It is troublesome to keep your hoodie as it appeared in the store. But if you are careful while rinsing, it is possible to retain its full glory of softness. Besides, washing with vinegar can restore its softness, even after some washes.
Choosing an appropriate detergent, avoiding fabric softener, and washing with cold water are some crucial ways for making your hoodies soft. And in this article, we worked on delivering an in-depth look at how to implement these in practice.
How to Make Hoodies Soft Again
The best practice is to follow a cleansing procedure that keeps your hoodie soft. But, if your hoodie seems to have a somewhat cracky feeling, there are several ways to get rid of it. But before that, you have to find out what caused the issue in the first place.
1. Reduce Soap and Fabric Softener Residue
Sometimes stiffness can be caused by soap or fabric softener residue. In these cases, wash your garments one more time. Besides, it is best not to use fabric softener.
2. Thoroughly Clean Your Machine
Soap and detergent remain in your washing machine even after a cleaning cycle. So, when you throw your hoodie in that same machine, it can create stiffness. Run your washing machine empty for a few cycles to eradicate this issue. If you notice suds in an empty washing machine, that means you might have a build-up of residue. In such circumstances, run the washing machine with a few cups of white vinegar to cut the soap.
3. Use Vinegar
If you notice your hoodie gets harsh after your cleansing cycle, rinse it again with 2 cups of vinegar and water. Hopefully, that will help you reduce the stiffness to a certain degree.
How to Keep Your Hoodies Soft
It is better to keep your hoodie soft than make it fluffy again. Here’s a way of doing just that.
Step 1: Chose an Appropriate Detergent
You may not consider detergent as a concerning issue. But interestingly enough, choosing the proper detergent can be the barrier between you and your favorite hoodie soft. You’ll find several brands in the market offering a plethora of formulas and scents. If you decide based on price or fragrance, it might not be the best decision as detergents with scents are generally harsh and can ruin your fabric.
Therefore, you need to use mild laundry detergent to keep your hoodie comfy and extend its overall lifespan. Besides, using detergents suggested by the manufacturer of your attire can prove beneficial too.
Step 2: Remove Stains in an Accurate Way
Once you find a spot on your hoodie, do not worry. Because no matter how careful you are, you cannot avoid stains altogether. Besides, there are several removal methods. Yet, you must be conscious while choosing the stain remover.
Most stain removal products are harsh and harmful to your clothing. Also, they may damage the texture of the fabric. So, always try to avoid chemical-based removal products. Instead, take into account using organic stain-removal methods and homemade remedies. Sometimes, they are more worthy of removing stains than expensive stain removal products.
Step 3: Avoid Fabric Softener
Many people may think that fabric softener comes in handy for softening purposes. Unfortunately, it does not. Instead, fabric softeners tend to accumulate on clothes and damage the squishiness of the fabric. As a result, the garment becomes rough.
As opposed to that, a vinegar remedy is a good option for making your hoodie soft again. For your hoodie to remain tender, it requires you to mix 2 cups of vinegar with water and wash it after rinsing.
Step 4: Turn Your Hoodie Inside Out Before a Cleansing Cycle
Before you throw your hoodie in the washing machine, make sure that you turn it inside out. This process provides extra protection to the outer part of your garment during the rinsing cycle.
In addition, when you are going to wash zip-up hoodies, be sure to zip them up as this prevents the zipper from getting snagged in the wash. So, zipping up the zipper keeps it from getting tangled. On the other hand, when washing pullover hoodies with drawstring hoods, you may want to consider trying the string.
Step 5: Add a Little Vinegar
Vinegar is not a remedy for softening purposes only. Vinegar can also be helpful in preventing dark colors from bleeding. Besides, it ensures that the colors remain intact at all times. Though vinegar spreads a nasty odor, the good thing is it will dissipate throughout the cleansing cycle.
Step 6: Washing Your Hoodie with Cold Water
Not only hoodies but also every garment is suggested to wash with cold water. When you wash your attire with hot water, it damages some of the properties of your stuff. Besides, rinsing with warm water loosens the brightness and shine. On the contrary, using cold water during a rinsing cycle keeps your hoodies bright and shiny.
Step 7: Wash Your Hoodie with Similar Items
When you throw your jeans and other heavy clothing with your hoodies and soft fabric in the same rinsing cycle, it may cause damage to your tender fabric stuff. That is because different garments have their own cleaning procedure. For instance, when you wash your hoodies along with towels and high-lint texture, fleece attracts lint and makes your garments scratchy and uncomfortable.
Other than that, sometimes darker garments leak colors. In this regard, it is better to rinse them with a similar color. Otherwise, the remaining stuff becomes stained.
Step 8: Run an Extra Rinse Cycle
You may be concerned about saving water. Yet, if you want to make your hoodie soft and fluffy, it is required to run an extra rinse cycle. It will ensure that all traces of detergents are gone. And that, in turn, will help keep that tender feeling alive.
Step 9: Skip the Dryer
Throwing your hoodie in the dryer seems like an easy and time-saving way. But unfortunately, a dryer can indeed damage your hoodie and make it rougher than before. So, it is better to air dry as it helps the fabric stay nice and soft for longer.
Frequently Asked Questions and Answers
Why do my hoodies lose their softness?
Your hoodies losing their softness can occur due to two main reasons. One is the fiber content, and the other is the chemicals in your water and detergents.
Should you zip-up hoodies before washing them?
Zipping up the zipper before putting them in a washing cycle or dry is nothing you cannot skip. Yet, it is a good practice as the zippers can get stuck under the drum and cause unwanted noise and tear. In addition, when dealing with pullover hoodies with drawstring hoods, you must zip up the zipper to tie the string. Otherwise, it may get tangled and pulled out.
Conclusion
Among all the procedures above, using vinegar is the best remedy to restore the softness of your hoodie. Besides, you should choose an appropriate detergent and rinse it with cold water. But always remember that it is better to keep your hoodie soft than try to retain its lost softness.
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