With winter approaching, you must be ready for the snowy adventures ahead. Knowing how to take care of your ski jackets is essential to enjoy your outdoor experience while being protected from this cold. Explore more on the dos and don’ts of taking care of your ski jackets.
What is a Ski Jacket?
Ski jackets are performance-oriented synthetic fabrics designed for skiing activities and can repel water while maintaining breathability. These jackets use a multi-layer fabric system and a membrane layer to allow sweat vapour to escape while keeping out precipitation. These jackets require care to maintain their high-performance levels for your winter escapades.
Types of Ski Jackets
A good ski jacket must be warm, waterproof, and windproof. Different materials used have diverse effects on the cloth.
These types include:
- Synthetic fabrics: which are the best for repelling water and can be bulky
- Down jackets, which are warm but lose insulation when wet
- GORE-TEX membranes, which keep out moisture but can be stiff
When to Wash your Ski Jacket
You must wash your jackets to ensure they perform at their best. You can wash it at various times, which include:
- When the winter season ends, just before you store it away
- At the beginning of the winter season
- In the middle of the season to rejuvenate it.
- After every ski trip to remove the sweat, snow, and dirt.
- When the water-repellent feature wears off
- When it starts to smell
Reasons to Wash Your Ski Jacket
Having a clean ski jacket has numerous benefits. First, it maximizes the garment’s lifespan, so you don’t have to replace them constantly. Also, it prevents lasting damage to the gear, which can alter your skiing performance. It also removes the stinking smell and stains.
It also maintains water-repellent properties that keep you dry during the season. It also prevents the jacket from being clogged and eliminates odour build-up. Lastly, when you wash your insulated jackets with air pockets, you can maintain them and ensure they are well-insulated.
Tips to Note Before Washing Your Ski Jacket
- Don’t wash multiple jackets at once
- Turn it inside out
- Use a liquid detergent for delicate fabrics
- Shake off the jacket before drying
- Don’t wring it out when drying
How to Clean a Ski Jacket
You can use a washing machine and invest in a detergent for such heavy garments. It minimizes the frothy soap bubbles associated with traditional detergents that make your ski jacket less porous.
Always check if your jacket has a care guide and wash it according to that if it has one. If it doesn’t have one, adjust your main temperature settings to warm and input a rinse cycle with little spinning. Ensure you check that all zippers are up with buttons properly fastened. Also, fasten the straps before initiating the washing. Remember always to avoid bleach, fabric softener, and stain removers. After you wash your jacket, you can dry it on the machine with medium heat for about half an hour or dry it on a clothesline.
Things To Do To Care For Your Jacket
When you get off the snow, place your jacket somewhere to dry to protect its waterproof membrane. When you turn them inside out, hang them somewhere with good ventilation to maintain their quality.
Follow your garment’s washing instructions depending on its material. Proper care extends the longevity of your ski jacket, considering it can break down after continuous use.
You can maintain your jacket’s waterproofness as the outer part is critical for such performance. This care enables it to maintain its water resistance features. You can apply Durable Water Repellent (DWR), a type of coating for every water-graded outerwear.
Restoring Your Jacket’s Quality
If your jacket has issues with water repellency and breathability, you need to clean the garment and then apply some heat. This could be in the form of ironing on very low heat or a cycle in the dryer if the cleaning instructions permit it. This heat reactivates the water-repellent coating after airdrying. Place it on an iron board and iron with a towel on top to avoid heat damage.
Conclusion
Good maintenance and care for your ski jacket preserves its appearance and performance, making it the best garment for skiing sessions. A little care goes a long way for your garments. You must take good care and choose the right jacket from Snow + Rock to cater to your needs.