How to Wash a Jack Wolfskin Jacket

Jack Wolfskin is an outdoor apparel and goods brand that makes tons of boots, clothing, and jackets. If you have a jacket from them that’s a little dirty, you probably want to wash it safely to protect the integrity and structure of the jacket. Fortunately, by using gentle products, you can safely clean your jacket and make it waterproof again for your next adventure.

Part 1

Part 1 of 2:

Washing in a Washing Machine

Double check that you don’t have anything left in your pockets before you close them up. Make sure there isn’t anything that could snag in your washer, like an open zipper or loose Velcro.^{[1]XResearch source}
Did You Know? If your zippers or pockets are broken and can’t be fastened, you can take your jacket into a Jack Wolfskin store for a repair.
2
Add 2 capfuls of Universal Cleaner Plus to your washing machine. Add the cleaner to the washer's dispenser where you would normally put laundry detergent. The brand recommends that you use their cleaner for the best results. If you don’t have Universal Cleaner Plus, add 1 capful of mild laundry detergent to your washer instead.^{[2]XResearch source}
- Universal Cleaner Plus is a Jack Wolfskin product that you can find on their website. It won’t leave any residue on your jacket like a normal detergent might.
- Never use fabric softener when you wash a waterproof jacket, because it could leave a film of softener on your jacket.
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3
Place the jacket into the washing machine by itself. Place your jacket without any other clothes into the washer so it has room to spin. You can wash 2 jackets at a time if you’d like to, but don’t put any non-waterproof clothing in the wash cycle.^{[3]XResearch source}
- Washing the jacket on its own will let it spread out in the washer and avoid any folds or wrinkles.
4
Wash your jacket using the delicate setting and cold water. If your washer has one, set it to “delicate” or “low spin.” If you can, choose an extra rinse cycle to make sure all of the cleaner gets rinsed off the jacket. It's best if the cold water is 30 °C (86 °F).^{[4]XResearch source}
- Most delicate cycles automatically use cold water, but you might double check yours just to be sure.
5
Take your jacket out and spray it with Apparel Proofer to waterproof it. Hold the bottle of Apparel Proofer 10 to 15 centimetres (3.9 to 5.9 in) away from your wet, clean jacket and spray a light coating of the product all over. Flip the jacket over to get both sides, then use a clean cloth to wipe the excess proofer off the jacket.^{[5]XResearch source}
- Apparel Proofer is a Jack Wolfskin product that you can find on their website. It coats your jacket in a waterproof coating to make it resistant to rain and snow again. If you don’t have that, you can use a generic brand waterproofing spray from a sporting goods store.
- If your jacket is waterproof, you need to add proofer to it to make it waterproof again. If it isn’t waterproof to begin with, you don’t have to.
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Part 2

Part 2 of 2:

Drying the Jacket

1
Read the care label on your jacket to see how it can be dried. A circle with dots inside of it means that the jacket can be tumble dried in the dryer. If the circle is crossed out with a red X, you shouldn't put your jacket in the dryer.^{[6]XResearch source}
- Most Jack Wolfskin jackets can be tumble dried, but it's always good to double check.
2
Place the jacket in the dryer for 50 minutes if the care label says to. If you can, place your jacket on its own in the dryer on a low heat setting and leave it for about 1 hour. If it's still wet, put the jacket back into the dryer in 15-minute increments until it dries.^{[7]XResearch source}
- Adding heat to the jacket will adhere the waterproofing product to the outside.
- Do not use dryer sheets or fabric softener.
3
Add 3 to 4 tennis balls to your dryer if you are drying a down jacket. Down jackets are usually for super cold weather and have down feathers inside of them. Before you dry a down jacket, put 3 to 4 new, clean tennis balls into the dryer to break up the clumps of down as it dries.^{[8]XResearch source}
- If you don’t have tennis balls, take the jacket out of the dryer every hour to break up the clumps by hand.
- Down jackets are fully dry when you can’t feel any clumps of down on the inside.
Tip: Down jackets may need to be dried for longer. You can put them in your dryer for up to 4 hours if you need to.
4
Iron the jacket until it’s dry if you can’t tumble dry it. Spread your jacket out on an ironing board and heat up your iron. Press the iron over the front and back of the jacket until there is no more Apparel Proofer left on the outside.^{[9]XResearch source}
- Although it may seem strange to iron a wet jacket, it is safe to do so as long as you pass the iron quickly over the fabric.
- The Apparel Proofer product needs heat to adhere to the outside of your jacket. If you just let it air dry, it won’t get waterproof.
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