Here’s How Often You Really Need to Wash Your Winter Coat

Unless you’ve just splashed the contents of your commuter mug on yourself, chances are you haven’t thought too much about how to wash your winter coat, let alone how often you should do it. Although some coats are tough enough to withstand subzero temps and coffee spills, they could still do with a tumble through your washer or even a VIP trip to the cleaners.

But how dirty or germy can winter coats get? I know that when I’ve gotten home from a trip on crowded mass transit in New York City, there are times I’ve considered burning my winter coat. Thankfully, after having conversations with both a professional cleaner and a microbiologist who’s board-certified in public health, I don’t have to resort to such drastic measures. Here’s what I learned about how often we should wash our winter coats.

Get Reader’s Digest’s Read Up newsletter for more cleaning, humor, travel, tech and fun facts all week long.

How often should you wash your winter coat?

Linsey Morgan, owner of Linsey’s Laundry, a personal laundry service in St. Louis, says a good rule of thumb is to wash your coat “at least one time after the season is over, so that way, it’s stored away clean.” You could, of course, clean your coats more often. Certain types of outwear may need more regular washing, like the fleece jacket you wear while hiking or biking. And you may want to toss your coat in the wash if it’s unusually dirty, such as if your child gets muddy while playing outside or if you were enjoying an evening by a bonfire and the fabric smells like smoke. However, the bare minimum is once per season.

But even Morgan says, “I would take the word of a microbiologist over mine.” So I contacted Jill Roberts, PhD, an associate professor in environmental health microbiology at the University of South Florida College of Public Health. Then, I braced myself for the worst.

“I don’t think it’s as bad as you think,” says Roberts. (Deep exhale!) But the news was a bit of a mixed bag. “Fabrics can hold microorganisms for a short time period. They don’t support growth very well. Bacteria and viruses both need nutrient sources, just like we do, and coats don’t provide that,” she explains.

But microbes can grow when there’s a food source—yes, even the sugar in cocoa counts. “If your coat stinks, by all means, you need to wash it,” says Roberts, adding that her advice stands regardless of whether you’re dealing with spilled food or body odor.

What can happen when you don’t clean your coat enough?

From a purely superficial perspective, winter coats will lose their looks over time if you don’t wash them when they start looking or smelling dirty. But aside from looks, dirt and sweat can start to break down fabrics, shortening their lifespan. So in short, we owe it to our outerwear to give it a wash at least once a season.

What’s the best way to clean a winter coat?

Care labels are there for a reason. It’s fine if you want to live on the edge with, say, a T-shirt. But when it comes to costly outwear that’s meant to last you through (hopefully) several seasons, you need to pay attention to the labels.

Roberts says dry cleaning is often the best way to clean coats, even if that’s not what the label dictates. And while you might not love the idea of chemicals on your coat, guess who hates them even more? Microbes. “The dry-cleaning processes will kill everything,” she says. So if you want a sanitized coat—at least until the next time you wear it—you might consider taking it to the cleaners.

If you do wash it at home, Roberts recommends air-drying it in the sunshine. “Exposure to sunlight will kill viruses,” she says.

How to wash a winter coat

AGRIMA SHARMA FOR READER'S DIGEST

Conventional wisdom says to follow care labels to the letter when figuring out how to do laundry. But make sure you are following all labels, as heavy coats with multiple layers—not to mention removable hoods—often have different cleaning methods.

One thing to note, regardless of the material: Zip up any zippers before tossing the coat into the washer. Morgan says this prevents your coat from getting twisted up—or worse, having the zipper snag any other items that you’ve tossed into the wash.

How to wash a down coat

A dirty down jacket seems almost better than one that’s been completely flattened by the wrong cleaning method. Always read the label first for proper care. Typically, you’ll do this:

1. Run your coat through the gentle cycle using a gentle detergent and cold water. Morgan suggests using Nikwax Down Wash.Direct or another detergent made expressly for down fabrics.
2. Dry on low heat, adding tennis balls or wool balls to the dryer. The constant battering from the bouncing balls is key to restoring the loft to the down insulation.

How to wash a Thinsulate coat

For coats made from Thinsulate or other synthetic materials, reading the care label is nonnegotiable. But in general:

1. Wash the coat in cold water, using a gentle detergent and either the gentle or permanent-press washing machine cycle.
2. Air-dry.

