How to Wash a Patagonia Fleece? [Complete Guide]

Patagonia garments are quite popular in hiking or camping communities all over the world and there is a good reason for that. All their clothes, but most of all the Patagonia fleece, come with great designs, they offer warmth, comfort, durability, protection, and so much more. These are some of the reasons I recommend that people look into Patagonia clothes, but there are a lot of other reasons for that.

For example, Patagonia always creates eco-friendly clothes made with quality materials and no toxic chemicals. That includes the fact that they do not need often washing. This feature will help you preserve water as well as electricity, so it is a great thing. But at some point, you will need to wash your Patagonia fleece. When that time comes around, you will need to know how to do this!

You are in luck because I have the perfect guide for this. Using the tips and tricks I will mention in the sections below, you will be able to keep your fleece in top shape at all times. I encourage you to read everything and keep the information in the back of your mind whenever you need it. I am ready to start whenever you are!

Can You Put a Patagonia Fleece in the Washing Machine?

When your fleece needs washing, you will have to think about whether you want to do it by hand or you would let the washing machine do it for you. Patagonia is smart for placing all needed information about its garments and their maintenance on a label. That way, you can check the washing instruction before you start with the washing.

I have had many Patagonia fleeces in my lifetime and I can say with certainty that I am an expert on all things connected to their maintenance. If you give me a fleece from Patagonia, I will be able to clean it in no time. My preferred method is cleaning with a washing machine, but you can always go with hand washing. If you are willing to try out my method of washing the fleece with a washing machine, here is what you need to do!

Step 1 – Prepare the fleece

The first thing you should do is check the fleece to see if there is anything in the pockets. If there is something, you should take it out before you start with the washing. Otherwise, that thing can suffer damage and even stop working!

Remember to turn the fleece upside down before throwing it in the machine. This will help preserve the colors and the durable water repellent properties that it has.

Step 2 – Adjust the settings on the washing machine

Before you start the washing cycle, I would like to tell you about the best settings you should consider. You should always go with a cold water cycle or warm water to machine wash your fleece. You should not use hot water to clean it.

Then, another thing to keep in mind is that you should use mild powdered laundry detergent. It should not contain any chemicals or toxins – no bleach allowed, biodegradable types preferred in this case! So, make sure that you have the best type of detergent before you start the washing.

When you get to the washing machine, set it to a gentle cycle or handcycle if there is such an option on your machine. Let the fleece wash and then move on to the next step. Also, remember not to use any fabric softeners – you should leave them out when dealing with Patagonia fleeces!

Step 3 – Let the fleece dry

After washing the fleece, you can decide between letting it tumble dry on low heat or line-drying it. If you can line dry it, I recommend that you do so. In that case, you will keep the fleece fluffier than if you dry it with a dryer.

Still, there is an effective way to dry the garment in a drying machine. If you want to learn more about how you can dry your fleece from Patagonia, make sure that you read the next section!

Can You Dry a Patagonia Fleece?

After washing the fleece, you will need to make sure that it is dry before you can wear it or store it. So, you need to find an effective way to dry it. There are two options for you to consider – drying it with a dryer or drying the fleece on a line dry.

Drying with a dryer

Unlike some garments that you cannot dry with a drying machine, the fleece from Patagonia is something that you can dry this way. The only thing to remember is that you should tumble dry on low heat and for a short amount of time. You can always run a second drying cycle if the first is not enough.

Another recommendation is to use some tennis balls in the dryer with the fleece so that you preserve its fluffiness. I will talk about this a while later, so make sure you stay tuned.

Drying on line dry

Instead of relying on a machine, you can always line dry your fleece garments or other garments from this brand. Place the garment in direct sunlight and a place with enough wind. If you manage to have these conditions, your fleece will be dry and ready in no time.

Something to remember at this point is to turn the fleece upside down so that the sun does not damage its colors. You do not want to have a fleece that looks old and worn out, right?!

Does Patagonia Fleece Shrink?

Most Patagonia fleeces will not shrink, but it depends on the material whether you will experience shrinkage or not. Certain materials shrink often, so you should try to avoid clothes made with them.

For example, garments made from cotton or wool can shrink. Especially if you dry them in the dryer or wash them with hot water, they will completely change size. This is why you should avoid outdoor garments like these.

Contrary to cotton or wool garments, polyester blend garments or nylon ones will not shrink that easily. This is because the material is resistant to shrinkage – it is basic science! You can put the polyester garments in whatever kind of washer or dryer you want and they will not suffer any damage at all.

Keep this in mind when you get a fleece from Patagonia. But be mindful of the fact that while this is something that is often the case, there can be some exceptions. This is why you need to follow the advice that I give on washing and drying the garment. The instructions will help you avoid shrinkage, so make sure that you follow them!

How Do You Make Patagonia Fleece Fluffy Again?

Even though I touched upon this subject in a previous section, I want to elaborate more. You see, what happens often is that the fleece will be fluffy for a while before it stops being fluffy. If this happens to your fleece, do not worry – there are a couple of things you can try to make it better.

You can choose to make the fleece fluffy using a drying machine or you can do it by hand. Both methods are easy, so it comes down to your personal preference.

If you choose to go with the drying machine, you will need to get some tennis balls. Then, you will need to place the tennis balls with the fleece in the drying chamber. As the chamber turns, the tennis balls will start going around it, preventing clumps in the material and making it as fluffy as possible.

This is a very easy method to use, but you must remember to place the machine on a low heat cycle. If you do that, your fleece will come out as good as new!

If you do not have or do not want to use a drying machine, you can try fluffing up the fleece by yourself. Take the material and start going through it with your hands, breaking any clumps that you find. You will see that the material enlarges in size.

This is what will help bring the fluff back to your jacket. If you follow this simple method, you will return the fleece’s old glory in no time. So, make sure that you give this method a chance.

Wrap-Up

Thank you for sticking with me through this guide. Remember to always check the washing instructions given by the company for your fleece before you get to the washing. The same goes for drying the fleece or dry cleaning it – always follow the recommended instruction!

I hope that you liked this guide and that you found all information useful and helpful. I would love to know if you have any tips or tricks of your own when it comes to washing or drying this type of garment. If you do, do not hesitate to share them in the comment section below and I will read them as soon as possible!