How to Wash & Dry Your Carhartt Jacket According to the Brand

Whether you just thrifted a new Carhartt jacket or your work jacket’s starting to stink, you’re here because your jacket needs a wash. While washing your Carhartt jacket may seem like a difficult task at first, it’s actually pretty easy! Especially with the instructions we’ve included in this article. With the help of cleaning specialist Elias Weston, we’ve explained how to wash a Carhartt jacket, how to dry it, and more. Read on to learn how to take care of your durable workwear piece.

Washing a Carhartt Jacket: Quick Steps

Check the care instructions on the inside neck tag.
Pre-treat stains with a mild detergent or stain remover.
Fasten the zipper, snaps, and any other closures.
Flip the jacket inside out.
Set your washer to a cold, gentle cycle and start.
Shape the jacket to its original form.
Air dry or tumble dry on medium heat.

Section 1 of 9:

How to Wash a Carhartt Jacket

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Each Carhartt jacket has specific care instructions. They are below the Carhartt tag on the inside neck area. Before you toss your jacket into the washer on a standard setting, check the care instructions so you know exactly what to do to maintain the quality of your jacket.^{[1]
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Pretreat any stains with a mild detergent or stain remover. It’s best to apply detergent or stain remover directly to your jacket, rather than into the drum. Pour a mild, bleach-free detergent or stain remover onto any visible stains. Gently rub it into the stain and let it sit for a few minutes.^{[2]
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- Bleach can potentially break down the jacket’s fibers, so it’s best to opt for a bleach-free stain-fighting detergent or remover.
- Avoid fabric softeners, as they can weaken the jacket’s materials.
- According to Weston, “stains are much easier to remove when they’re fresh,” so try to treat the stains as quickly as possible.^{[3]
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Make sure your zippers, pockets, snaps, and any other openings are closed to avoid abrasions and damage to your jacket. Once all of the openings are closed, turn your jacket inside out to protect the outer canvas lining and help mitigate fading.^{[4]
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Set your washer to a cold, gentle cycle. Set your water temperature to cold to minimize shrinking and fading. Use the gentle cycle to protect the jacket’s materials and preserve the quality. Avoid overloading the washing machine, too, as the jacket needs enough space to be properly cleaned. When it comes to temperature, you’re usually fine as long as the water temperature is warm and below 158℉ (70℃), but different types of jackets require different temperatures.^{[5]
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- Cotton Duck Jacket: It’s best to use cold water, but warm water is fine too.
- Super Dux Jacket: Wash it in cold water.
- Detroit Jacket: Wash it in cold water.
- Flame-Resistant Jackets: Wash warm and make sure temperatures don’t exceed 158℉ (70℃).
- Place a candy thermometer into your washing machine’s water to test the temperature before putting your jacket in.
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Shape the damp jacket after washing. Once your jacket has made it out of the wash, place it on a flat surface and smooth out any bunches or wrinkles with your hand. By shaping your jacket with your hands instead of an iron, you help it retain its original structure without risking damage to any of the materials.
- Carhartt jackets are made out of durable materials that don’t typically require ironing.
- If you do need to iron the jacket to remove any wrinkles, use a low-heat setting.

Section 2 of 9:

Can you machine wash Carhartt jackets?

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Machine washing your Carhartt jacket isn’t bad, but it can damage the jacket if you don’t use the right settings. To preserve the quality of your Carhartt jacket, it’s best to wash it on a gentle cycle using cold water and a mild, bleach-free detergent. Make sure anything that can cause damage is closed or tucked away, like the zipper or snaps.

Section 3 of 9:

How to Dry a Carhartt Jacket

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After you’ve washed and shaped your Carhartt jacket, place it into the dryer laying flat. Then, adjust your dryer to tumble dry medium and start the cycle. Once the dryer turns off, promptly remove your jacket to prevent wrinkling and damage. If your jacket is still damp after drying, hang it to air dry.^{[6]
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Hang it flat and air dry. After your jacket has made it through the washer, flatten it, turn it inside out, and find a high surface to hang it from. If you’re using something like a shower or curtain rod, drape the jacket over and make sure the arms and torso are flat. If you’re using a traditional clothesline, hang the jacket using strong clothespins or a hanger. If you are unable to hang the jacket, lay it on a flat surface and flip it occasionally to make sure both sides are dry.^{[7]
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- Once the inside of the jacket is dry, flip it back to make sure the outside dries, too.

