You get used to good things quickly, and modern housewives have mastered the process of washing on an automatic machine, realizing how it makes life easier. All that remains is to learn how to clean complex things, and many have begun to wonder how to wash a jacket in a washing machine. As a rule, such items were sent to dry cleaning. But the option of washing at home is much better and easier.
Which jackets are washable and which are not?
Unfortunately, not all such products are machine washable. You can find out by studying the label on the clothing. It is on the back of any garment. If it shows a square enclosed in a circle, the jacket cannot be machine washed. In the case where a basin of water is drawn there, with lines crossed out, then hand washing is also prohibited.
If the label was torn off after purchase, you can find out the necessary information by the type of fabric from which the item was made. After all, jackets are made from a variety of fabrics, some of which can be natural or synthetic.
Products made of wool, velvet or natural corduroy cannot be washed in principle.The material is too delicate and can only be cleaned with a brush.
It is also better to dry-clean jackets made from wool blend fabrics; in extreme cases, it is carefully washed by hand.
Leather products also do not require washing. But wet cleaning will not harm such fabric.
All other jackets made from silk, linen or viscose can be hand washed. Synthetic and cotton products can be washed without problems in an automatic machine on a cycle appropriate for the type of fabric.
Preparing a jacket for washing
It is recommended to machine wash jackets only when they are heavily soiled or there is no time to clean them differently. After all, it is difficult to predict the result of such a procedure, even knowing the type of tissue.
In order for the result to be positive, you must first carry out several steps to prepare the product for washing. They should be as follows:
- Carefully inspect the item, starting at the sleeves and sides and ending with the collar. This should be done in good light, preferably daylight. All stains that are found should be removed using products appropriate to the type of fabric and type of stain. These can be chemical compounds or agents found in folk recipes. The selected substance is applied to the stain and left for some time. After this, the area is cleaned with a white cloth, brush, or simply washed with clean water.
- For more effective cleaning, the product is soaked in water at room temperature, with soap or other detergent dissolved there. A quarter of an hour is enough for the dirt to begin to dissolve. If necessary, greasy areas should be rubbed with a brush or simply with your hands.
After such preliminary preparation, you can proceed to the washing machine procedure.
Treating your jacket in the shower
It is recommended to try treating a heavily soiled jacket with a shower, placing it in a bathtub or shower stall.
As always, before the procedure, all stains must be cleaned by water cleaning. The following steps are followed:
- The brush is moistened with the prepared soap solution and the jacket is treated with it.
- Then the product is treated from all sides with a shower, hanging it on a hanger in the bathroom for convenience.
- When the water has drained from the product, it is carefully blotted with several towels in turn and taken out to dry in a well-ventilated place.
You can clean the lining in the same way, but first you need to turn the item inside out.
Washing a jacket in a washing machine
Before washing, the jacket, like any other product, is checked for various items in the pockets. If no preliminary washing has been carried out, then its greasy places are wiped with a mixture of pharmaceutical ammonia and ammonia.
The further course of action is as follows:
- Along with the jacket, you can put several other items in the machine that are approximately similar to it in color and type of fabric. For example, items made from wool blend and polyester cannot be washed at the same time. However, natural fabrics such as linen and cotton wash well together.
- It is better to wash such items with a concentrated gel for the desired type of fabric. It is guaranteed not to leave marks on the fabric and can be easily removed when rinsing. And experts also advise adding a little conditioner; it prevents things from electrolyzing and improves the quality of smoothing.
- The product is added both to the powder compartment and directly to the drum of the machine.
- After the drum is closed, the washing mode is selected. For most jackets, choosing a delicate or hand wash option is a good option.
Cleaning a jacket and hand washing it
If the item cannot be washed, you can wet or dry clean it.
The first option allows the use of water, but in limited quantities. To carry out this operation, you will need a soft brush for clothes. It should not fall out, leaving fluff on the fabric.
Dry cleaning does not involve the use of water. To carry it out, the jacket is placed on a hanger, then the following manipulations are performed:
- Cleaning from dust with a brush.
- Removing greasy shine and stains with ammonia or table vinegar diluted in water. To clean the fabric, a little product is applied to the brush and problem areas are treated with it.
- You can also use raw potatoes, cut in half. It is wiped over shiny areas, and then traces of the substance are removed with a damp cloth.
- If possible, stains can be removed using a stain remover. Its choice depends on the type of fabric.
- It is better to clean oil stains with gasoline, be sure to place a clean napkin on the back side.
- Coffee is quickly removed with a mixture of glycerin and ammonia.
- A leather product can be cleaned well with liquid soap, and Vaseline, which is used to lubricate the jacket in the right places, will return it to its former shine.
If we talk about hand washing, then it is carried out if the fabric allows it. After removing the stains, the product is soaked in lukewarm water to prevent the fabric from shrinking.
Then you can begin the process itself:
- Dilute liquid detergent in water.
- Carefully lower the jacket into the soapy solution, without clumping the item. Simply lower and remove it from the container.
