How to Wash Dog Clothes: Care Guide for Fleece, Sherpa, Wool and UV Fabric
To wash dog clothes, use cold water and a mild detergent, then hang them to dry. That is our care instruction for nearly everything we sew, and wool coats are the one exception: dry clean them, or hand wash them with Woolite. The rest of this guide covers how to wash dog clothes fabric by fabric, so a fleece bodysuit stays soft, a sherpa vest stays fluffy and a UV top keeps doing its job.
Key takeaways
- Our rule for almost every piece: cold water, mild detergent, hang to dry.
- Wool coats are the exception: dry clean, or hand wash with Woolite.
- Skip fabric softener on fleece, and turn pieces inside out to reduce pilling.
- Air dry UV sun fabric and never stretch it out while it is wet.
- Keep detergent pods where your dog cannot reach them.
Our Care Rule: Cold Water, Mild Detergent, Hang to Dry
We tailor our clothing to the unique shapes of Italian Greyhounds, Whippets and Greyhounds. A custom piece is cut to your dog's own neck, chest and back length, so the whole point of careful laundering is protecting that fit. A top that comes out of the wash shorter or tighter than it went in no longer fits the dog it was made for.
Cold water and air drying are the simplest ways to prevent that. Cotton Incorporated's laundry advice is to reduce shrinkage by washing in cold water and air drying, and to read the care label before anything else. Here is the routine we suggest for almost every garment in the shop:
- Read the listing first. If a product description includes its own care note, follow it. Our UV bodysuits, for example, spell out how to dry them.
- Close any Velcro. Our winter coats fasten with a double Velcro strap. Closing it keeps the hook side from grabbing fleece and knits.
- Turn it inside out. Woolmark recommends it as a way to reduce pilling.
- Use cold water and a mild detergent. For small pieces, a sink and a gentle swish are often all you need. If you are not sure a piece can go in a washing machine, hand wash it or ask us.
- Rinse well and press out the water. Squeeze gently or roll the piece in a towel instead of wringing it.
- Hang it or lay it flat to dry. Reshape the neck, cuffs and leg openings while the fabric is still damp.
How to Wash Fleece, Microfleece and Luxury Fleece
Fleece shows up all over our cold weather line: bodysuits, tops, vests and coat linings, and many of those listings specify anti pill plush fleece. Polartec, the company that introduced synthetic fleece in 1981, gives simple advice for its own fleece: wash in cold water with a mild detergent, avoid fabric softeners, and tumble dry on low or hang dry. That lines up with our cold and hang rule.
Microfleece is smooth and very soft; our listings describe it as almost feeling like suede cloth. Luxury fleece, which we also call Luxe fleece, is heavier and denser. Both get the same treatment as standard fleece. Give thicker pieces, like Luxe fleece snow pants, plenty of time on the drying rack, and make sure they are completely dry before they go back in the drawer.
Getting dog hair off fleece
Fleece grabs shed hair. Run a lint roller or a slightly damp rubber glove over the garment before it goes in the water, so the hair does not end up spread through the rest of the load. Shake the piece out once it is dry and roll it again if needed.
Why fleece pills, and what to do about it
According to Woolmark's guide to pilling, those little balls of fiber are caused by rubbing during wear, which is why they appear where fabric rubs most, such as the armpits and sides. Turning garments inside out before washing and skipping fabric softener both help. To remove pills, Woolmark suggests a battery operated fabric shaver or a comb used very gently.
Washing Sherpa and Faux Fur Without Flattening the Pile
Sherpa and faux fur get their softness from a raised pile on the face of the fabric. Polartec explains that its High Loft fleece uses a high pile that traps warm air in thermal pockets, and its care advice is to wash cold with gentle detergent, skip fabric softeners, and hang dry or tumble dry on low heat to preserve the loft and warmth. We say hang it.
Once a sherpa vest is dry, fluff the pile with your fingers or a soft brush. Faux fur trims and vests get the same cold wash and air dry. Our faux fur vests are made a bit oversized to fit over other layers; lay them flat to dry so they hold their shape.
How to Wash a Wool Dog Coat
Our care instruction for wool coats is different from everything else: dry clean, or hand wash with Woolite. Our custom wool winter coat has anti pill plush fleece next to the skin, wool on the outside and an attached polar fleece snood with a drawstring and cord lock. It is a layered garment, and it deserves gentle handling.
If you hand wash, Woolmark's hand wash method is a useful model: turn the garment inside out, use lukewarm water around 30°C (86°F) with a mild detergent, soak for about 10 minutes, then rinse in lukewarm and then cold water. Woolmark recommends drying wool flat, and it reminds you to check the care label, since some wool items are dry clean only.
Wool rarely needs frequent washing. Woolmark notes that it resists stains, odour and creases, so between cleanings, let mud dry and brush it off. At the end of winter, Woolmark's storage advice is to clean garments before putting them away, fold rather than hang them, and use breathable cotton bags and cedar blocks to keep moths away. Read more about why wool works in our guide to wool dog coats.
