There is nothing quite as comforting as a soft and cozy flannel shirt during a cool, snowy winter. Flannel shirts are a true treasure but they can be tricky to care for. You have to take some caution when washing flannel shirts to make sure they do not become stiff. In this article we tell you everything you need to know about maintaining your flannel shirts properly so they do not lose their soft, luscious texture.
How do you wash flannel?
Here are all of our best tips for washing flannel shirts.
- Cotton flannels have a tendency to shrink in the wash so they should only be washed in cold or lukewarm water.
- Flannel shirts will pill in high friction environments so you should make sure to wash them on the gentle or delicate setting. Alternatively, you could hand wash them.
- You should also avoid putting flannels in the drying as the dryer is a high friction environment that might cause flannels to pill.
- You should avoid using laundry detergents with chlorine and phosphates as these can dry out flannels and make them less soft.
- You should only wash your flannels every few wears if they do not get dirty to reduce their exposure to friction and cleaning chemicals.
Can you put flannel in the washing machine?
Can you put flannel in the washing machine? Yes you absolutely can put flannel in the washing machine. There are a few things that you should keep in mind when washing flannel in the washing machine. Flannel can shrink if it is washed in hot water and flannel can pill if there is a lot of friction built up during the washing process. If you want to wash flannel in the washing machine you should make sure you wash it in cool water on a delicate or gentle setting.
If you wash flannel on a delicate setting there will not be as much friction built up and the flannel will pill less. You should keep potential pilling in mind when you wash flannel in the washing machine and be careful about what other materials you wash with flannel. Avoid washing rough, grippy materials that will pick up pilled balls of fabric with flannel.
Can you use laundry detergent on flannel?
Can you use laundry detergent on flannel? Yes, you can use laundry detergent on flannel. You should be careful about what types of laundry detergent you use though because harsh chemicals can cause flannel shirts to become less soft. You should look for a gentle laundry detergent that is free of phosphates and chlorine.
Do flannels shrink in the wash?
Do flannels shrink in the wash? Yes flannel shirts do have a tendency to shrink in the wash. This is especially true of flannel shirts that are made of cotton. Note that flannel shirts only shrink in the wash when they are washed at high temperatures.
How do you wash flannel so it doesn't shrink?
How do you wash flannel so that it doesn’t shrink? In order to wash flannel without shrinking it you should wash flannel in cold or lukewarm water. You should be able to wash flannel in the washing machine or by hand without shrinking it as long as you make sure that you do not wash it in hot water.
How do you make flannel soft again
How do you make flannel soft again? You can use baking soda as a softening agent to help make your flannels soft again. Add 1/2 – 1 1/2 cups baking soda to your normal washing cycle to soften flannels.
Can you put flannel in the dryer?
Can you put flannel in the dryer? We generally do not recommend putting flannel in the dryer. The reason for this is twofold – flannel has a tendency to shrink when it is heated and flannel has a tendency to pill when it is in a high friction environment. Most dryers get hot enough to shrink flannel even when they are on the coolest of settings. Additionally, dryers are a very high friction environment. This is especially true at the end of the cycle when most of the moisture has been removed from the clothing.
In general we recommend hang drying flannel shirts. If you do want to put your flannel shirt in the dryer, you should make sure to keep the dryer on the coolest setting and you should remove the flannel from the dryer before the cycle is fully over.
How often should you wash flannel shirts
How often should you wash flannel shirts? You should wash your flannel shirts every few wears or whenever they develop a stain or a smell. If you have not spilled anything on your flannel shirt you do not necessarily need to wash it with every wear. Waiting a few wears before washing your flannel shirts can help the shirts stay softer for longer.
What is flannel made of
What is flannel made of? Flannel is most commonly made of cotton but it can also be made of wool or or synthetic fibers.