How to Wash Corduroy to Make it Last Longer

Nothing says cooler weather like cozy corduroy pants and jackets. The durable fabric is made by weaving three fibers together—usually cotton or cotton/polyester blend—and then shearing off the float fiber to create the soft ridges known as wales. The wales can be narrow or wide enough to give corduroy a plush, almost velvet-like feel. Learn how to wash corduroy to make it last longer and to keep it soft and lint-free.

Considerations Before You Begin

Thanks to the napped surface, corduroy is a lint-attracting fabric and once it becomes covered with lint, it can be very difficult to remove. Always sort your laundry and never wash corduroy with cotton towels, robes, fleece, or any type of lint-shedding fabric.

Always read the care labels inside a corduroy garment. If you're not experienced in doing laundry, if it states to "Dry Clean Only" believe it and head to the dry cleaner. This is especially important for structured corduroy jackets. While the outer corduroy is usually machine washable, the inner components that give the shoulders and lapels shape often aren't. Washing the jacket may leave you with a shapeless garment.

What You'll Need

Materials

Laundry detergent
Enzyme-based stain remover
Washing machine or large sink
Clothes dryer or drying rack

Instructions

Sort Your Laundry
- Sort your laundry to make sure there are no lint-shedding fabrics in the load with the corduroy garments.
- Separate laundry loads by color. Do not wash dark corduroy garments with light-colored fabrics.
Pretreat Stains
- Pretreat any visible stains or heavy soil around collars and cuffs with an enzyme-based stain remover.
- Work the stain remover or a dab of a good laundry detergent into the stain with your fingers.
- Set the garment aside for at least 10 minutes so the stain remover can begin breaking the bond between the stain and the fabric.
Prep the Garment
- Close zippers and button any buttons.
- Turn the garment inside out. This will help reduce lint deposits and excessive abrasion to the fabric from other fabrics in the laundry load.
Set Washer Setting
- Set the washer's water temperature to cold or warm (cold is best for dark colors)
- Use the gentle cycle and your regular laundry detergent.
Wash Garment
- Place the corduroy garment, still inside out, in an automatic dryer set to a low temperature and tumble for five minutes to remove wrinkles.
- Remove the garment from the dryer and turn it right side out. Shake out the garment and smooth the fabric.
- Hang on a sturdy clothes hanger to air dry.

How to Hand Wash Corduroy

If hand washing corduroy, you'll want to wash each garment separately.

Pretreat stains.
Fill a large sink with cool water and use a gentle detergent.
Submerge the garment and let it soak for 15 minutes, avoid excessive scrubbing.
Drain the sink and refill with clean water.
Rinse the garment until no more suds are visible. Do not wring the fabric!
Hang on a sturdy hanger to drip dry.

8 Tips to Keep Corduroy Lasting Longer and Looking Its Best

To help reduce lint on corduroy, never overload your washer. Overcrowding allows lint to redeposit when there is not sufficient water to flush it away.
Add a fabric softener to the final rinse cycle to help corduroy fibers relax and release lint.
To easily remove wrinkles from corduroy, toss the garment in a tumble dryer with a damp microfiber towel and two or three wool dryer balls. Tumble on low heat for about five minutes, shake out the garment, and hang.
A clothes steamer works well to lift crushed fibers. Hold the steamer about four inches from the fabric and use a clothes brush to lift and smooth the wales.
When ironing corduroy, always turn the fabric inside out and iron on the wrong side with a steam iron.
When removing lint with a lint brush, always brush in the same direction as the nap of the fabric.
Hang corduroy garments. Folding can leave creases in the wales that are difficult to remove.
Do not hang corduroy items near sweaters or bathrobes that shed lint.