- You need to rinse with plenty of clean water. It is best to use a shower head.
After washing, do not wring out the jacket under any circumstances, but simply hang it on hangers and hold it over the bath until it drips. Then dry as usual.
How to dry and iron a jacket after washing
In addition to the washing process itself, there is an equally important matter - proper drying of washed items. Since it is not recommended to wring out jackets, they take quite a long time to dry.
To do this, place it on a hanger of a suitable size and give it the desired shape, straightening the collar, cuffs and other parts of the product. It is best to hang it in a well-ventilated area or in the shade outside.
The dried item is ironed. To avoid shiny marks left, this is done through a thin white cloth in the steam mode. In this case, the surface of the iron should not come into close contact with the fabric. After ironing, the product is left to dry for some time.
Cleaning individual parts of the jacket
Sometimes the jacket itself does not need much cleaning, but its individual parts are very dirty. To return the suit to its normal appearance, it is cleaned without resorting to washing. Among the most problematic areas are the collar, cuffs and elbow bends.
Collar
Every housewife has tools that will help restore freshness and cleanliness to her collar without washing or dry cleaning:
- Concentrated solution of laundry soap. It is grated and dissolved in water at room temperature. For one collar, half a piece is enough. Wipe the contaminated fabric with the resulting solution, trying to keep it moist rather than wet.
- Ethanol.You can also use medical or vodka, if you have such products at home. Apply a little of the product to a sponge and treat the collar with it. Alcohol easily dissolves fat.
- A good remedy for removing unsightly shine on the collar is cut potatoes. Just wipe the dirty area with it, and the problem is solved in most cases.
- After any of these procedures, the remains of the active ingredients are removed with clean water applied to a rag.
Cuffs and elbows
In this case, the following methods are used to solve the problem:
- Dissolve 50 grams of ammonia in 150 grams of water and treat the problem areas with this composition.
- Use slightly warmed table vinegar (9%) for cleaning.
- Medical or ammonia alcohol is diluted in a glass of water.
You can remove the unpleasant shine from the elbows and cuffs in any of the ways. Then wipe them with water and dry them with an iron.
To remove stains from a jacket, you don’t have to go to the dry cleaner. Most stains can be removed at home.
Ammonia
For this method, you need to mix 20 milliliters of the active substance and a spoonful of salt. The composition is applied to the stained area and rubbed into the fabric with a sponge. After drying, the area is wiped with clean water, and the item is dried.
Vinegar or vodka
Traces of ink are cleaned with a solution of vinegar diluted with water or vodka. Rub the stain from the edges to the center so that there are no streaks left.
Alcohol and ammonia
These substances can clean the most difficult stains. It is easy and quick to do:
- mix a glass of water and a spoonful of alcohol (ammonia);
- apply the composition to a sponge and rub the stain until it disappears;
- treat the area with clean water several times and let dry.
Chemicals
You can clean your jacket quickly without washing using ordinary household chemicals. Among the most accessible and effective means, the following have proven themselves especially well:
- Spray.
- Roller.
But before using them, you must first study the instructions.
How to clean a jacket that is not washable
If the item cannot be washed normally, it can be cleaned dry or steam. If this does not help, it is better to take the jacket to a dry cleaner, where specialists know which product is best to use and do it using professional equipment.
General tips for washing a jacket in the washing machine
Suit jackets must be worn carefully. Trying not to stain and making sure there are no shiny marks on the collar or elbows. This will extend the life of your favorite item. If it can be washed, then you need to take into account certain nuances of this process:
- The entire suit must be washed at once. Then the trousers or skirt will not differ from the jacket in color and appearance.
- Together with them you can put things that match the quality of their material and color.
- The product should not be turned inside out.
- To avoid deformation, it is better to use a washing net.
- To preserve the elasticity of fabric fibers and trouble-free ironing, experts advise using special conditioners.
- The use of compositions with a whitening effect is excluded.
- Synthetic corduroy can be machine washed only if the jacket does not have a lining. Otherwise, there is a risk of deformation and damage to the product.
- It is recommended to use gel products as detergent compositions. They leave no residue and rinse well at the end of the process. In addition, their composition does not destroy the structure of fabric fibers.
- When cleaning combined products, you need to pay attention to the most delicate and capricious material and, in accordance with it, choose the washing and spinning mode.
- Having taken the item out of the machine, you need to immediately shake it well and hang it on a hanger, straighten out all the folds and kinks. In this form, you can send the jacket to dry.
It is important to properly wash items such as suits and especially their jackets. These things are bought for a long time, and they need to be worn carefully. A suit makes a person more personable and gives confidence in difficult situations. That's why it's so important that it looks beautiful.
Conclusion
It is not always possible to wash a jacket in a machine, but if this is allowed by the manufacturers, then gentle washing methods and powder suitable for the given fabric are used. Before starting the machine, be sure to check the pockets and remove any stains. If the item cannot be washed in the usual way, it is better to use a proven service, that is, take it to dry cleaning.
