10 Simple Ways to Care for Your Winter Coat and Increase its Lifetime (2024)

FAQs

10 Simple Ways to Care for Your Winter Coat and Increase its Lifetime? ›

Never use hot water or bleach on wool or other heavy items. For wool and fleece coats, gently squeeze the garment and lay it flat to dry. Hanging vertically using pegs can ruin these coats' shape. But leather, faux leather, suede, or rain coats can be hung to air dry.

After all, as Franch explains, a quality wool coat should last a lifetime, while you can expect a good-quality parka to last three to five years.

Hang the coat on a chunky wooden hanger to help it keep its shape and avoid wrinkles and creases in the shoulders. Seal your coat up in a fabric garment bag to protect it from dust and mildew. You can get a single-coat garment bag or a large boxy garment bag that you can hang multiple items in.

Place the coat in a dryer on low heat. Add wool dryer balls to help fluff the down as it dries. During the drying cycle, stop the dryer and massage the coat with your hands to help break up any down clumps.

To perform well in all conditions, a winter jacket must have a weather-resistant outer shell, that's either waterproof or treated with a DWR finish. The outer shell of a winter jacket is your first line of protection against the elements, so make sure it's appropriate for the region you live in.

Empty the pockets of your coat after each use to keep them from sagging or losing shape. If the care instructions say to hand wash, use a mild detergent and lukewarm water and let the item soak for 10 minutes before rinsing in cool water. Never use hot water or bleach on wool or other heavy items.

A high-quality, well-made leather jacket can potentially last a lifetime, when cared for correctly.

Your goal is to store your winter clothes in a dry and temperature-controlled area. This way, you prevent high humidity from causing mildew growth and extreme temperature changes from altering the fabrics. Do NOT store your seasonal wardrobe in attics, garages, and sheds.

Submerge the coat in water, and leave it to soak for about 30 minutes. Then gently agitate for a few minutes. If you're not using a rinse-free detergent, remove the coat and refill the basin with water. Keep rinsing until there are no more suds, replacing with clean water as necessary.

How do you refresh a coat without washing it? ›

Baking Soda Soak: Dissolve half a cup of baking soda in a basin filled with warm water. Submerge your clothes in the solution and let them soak for about 30 minutes. This process helps eliminate odours and freshens up the fabric. Spot Treatment: Create a paste by mixing baking soda with a small amount of water.

Over time, the synthetic fibres or down lose their lofting ability and insulation power, although the rate at which this happens depends on frequency of use and how well the jacket has been cared for.

1/ PAIR WITH ACCESSORIES

To give a new life into an old coat, pair it with eye-catching shoes or boots, or a brightly patterned bag. Beautiful coats sometimes just need a little adornment. A brooch is also an excellent way to embellish your coat. You can change the look of your jacket by adding a scarf.

Arguably our most famous parka, the Snow Mantra is renowned as the warmest coat on earth.

Puffer jackets, on the other hand, are typically thinner and more lightweight. Hopkins explains that they can be hooded or non-hooded and come in varying lengths. And while puffer jackets will keep you warm in cold weather, parkas generally handle extreme cold better, she says.

If in doubt, go with neutral, grey, black, or white. You can also look for jacket colors that match your skin tone. For example, if you have a cool skin tone, you'll look fabulous in colors with undertones of pink or navy blue. If you have warmer skin tones, try a jacket in brown or earthy tones.

A well-chosen coat must neither be too short nor too long. The coat length should be based on the size of the body. A good guide is the rule that the hem should preferably end a hand's breath above the knee.

How often should you replace your winter coat? If it's a high quality coat, it can last up to three to five years or even more. I do tend to buy more pricey coats just because I know that they will last and I won't need to buy a new one the following year. It is a good investment.

20 degrees or warmer

When you step outside in 20+ degree weather, the warm air should feel like a nice warm blanket around you. Perfect weather to go jacket-free if you ask us.

Both down and synthetic insulation will eventually wear out and slowly decrease in performance. Synthetic insulation will lose its elasticity from being squashed and stretched out again and again, while natural down can easily be damaged by careless washing or dry cleaning.