How to Wash Fleece?

Keeping your fleece soft, fluffy, lint-free, and smelling fresh is easy! Whether it's a sweater or a blanket, fleece is always pleasant to the touch, but sometimes it needs to be washed. Gentle handling, mild or natural detergents, cool water, and air drying will help keep your fleece clothing in its new fluffy state.

Pre-treatment of the fleece

1. Wash fleece only when necessary. Fleece clothing and blankets are made from polyester and plastic fibers, and they often don't need to be washed every time they are worn. Fewer microfibers going into the washing machine also help reduce the number of microfibers entering our planet's water supply. Some practical rules of thumb for fleece clothing:

· Sweatshirts: wash after 6 wears.
· Jackets and parkas: wash twice per winter season.
· Headwear, gloves, and scarves: wash 3-5 times per winter season.
· Hosiery: wash after each wear.
· Leggings and pants: wash every 1-3 wears.
· Blankets: twice a season, depending on personal laundry preferences.

2. Spot wash and pre-treat any stains with a mild detergent. Use a sponge with soap and water or mild detergent on specially stained areas. Gently blot the dirt with the sponge and leave it for 10 minutes. Blot it with a paper towel or sponge with cold water.

· When spot treating, don't rub too hard or the dirt will be absorbed deeper into the fleece fibers.
· For particularly stubborn stains, try a weak acid such as lemon juice or vinegar to remove the stain.

3.Remove lint from the fleece. Over time, white lint builds up on the fleece, reducing the softness and water resistance of the garment. Flaking usually occurs when the fleece is excessively rubbed or frayed. Use a lint roller to remove lint by brushing the fleece while wearing it or on a flat surface. Alternatively, you can very gently run a razor across the fleece, cutting off the lint.

Machine washing

1. familiarize yourself with the specific instructions on the label. Before washing, it is always best to read the manufacturer's instructions for proper care of a fleece garment or item. Sometimes dyes require special handling and care to avoid color spreading.

2. Use a few drops of mild or natural detergent in the washing machine. Try to avoid harsh detergents, fabric softeners, “blue slime,” bleaches, fragrances and conditioners. These are your fleece's worst enemies.

· Natural detergent for washing with your own hands: ¼ cup baking soda, 1 cup hydrogen peroxide or vinegar. You need the oxygen in the water to lower the surface tension of the water, creating bubbles and removing dirt.
· Vinegar removes unpleasant odors, has antibacterial properties, and helps remove soap and dirt buildup.

3. Turn your washing machine on a gentle cycle, using cool water. A gentle wash or rinse is all the fleece needs to keep the fibers soft and fluffy. Warm or hot water on a vigorous cycle will degrade the quality over time and reduce the fleece's water resistance.

· Turn fleece garments inside out to reduce the amount of lint appearing on the outside.
· Avoid washing fleece with other items such as towels and sheets. Towels are the main culprit for lint formation!

4.Air dry the fleece on a drying rack or hanger. Gently hang the fleece inside or outside for 1-3 hours, depending on the weather. Air drying keeps the fleece smelling nice and fresh. To preserve the color of the fabric from fading, air dry inside or in the shade, away from direct sunlight.

5.Dry in the washing machine at the lowest temperature for delicate items if the care label indicates that they can be dried in the washing machine. After the drying cycle is complete, make sure the fleece is completely dry before storing it in drawers or a closet.

Hand washing

1. Fill a basin or bathtub with cool water. Hand washing in cool water is the gentlest way to wash fleece. Some garments may need to be hand-washed to avoid damaging the fabric dyes (again, check the label for specific handling and care instructions).

2. Use a mild or natural detergent for hand washing. Synthetic polyester fibers are stain-resistant, so a small amount of soap and water is sufficient. Too much soap can build up in the fibers and make them less soft and fluffy.

3. Gently rub the fabric with your hands for 5 minutes. Focus on areas where you are sweating or noticing dirt. Rinse and repeat this process in fresh water until the water is clear of dirt and detergent. If particularly stubborn odors or stains remain on fleece products, leave them for 30-40 minutes before rinsing with water.

