How to Wash and Care for Olefin Clothes

How to Wash and Care for Olefin Clothes

1. Check for Stains and Pre-treat

   Check olefin garments for stains and treat for the specific stain before washing because the heat from a clothes dryer or iron will set the stain and make it almost impossible to remove.

   Use a stain remover or a dab of heavy-duty detergent. Work the stain remover into the area with your fingers, and allow it to work for at least 15 minutes before washing the garment.
   

2. Treat Dull White Olefin Clothes

   • Follow the package directions of an oxygen bleach as to how much product to add per gallon of water.
   • Completely submerge the garment, and allow it to soak for at least eight hours.
   • Check the color. If it's back to normal, wash as usual. If the item remains dull or stained, mix a fresh solution, and repeat. It may take several soakings to remove the dullness or stains like dye transfer, but they should improve.

   Tip

   While chlorine bleach can be used, the safest way to brighten and whiten olefin clothes is to use an oxygen bleach like OxiClean, Nellie's All Natural Oxygen Brightener, or OXO Brite. 

3. Select a Detergent

   Use a heavy-duty detergent like Tide or Persil that contains enough stain-busting enzymes to break apart and lift stains, body soil, and odor from the fabric fibers.

4. Select Water Temperature

   Use cold or warm water to wash olefin clothing. Like most synthetic fibers, high temperatures in the washer can cause olefin fibers to melt and stick together, shrink, or deform. Excessively hot water can create permanent wrinkles during the spin cycle, which are impossible to remove.

5. Choose Cycle Setting

   Select the permanent press cycle for olefin clothes, which includes a cooling-down period and a reduced-speed spin cycle that will help reduce wrinkling.

6. Dry the Clothes

   Use an outdoor clothesline or indoor drying rack to dry olefin clothes as excessively high heat in the dryer can permanently damage olefin fabrics. If you must use an automatic dryer, select the low-temperature, air-only setting, and remove the garments while still slightly damp.

7. Skip the Iron

   Try a clothes steamer; it can sometimes remove set-in wrinkles, but the high heat required can also cause melting and create holes or cause the garment to shrink—and that can't be reversed. If you use a clothes steamer, keep the nozzle at least six inches from the surface of the garment, and keep it moving to avoid overheating in one spot.

How Often to Wash Olefin

Since olefin is now usually used for sports and activewear garments, the fabric should be washed after each wearing.

Treating Stains on Olefin

The biggest issue with olefin fabrics is that oil bonds with the fiber to create tough stains. Try removing oil-based stains by dabbing the item with lukewarm water and a mild detergent. As a last resort, use chlorine bleach or oxygenated bleach on stains to remove any type of problem.

Olefin Care and Repairs

Olefin is strong but lightweight and it may rip. Depending on the weave, you can use a needle and thread to repair a rip. Or use a self-adhesive patch or liquid fabric adhesive to repair the item, but do not choose any product that involves using an iron.

Ironing Olefin

You should never iron olefin or press olefin fabrics with an iron at any temperature setting. A steamer is the best way to reduce and remove wrinkles.

Storing Olefin

Olefin fabric is more often used for outdoor cushions, upholstery, or indoor rugs, but you may encounter activewear clothing made from this durable fiber. Keep the items dry and clean, and store them in a drawer or closet where the fibers have a chance to breathe.

Tips for Washing Olefin

• Do not overload the washer because that can cause excessive wrinkling.
• Reapply a waterproofing spray every six months to a year to keep your olefin item water-resistant.
• Dry-cleaning olefin is not recommended because solvent can damage the fibers.
• Olefin is slow to fade because it is solution-dyed (fibers are dyed through) so it is okay to soak the fabric if necessary to clean it.
• Pilling is a common occurrence with olefin; synthetics pill more often than natural fibers. Remove pills with a lint roller, tape, or a fabric shaver, but do not attempt to brush off the pills.