How Often to Wash a Hoodie?

How often should a hoodie be washed? It depends on a variety of factors. An often-cited guideline is to launder a hoodie at least once a month, viz every few wears, but experts recommend a more conservative approach. 

Factors to consider include the individual's skin type, hair type, occupation, level of an active lifestyle, and close contact with your body. One might also consider the intended use of the garment as some habits, such as eating or smoking, can lead to increased staining.

Some people wear their hoodies every day and wash them off after a few months. Others wash their hoodie just once a week and other people wash their hoodies every few days. 

The decision is really yours to make, but we would recommend washing it as often as possible. In addition, frequent washing will cause fibers to break down faster, leading to a quicker need for replacement.

Find a Perfect Washing Balance

A hoodie can be a fashion statement that is worn with great pride, but it is important to be aware of washing your hoodie. How often you should wash your hoodie? There really isn't a single answer to this question, since it depends on your close contact with objects in your ambiance, sweat, underwear you have, how your work day looks like, stains, season, etc. 

Washing a hoodie can be tricky. You don't want to wash it too often, but you also don't want to wear it with bad smells. The first step is to consider what kind of hoodie you have. If you have a light-colored hoodie, go for about four or five wears before washing, but if your hoodie is dark, you can go about three times. The next step is to consider where are you wearing it. If you wear it mainly for exercising, it will probably need to be washed more frequently. 

How often you should wash your sweatshirt really depends on how often you wear it. You should wash your sweatshirt as often as possible to keep it clean, fresh, and free of odor.

When to Wash a Hoodie

So, when was the last time you have washed your hoodie? There are some rules that are needed to be followed when you are about to wash clothes. An average person would think that all clothes can be washed as many times as they want, but there are some rules on how often you should wash your clothes.

Since cheap hoodies are usually made from polyester, cotton, and wool the answer is simple: as often as you smell a bad smell, like sweat, that often you should wash your hoodie, or do a thorough airing of the clothing.

Generally, hoodies should be washed about once a week or after you have more wears, like five wears. If you can notice sweat in your clothes, the bacteria that have been growing could cause smells and stains. But if you often wearing it, you should plan your week ahead, and have your hoodie washed when you have free time.

These smells and stains can also be caused due to contact with oils and grease from foods that you eat. So, if a hoodie is part of your workout clothes, you would probably want to wash it more often.

It is also important to consider the frequency of where you are wearing your hoodie. If you are not wearing it outside much, then the frequency of washing the hoodie will depend on how often you are in contact with people or objects that might transfer oils or dirt onto your hoodie. If you wear your hoodie outside a lot then you should probably wash it more often.

Also, if you are wearing a shirt underneath, it could probably be worn multiple times before wash sweatshirts. If it is worn on bare skin,

When Not to Wash a Hoodie

Hoodies and other sweatshirts can be worn and washed just about anytime that you please. However, there are certain rules on how often you should wash it, like with jeans, socks, or underwear.  

Do not wash it:

• If the hoodie has a brand label on it, you should avoid washing it at all.
• If the hoodie is labeled "dry clean only," you should avoid washing it. You should send it to dry cleaning.
• If the hoodie has warning labels such as "don't machine dry," you should avoid washing it.
• If it is to be worn as a skirt or as a dress, it should not be washed to maintain the natural fabric and prevent shrinkage.
• If it doesn’t have any bad smell, stains, or sweat on it, it could be worn multiple times, and you shouldn’t wash it, in order to keep the color and quality of the fabric.
• Basically, wash it only if you do not have any other option. 

When You Absolutely Must Wash a Hoodie

Generally, when your clothing is as old as dirt, as scruff as a dog with a rough winter, as crusty as a croissant from a bakery with a live mouse problem, as moldy as a cheese that's been in the fridge for too long, or as ratty as a sloth's fur coat after a mud bath, it's time to take a break from wearing it. Even if it still fits and looks good on you, the general public might not agree. 

If you wear sweaters as your workout clothes, as you wear sweatshirts, yoga pants, T-shirts, socks, underwear, etc. Then more often you should wash it. You need to wash it every single day, not only on a week basis, if you wear it on your workout session, because of the sweat you produce, your skin gets wet, and you produce more facial oil. Just make sure to have your workout clothes washed on a delicate cycle.

