There are many precautions to take before putting a raincoat through the washing machine.
Some clothes are more fragile than others and require special treatment when washing. After a week of rain, where you have decided to take out your adapted coat or raincoat, you want to put it in the washing machine, like an ordinary coat. But is it wise to do such a manipulation? Your coat risks losing its waterproofness if you are not careful to take the right precautions.
Our advices :
1. First of all, you have to wash your rainwear in machine on delicate cycle 30° maximum with a mild detergent. It is unnecessary, and not recommended, to add fabric softener. (Not recommended for all types of clothing. You will also limit the risk of allergy and help protect the environment)
2. The ideal is to program a wash without spin, and if this is not possible, choose the minimum spin.
3. Remove it from the machine as soon as the cycle is finished and let it dry on a hanger over a bathtub for example or outside on a washing line.
Attention ! There are several mistakes to avoid at all costs:
Do not put your coat in the machine during a spin cycle. This risks breaking the fibers of the raincoat and therefore depriving it of its impermeability. Drying in the sun is also not recommended for the reasons you suspect: your rainwear is often made from plastic materials, in particular marine oilskins which are often made of polyurethane for example. It should also not be stored in a place with excessive temperatures such as under a windshield or the rear shelf of a car. Finally, if you make pleats in the sleeves to wear it, unpleat them from time to time, including when washing, so as not to “break” the fibres. Indeed, it may crack or blister.
If your coat does not require a complete wash, but only locally for a stain on a sleeve, we recommend stain removal with a clean cloth, a little mild soap and lukewarm water. Sometimes, a little hydroalcoholic gel on a paper towel can be enough to remove the stain (do a test beforehand).