Preparation
1. Prep Your Gear- Check Labels, Pockets and Zips
- Remove everything from the pockets and close the zippers, leg and arm vents, pocket flaps, studs, and velcro straps.
- Separate your technical layers — like your bibs, pants, and jackets — from your base layers and other clothing.
- Clean your snow outerwear separately from your regular clothes. Wash your technical apparel together if they have the exact instructions, but limit it to two items per cycle.
2. Professionally Treat Stains
- If possible, note what caused the stain, as different types of stains require different treatments.
- Do not use store-bought stain removers, as these can strip water-repellent and waterproofing treatments.
- Take your stained clothing to Flair Cleaners and let the customer service rep know what caused the stains.
Cleaning
- Since you must avoid household powder and liquid detergents, bleach, or fabric softeners, it’s best to leave the washing and dry cleaning to the professionals at Flair. Residue from home cleaning will block water repellency and breathability.
- If you must try to clean these items at home, invest in a special additive-free technical outerwear wash like those offered by Nikwax and NST.
- Always be sure that whatever you’re using is compatible with your type of outerwear.
- Test the water to be sure the temperature never exceeds 80-85°F.
- Choose the lowest spin cycle speed. If you can’t choose the speed, don’t wash at home.
Drying
When drying snow outerwear, you have two options: tumble or air dry.
- Tumble drying may damage water repellency if the precise temperature and tumble speeds are not used.
- If you air dry, choose a warm and dry area and let your snow gear dry on its own.
- Do not hang the garment in direct sunlight or over extreme heat sources (i.e., a heater). Prolonged sun exposure can cause the color to fade, and heat exposure can damage the waterproof/breathable coating.
- When the garment is dry, iron on warm/gentle and cover items with a thin towel before you begin. This will reactivate the water repellent.
- After you complete these steps, test to see if the water beads up and rolls off. If there are areas where the water soaks into the fabric, it is time to reapply a repellent coating.
For the fastest, best results, leave your skiwear care to Flair. Why do laundry when you can spend your time on the slopes?
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