Caring for your softshell jacket will help it to last for a long time and remain in your gear rotation for seasons to come.
Some softshells are made with more abrasion resistant face fabrics than others, but as with any piece of outdoor apparel, avoid sharp rocks and pokey branches whenever you can to help prevent your jacket from seeing extra wear.
When you’ve got the campfire raging, consider wearing an old hoodie rather than your favorite softshell. Fires embers love to put holes in our favorite technical jackets.
Before washing or repairing your jacket, always check the label for manufacturer instructions and recommendations. Like other technical pieces of outerwear, it’s not a good idea to throw your softshell in with your regular load of laundry.
Regularly cleaning your softshell (a couple times per season) will help it maintain both its breathability and weather resistance, while also helping keep odors at bay.
Most softshell jackets can be washed in a washing machine, but always opt for one without an agitator in it as that can damage your gear. Traditional laundry detergents can ruin the water-resistant treatments on your jacket, so always ensure that there is no soap residue left from the last load and use a cleaner that’s made for technical outerwear, like Nikwax Tech Wash. Follow the instructions on the tag, but usually you’ll want to wash on a cold and gentle cycle with a low spin or no spin at all. Always check the pockets and zip up all the zippers, including the front one, before washing.
Don’t go overboard with the cleaner in your wash cycle—you usually don’t need much. Leftover soap residue is not good for the fabric or your skin. If you think the wash cycle did not rinse well enough, run it through another rinse cycle before drying.
Check the tag or manufacturer instructions before drying your softshell. While some may need to be air dried, many actually benefit from a short time in the dryer on low heat. This often helps to reactivate the DWR coating. If you opt to air dry, dry flat to avoid any stretching of the fabric. And if you tumble dry, double check the label before doing so, then ensure that your dryer is not on too hot of a setting and don’t leave the jacket in for too long—just until it’s dried completely.
As time goes on and you stack up adventures in your jacket, the DWR coating will start to fade. This is an easy thing to reapply that will extend the life of your jacket and help it maintain its weather resistance. Wash the softshell before reapplying a DWR, then, using something like Nikwax Softshell Proof, follow the instructions on the bottle to reapply your DWR coating.
If you need to spot clean your jacket, do so with just warm water. Avoid traditional hand soaps, dish soaps, or laundry detergents that can harm the technical fabrics and DWR coatings.
Store your jacket in a closet that won’t see anything like nasty moths, and hang it from the shoulders instead of the hood. This will help to prevent the fabric from stretching out overtime.
Softshells are fairly easy to repair, whether it’s a small tear that needs to be patched or a finicky zipper. Some companies also have great warranty and repair options if you don’t want to do it yourself. But repairing your jacket instead of replacing it keeps it in rotation for many more adventures and out of the landfill.
Always treat jacket zippers with care. They’re often the first thing to go on a jacket, but that doesn’t mean you can’t avoid that or keep the jacket going. Don’t yank hard on zippers. Cleaning your jacket on a regular seasonal basis will also help to keep your zippers clean and smooth. If a zipper does give you issues, they’re often easy to repair at home, or send back to the manufacturer for a quick fix. It’s much cheaper than a new jacket and it’s easier on the environment, too.
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