Section 4 of 9:

How to Get Stubborn Stains Out of Carhartt Jackets

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Blot the area in cold water and a baking soda, dish soap, and water paste using clean cloths. Weston says to “soak a clean cloth in cold water and gently blot the area. Then, make a paste by thoroughly mixing ½ cup of baking soda with ¼ cup of liquid dish soap and 4 cups of water. Using a clean cloth, dip it into the foamy solution and soak the affected area. Take another clean, dry cloth and blot the area to lift the stain.”^{[8]
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- Alternate between saturating the area with the baking soda solution and blotting with the clean cloth until the stain is gone.
- When it comes to getting rid of old, tough stains, Weston says “try to remove as much of the dry, excess material with a soft-bristled toothbrush” as possible before treating the stain.^{[9]
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Soak the stain in non-acetone nail polish remover, then buff it out with a brush. Pour the non-acetone nail polish remover onto the stain and let it soak for 3-5 minutes. As the nail polish remover soaks, grab a hand brush or drill brush. After you’ve let the stain soak, thoroughly scrub at it with the brush until the stain starts to lift. Once the stain lifts, wash and dry the jacket.^{[10]
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- Make sure you use a non-acetone nail polish remover to avoid staining your jacket.
- If the stain is particularly tough, add acetone after a few brushes, then brush again.

Section 5 of 9:

How to Age Your Carhartt Jacket

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Cycle your jacket through the washer and dryer multiple times. To age your Carhartt jacket, run it through the washer with your other clothes whenever you need to do laundry. Follow the washing instructions to avoid any major damage. Once you’ve washed your jacket, run it through the dryer on a regular dryer setting to accelerate aging and fading. Repeat until you achieve your desired look.^{[11]
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- When you wash your clothes, make room for your Carhartt jacket to avoid overloading.

Section 6 of 9:

Can you dry-clean Carhartt jackets?

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No, as the chemicals and heat used in dry-cleaning can damage the fabric. The chemicals and heat used to dry clean clothes may cause the fabric of your Carhartt jacket to break down, so it’s best to avoid dry cleaning. Most Carhartt jackets are made to be machine washed, anyway, so go with that option and skip dry cleaning if you want to preserve your Carhartt jacket.^{[12]
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Section 7 of 9:

Does Carhartt shrink when washed?

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However, the shrinking tends to be minimal. Over time, the jacket may see a gradual shrinkage due to being washed and dried over and over, but not enough for you to notice a significant difference.^{[13]
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Section 8 of 9:

How to Wash Other Carhartt Products

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Most Carhartt products are best washed on a cold, gentle cycle. When it comes to washing other Carhartt products, going with a cold, gentle cycle and using a mild detergent generally works best. But some products, like Carhartt coats, caps, and flame-resistant products, require different types of care. When you’re getting ready to wash your Carhartt products, make sure to follow these instructions:^{[14]
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- T-Shirts: Wash them on cold and tumble dry medium.
- Woven Shirts: Wash them a cold, gentle cycle and tumble dry medium.
- Shirt Jacs: Wash them on cold and tumble dry medium.
- Coats: Wash them on warm and tumble dry medium.
- Canvas Shorts & Pants: Wash cold and tumble dry medium.
- Duck Shorts & Pants: Wash them on warm and tumble dry medium.
- Overalls: Wash them on warm and tumble dry medium.
- Coveralls: Wash them on cold and tumble dry with no heat or air dry.
- Base Layers: Wash them on cold and tumble dry medium.
- Caps: Hand wash with cold water.
- Beanies: Wash them on a cold, gentle cycle and tumble dry low.
- Gloves: Spot wash by hand with lukewarm water and mild detergent. Hang to dry. Do not use hot water or a machine dryer.
- Flame-Resistant Clothing: Machine wash warm. Tumble dry low. Alternatively, dry clean.

Section 9 of 9:

Final Takeaways

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Water temperature does vary based on the type of jacket you’re washing, but as long as it doesn’t go over 158℉ (70℃), you should be fine. After washing your Carhartt jacket, shape it back to its original form. Then, either tumble dry it on medium heat or air dry it. After many washing cycles, your jacket may start to shrink, but not enough for you to notice a major difference.