And even if you don't realize what other people think, think about the bacteria and diseases you can catch from wearing clothes with that amount of dirt. You do not want that, do you? So, wash your clothes / jackets whenever you think you can catch something from them. 

How to Wash a Hoodie

First, it is important to understand the type of material your favorite clothes are made of. Some materials can be machine-washed and dried faster than others. Other fabrics can be only hand wash and dried in natural conditions or washed on a delicate cycle.

For instance, cotton and wool clothes are best washed in cold water and dried on low heat. Washing hoodies in warm water will cause the material to shrink, while machine drying them on high heat will cause them to shrink and become brittle.

However, washing synthetic or moisture-wicking clothes and sweaters is best done in cold water and then air-drying them outside of direct sunlight. This will allow the material to keep its original shape.

So before washing your clothing make sure to read the instructions you get on the label, for the washing machine and the dryer. As long as you use the washing machine and the dryer the proper way, your clothing is safe for washing and wearing whenever you want.

Also, when you wash clothes, make sure that you do not just mix everything you have in the basket with dirty clothes and throw it in the washing machine. You have to separate, your sports clothing from your underwear, socks, towels, basically from everything that should be washed in the higher temperatures. Black clothes also have to be separated from white, because you have to be more gentle when you are washing those.

And if you are not sure how it should be washed, you can always go to dry cleaning and have them clean your clothes.

Conclusion

The answer is simple: as often as you notice a bad smell, like sweat, then you should either wash your hoodie or do a thorough airing of the clothing. If your body is sweating a lot in your hoodie while you wear it, the bacteria that have been growing on your body could cause smells and stains. If you do not smell anything bad or do not see stains, do not wash it, in order to save color and quality of fabric. 

When you wash your clothing, make sure you are using cold water, and drying it properly, high heat can destroy fabric like cotton and wool, much faster than air dry.

Most Frequent Questions

Should you wash a hoodie when you get it?

No. Do not wash your hoodie when you get it.

The fibers are still are knitted with each other secondary when you get it so it will be slimmer when you get it.

If you wash your clothing when you get it will be back to normal, so please do not wash sweaters when you get it.

How many times do you wear a sweater before washing?

Regular sweaters should be washed every three to four wears. Sweaters made from wool fabric or cashmere need a wash within two wears.

If you wear it only at home, you can wash it every six to seven wears.

The more your body sweat, the more often you should wash your clothing.

How do you wash hoodies?

According to the type of hoodie, choose the appropriate cleaning method.

For 100% cotton laundry, soak with water until the clothing is fully wet, then turn the garment inside out and squeegee with your hand or a large sponge, make sure all water is removed. Hang dry. Try to avoid using the dryer.

For polyester laundry, do not soak. Hand wash with mild detergent by hand, make sure all water is removed. If possible, with careful after-cleaning, wash the laundry in a washing machine. Do not over-wash! Then squeeze a little water, put a towel or pillowcase in a sealed plastic bag to dry slowly. Practice is the key to success!

The best is to look for more info before doing laundry. You can find all the info you need on the label inside the garment.

How do you clean a hoodie without washing it?

Clean your hoodie by using a sponge to pressure wash the hoodie. The build-up on the hoodie will flake off.

Remove oil stains from your old favorite shirt or hoodie by bathing them in baking soda dissolved in hot water. Let the clothing soak overnight, then wash it in warm water to remove the stains.

Use a rubber scratch brush to brush the old stains and the stains sitting on the surface of the material. If the stains still remain, repeat the process with a spiral.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Aleksandra Djurdjevic          

Senior Content Creator

Aleksandra Djurdjevic is a senior writer and editor, covering snowboarding, skiing and trends in outdoor winter activities. She has previously worked as ESL teacher for English Tochka. Aleksandra graduated from the Comparative Literature department at the Faculty of Philosophy in Serbia. Aleksandra’s love for the mountains, getting out in the snow on her board, season after season, seeking wild snow adventures across the globe helps her continue to be a top expert at CSG.