Machine wash. All of these garments are machine washable, including the wearable blanket. The care label sewn into the garment takes precedence over anything on this page.
The short version
- Zip every zipper closed before it goes in the machine.
- Turn the garment inside out.
- Wash cold, on a normal or gentle cycle, with like colors.
- Tumble dry low, or hang dry.
- Do not bleach. Do not iron directly over the zipper.
Why zip it closed first?
These garments have more zipper than an ordinary sweatshirt, and the wrist-to-wrist styles have a single track running the full width of the garment with four pulls on it. An open zipper in a wash load does two things: the teeth catch on fabric, yours and everything else in the drum, and the track can twist and distort while it tumbles.
Closing every zipper before washing is the single thing that most affects how long these last. Check the sleeves as well as the front.
The cotton garments
Cotton crewneck, cotton full-zip hoodie, cotton pullover hoodie, t-shirt. 95% cotton, 5% spandex, pre-washed.
Wash cold, inside out, with like colors. Tumble dry low or hang dry. The fabric is pre-washed, so it arrives already soft and is not expected to shrink noticeably, but hot water and a hot dryer will shorten the life of both the cotton and the spandex. Skip fabric softener: it coats the fibers, and over time it makes cotton less absorbent and can leave residue in a zipper track.
The fleece garments
Sherpa fleece hoodie, sherpa fleece crewneck, wearable blanket. 100% polyester.
Wash cold, inside out, on a gentle cycle. Tumble dry low or hang dry. Fleece does not need heat to dry and high heat is what mats the pile and makes it feel flat and crunchy. Do not use fabric softener on fleece at all: it clogs the pile and is the usual reason a fleece stops feeling soft after a few washes.
Wash fleece separately, or with other fleece, rather than with towels or anything that sheds lint. Fleece collects lint and it is tedious to get out of a sherpa pile.
The wearable blanket is large. If your machine is small, it will wash better at a laundromat than crammed into a home drum, where it will not move and will not rinse properly.
Washing a garment that has been worn to treatment
Nothing special is required. These are ordinary clothes and go in an ordinary wash.
For a spot of blood, which is the common case after a dialysis session, rinse the spot in cold water as soon as you can, before the garment goes in the machine. Cold water only. Hot water sets protein stains and makes them permanent. Do not put a garment with a set-in stain through the dryer, because dryer heat sets it further.
If you use bleach or a stain remover on a stain, keep it off the zipper tape and off the sherpa pile.
Looking after the zipper
- Close it before washing, every time.
- If a pull feels stiff, do not force it. Work it slowly back and forth over the tight spot.
- Do not iron over the zipper. Plastic and metal both take heat badly, and the tape can pucker.
- Keep the track clear of lotion, ointment, and adhesive residue, which is worth knowing if you use a numbing cream or skin prep before cannulation. Wipe the outside of the track with a damp cloth if something gets on it.
What if a zipper breaks?
Tell us what happened and which garment it is, through the contact form. Include your order number.