How to wash a fleece coat

You’ll want to treat this type of coat a little differently. Because you might be wearing fleece when you work out or are otherwise active in cold weather, some experts suggest washing it once a week, especially if you wear it every day. Ultimately, how often you wash a winter coat made of fleece is your call, but given how easy it is, you might want to toss it in the wash more regularly than you’ve been doing (no judgment). The steps are simple:

1. Wash the coat on the permanent-press cycle with cool water and regular detergent.
2. Air-dry. (Morgan says you can also dry on low heat.)

In my experience, whenever I take a fleece jacket out of the wash, it feels halfway dry already, so I always lay it over a drying rack to finish.

How to wash a wool coat

I’ve had numerous wool coats in my closet over the years, and I’ve always taken them to the dry cleaners at the end of the season, just as the label says. But Morgan reminded me that there is a gentle/wool cycle on my washer for a reason, so I could do this instead:

1. Start a cold wash on a gentle or wool cycle. You want as little agitation as possible to keep the fibers intact.
2. Add some Woolite or another mild laundry detergent created for woolen garments.
3. Air-dry. (Never put wool in the dryer.)

I’ve only ever tried washing a wool blanket. Despite that success, do I dare try washing my wool coat at home after this season? I’ve had it for a few years now, so I wouldn’t be averse to experimenting on something I’ve gotten my use out of. But I just don’t have it in me to throw a newish wool coat into a tub of water. Of course, you might be up for the challenge.

What’s the biggest mistake people make when cleaning their winter coats?

The biggest mistake you can make when cleaning your winter coat is not following the care label. Keep in mind that if your coat has a removable liner, you should remove it and read any additional care instructions on it—there might be an entirely different way to clean the lining than the outer shell.

That said, if the liner instructions are the same as the outer shell, you might feel better about throwing caution to the wind and washing them together. “The mom in me says wash it together,” says Morgan, adding that she’ll always go for the most efficient way possible.

Unfortunately, the real mistake people make when cleaning their winter coats is washing them in cold water, if killing germs is the goal. “Hot water kills microbes, and cold water does not,” warns Roberts. How about warm water? No dice, Roberts says. If that advice doesn’t jibe with the instructions on the label, you may want to play it safe and drop your coat off at the dry cleaners.

And if you are more focused on preserving your coat than killing bacteria with hot water, there’s some good news: “I’ve never, ever reported an outbreak due to people’s coats in their houses,” says Roberts.

Other tips for keeping your winter coat clean

Although you don’t have to worry about how to wash your winter coat nearly as often as your other clothes, the same tips apply when it comes to keeping your outerwear clean.

• Spot-clean as needed. To clean up dirt or other messes, use detergent or pretreat with a stain remover that’s appropriate for your coat’s material.

• Sort with like colors. A discolored sock is one thing. Your white puffer jacket is quite another. Wash like colors with like colors, and avoid taking chances.

• Don’t wash with towels. It’s best to wash towels and linens on their own so that a layer of lint doesn’t get all over the rest of your clothes.

• Empty all pockets. Some winter coats have a plethora of pockets. Make sure all of yours are empty so that you’re not unintentionally laundering money (in the noncriminal way, of course) or getting shredded tissues all over everything.

Why trust us

At Reader’s Digest, we’re committed to producing high-quality content by writers with expertise and experience in their field in consultation with relevant, qualified experts. We rely on reputable primary sources, including government and professional organizations and academic institutions as well as our writers’ personal experiences where appropriate. For this piece on how to wash a winter coat, Barbara Bellesi Zito tapped her experience as a longtime journalist who covers home topics, including cleaning. We verify all facts and data, back them with credible sourcing and revisit them over time to ensure they remain accurate and up to date. Read more about our team, our contributors and our editorial policies.

Sources:

• Jill Roberts, PhD, associate professor of environmental health microbiology at the University of South Florida College of Public Health; phone interview, Jan. 31, 2025
• Linsey Morgan, owner of Linsey’s Laundry; phone interview, Jan. 30, 2025

johnnyscriv/Getty Images

Wash Dry-Clean-Only Clothes at Home

Reader's Digest

How to Clean (and Protect) Leather

natashamam/Getty Images

The Right Way to Wash Cashmere