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How to Make Your Favourite Hoodie Last for Years
There’s something about a really good hoodie. The one you reach for on a cold morning without thinking, that’s been washed so many times it fits just right. If you’ve got one — or you’re looking for one — here’s how to keep it going for the long haul.
Laundry
The single biggest mistake people make with cotton garments is the temperature they wash them at. Hot washes cause cotton fibres to contract and weaken over time. Washing at 30°C is almost always enough to get clothes genuinely clean, and it’s far kinder to the fabric. If your hoodie isn’t heavily soiled — and most of the time it won’t be — a cool wash on a gentle cycle will do the job perfectly.
Always use protection
Turn it inside out before it goes in the machine. This protects the outer surface from friction during the wash cycle, which is particularly useful for anything with a printed design. It also helps preserve colour more effectively, especially for darker shades that can look faded after heavy washing.
Drying is where a lot of damage quietly happens. Tumble dryers are convenient, but repeated high heat cycles shorten the lifespan of cotton significantly, they break down the fibres faster and can cause unwanted shrinkage. Air drying is always preferable. Lay your hoodie flat if you can, or hang it on a wide hanger rather than a thin wire one that leaves marks on the shoulders.
Avoid fabric softener with cotton-rich garments. This sounds counterintuitive, but softeners coat the fibres and reduce their natural breathability and moisture-wicking properties over time. If your hoodie feels a little stiff after washing, give it a gentle shake before hanging, that usually does it.
Storage matters
Don’t leave hoodies scrunched up in a pile for weeks at a time. Fold them or hang them in a way that lets the fabric breathe. If you’re storing something seasonal, make sure it’s clean first, stains and body oils that have been sitting in fabric for months are far harder to shift than fresh ones.
None of this is complicated. A little attention to how you wash and store your clothes makes a real difference to how long they last. And a well-made cotton-rich hoodie that’s properly looked after won’t just survive years of wear — it’ll get better with them.