is what causes water droplets to bead up and roll off your jacket. If your ski apparel ever stops bouncing off water, it is simply because its DWR layer has faded away or been affected by dirt, grime, or other agents.

After drying your jacket, you definitely would want to reactivate the durable water-repellent, also called the DWR treatment, on the outer fabric. To do so, tumble dry the fabric for another 20 minutes.

If you don’t have a tumble dryer available, iron the dry garment using a towel or cloth between the garment and the iron. DO NOT iron directly! Select a gentle setting (warm, no steam) and go over each part of the gear for a couple of minutes. Your DWR gets reactivated!

Note that if your garment feels a little heavier or colder than usual, it might just be time to reapply DWR treatment. The Nikwax Hardshell Cleaning and Waterproofing Duo-Pack is a very popular and affordable choice.

If you’re unsure, run a few drops of water over the garment and see if the water pulls into the outer fabric. If it doesn’t, your waterproofing is still OK. If water is absorbed into the garment, you will need to renew the durable water repellent treatment.

After reapplying a new durable water repellent, tumble dry your jacket for another 20 minutes. The heat will activate the DWR, and water droplets will roll off again, keeping the outer layer dry. Now your jacket is clean and ready for a new skiing adventure.

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