4. Air dry the fleece on a tumble dryer. Shake off excess moisture and hang gently on the dryer inside or outside. Drying time depends on the size of the garment and the weather. Drying wool outdoors away from harsh sunlight is a great way to air dry wool without pilling.

Fleece sounds mysterious and soft. It is a material with unusual properties and a special mood. Cozy and warm things made of fleece are simply indispensable in the fall-winter season. In this article, we will learn what fleece is and how it is produced. Let's familiarize ourselves with its varieties, advantages, and disadvantages. Let's analyze where this fabric is used and what is sewn from it.

Fleece is a material of synthetic origin with a fluffy pile. The length and density of the pile can be very different. Fleece is a fabric with a high pile, similar to fake fur, and the thinnest fabric, resembling knitwear. Fleece is very soft to the touch, tactilely pleasant, well stretched, but does not stretch. It is fully capable of replacing woolen warm things. The main component of fleece is polyester.

It is hard to imagine, but a little more than half a century ago fleece did not exist. The material was created in 1960 as an alternative to wool, which, although warm, but not only heavy but also loses all its thermal properties, it is worth it to get wet. Fleece, as well as mercerized cotton for bedding, was born thanks to the work of scientists who received the Nobel Prize for their work. The word “fleece” means “sheepskin” in English.

Fleece is made from polyester fabric, which goes into the composition we discussed earlier. Polyester yarns form the basis of fleece. They are loaded into a large circular knitting machine that knits the fabric at high speed. Hundreds of small knitting needles hook and bind the web, resulting in a circular “tube” of material. This machine produces about 1 meter of cloth every two minutes. The metal staples lower the web into a cylindrical tank, followed by an initial inspection. If defects are found, production is stopped. The cloth is then sent to a cylindrical machine where it is washed and pressed. Next, the fabric is pressure dyed and a water-repellent impregnation is applied. After another washing and drying cycle, the fabric is removed from the storage tank. Next, a circular knife cuts the material and turns it into a flat cloth. Cylindrical wire brushes turn this fabric into fleece. This process is called “tufting.” The production of fleece, like the production of solid color sateen, is quite complex. After the fabric is finished, the fleece is subjected to a series of tests, for example, for its waterproofing properties, wear resistance, and flame retardancy.

Like any other material, fleece has both advantages and disadvantages. A huge plus, which we have already discussed above - fleece, having the heat-saving properties of natural wool, does not lose these properties, unlike wool, when wet. This is achieved by the fact that fleece is subjected to a special water-repellent treatment during production, this is especially relevant for sportswear. The advantages of fleece can be attributed to the fact that it does not like moths, and bacteria and all sorts of fungi are simply unable to develop on this fabric. This allows you to make fleece things that do not need frequent washing - pillows, plaids, and blankets. The basis of fleece is a kind of synthetic knit, so things made of it are elastic and comfortable. It is easy to care for fleece. It is difficult to freeze in fleece clothes. Fleece is resistant to abrasion and can be worn for years.

Now to the disadvantages, which fleece has a little. In clothes made of this fabric should behave carefully near an open fire. Fleece is easily electrified, dust and small debris adhere to it. Sooner or later things made of this material will form lint. Fleece quickly absorbs any odors, if they are unpleasant, the usual ventilation can not do, the thing will have to be washed.

Many types of fleece have long since entered our lives and have firmly established themselves in it. If there is a hierarchy of cold-weather fabrics, fleece is definitely at the top of the list. There are many varieties of fleece, each of which has its application in the world of tailoring. Let's take a closer look at these types.

· Polar fleece is a double-sided pile fabric that you see on countless outerwear, blankets, and garment linings, you could say it's the most popular kind.
· Microfleece is a thin, lightweight double-sided material known for its separately soft, comfortable texture and flexibility.
· Sherpa, is also called faux sheepskin or faux wool. It is a type of synthetic fleece made from 100% polyester.