Keeping UPF Sun Fabric Protective Through the Wash
Our UV pieces are labeled UPF 50+. The Skin Cancer Foundation explains that a UPF 50 fabric lets only about 2 percent of UV rays through. It also warns that fabric which gets stretched or wet loses some of its protective ability, because the fibers pull away from each other and let more UV light pass.
That is why the care note on our UV bodysuits reads: hang or lay flat, air dry is best, and use a low dryer setting only if you must. The listings describe the fabric as 84 percent polyester and 16 percent spandex with a wicking finish, and our recovery suit listing notes that UV fabrics are quick dry. Never wring a UV bodysuit, and do not hang a wet one by a single leg where its own weight can pull it.
If a UV piece has been stretched out of shape or looks thin, it may no longer give the coverage it did when new, so it is time to replace it. For how ratings work, read our UPF dog clothing explainer, and for why thin coats need sun cover, see 5 benefits of UV blocking tops. You can browse every sun piece in the UV Collection.
Washing Dog Sweaters, Cotton Lycra and Cotton Jersey
Our cotton knit tops and bodysuits follow the house rule, and our short sleeve cotton jersey listings repeat it: cotton jersey is best washed in cold water and hung to dry. Our lightweight hacci knit sweaters say the same thing in slightly different words: wash in cool water with a mild detergent and hang to dry. Lay a sweater flat or drape it over a rack rather than pinning it by the neck.
Cool water also helps with stains. Cotton Incorporated suggests flushing fresh stains with cool water and treating them as soon as you can. For prints with special finishes, check the listing: our glow in the dark skeleton bodysuit should be washed inside out and hung to dry because the design is a vinyl product on a cotton bodysuit. Curious why stretch knits behave the way they do? Our post on cotton lycra dog clothes explains stretch and recovery.
Dog Clothes Care Chart by Fabric
| Fabric | Wash | Dry | Watch for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fleece, microfleece, Luxe fleece | Cold, mild detergent, no softener | Hang | Dog hair, pilling |
| Sherpa and faux fur | Cold, mild detergent | Hang or lay flat, then fluff | Flattened pile |
| Cotton lycra and jersey | Cold, mild detergent | Hang | Shrinkage from heat |
| Sweater knits | Cool, mild detergent | Hang or lay flat | Stretched necklines |
| Wool coats | Dry clean, or hand wash with Woolite | Lay flat | Moths in storage |
| UV sun fabric | Cold, mild detergent | Hang or lay flat | Stretching while wet |
How Often to Wash Dog Clothes, and Laundry Safety
We have not found a laundry authority that sets a schedule for dog clothes, so treat this as general guidance. Wash a piece when it is visibly dirty, smells doggy or comes home from a muddy or rainy walk. A base layer worn against the skin, such as a cotton bodysuit used as pajamas, will need washing more often than an outer coat. Wool needs it least of all.
Keep laundry products in mind too. Pet Poison Helpline warns that the detergent inside pods is highly concentrated and can cause vomiting, drooling and trouble breathing if a dog bites into one. It advises keeping pods secured where your dog cannot reach them and staying nearby while you load laundry. If your dog does get into one, call your veterinarian or Pet Poison Helpline right away.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you put dog clothes in the dryer?
We recommend hanging dog clothes to dry. The care note on our UV pieces allows a low dryer setting if you must use one, and Polartec says its fleece can be tumbled on low. Air drying is still the gentlest choice for a garment cut to your dog's measurements, and Woolmark recommends drying wool flat.
What detergent should I use for dog clothes?
Use a mild detergent and rinse thoroughly. For wool coats, use Woolite or have them dry cleaned. Skip fabric softener on fleece: Polartec advises against it, and Woolmark lists avoiding softener as one way to reduce pilling.
How do I wash a dog sweater without shrinking it?
Wash it in cold or cool water with a mild detergent, then lay it flat or hang it to dry. Cotton Incorporated says cold water and air drying reduce shrinkage. Reshape the neck and cuffs while the sweater is damp, and keep it away from high heat.
How do I get dog hair off fleece dog clothes?
Use a lint roller or a damp rubber glove before washing, so the hair does not spread through the load. Shake the garment out after it dries. Turning fleece inside out in the wash also helps keep the outside smooth.
How often should you wash dog clothes?
Wash when a piece is dirty or smelly, or after a wet, muddy outing. Base layers worn against the skin need it more often than coats, and wool coats need it least because wool resists odour and stains.
Clothes Made to Be Worn and Washed
Our pieces are made for walks, couches and dog beds, then a cold wash and another round of wear. Browse the Ready to Wear collection for pieces that ship the next business day, or start a made to measure piece from the Custom collection. Want to compare fabrics before you order? Our fleece, sherpa and microfleece guide walks through each one, and you can see every swatch on our fabrics page. Questions about a specific garment are always welcome through our contact page.
Sources and Further Reading
- Polartec: Fleece Series fabric and care
- Polartec: High Loft fleece and care
- Woolmark: How to wash wool
- Woolmark: What is pilling?
- Woolmark: How to store wool clothes
- Skin Cancer Foundation: Sun protective clothing
- Cotton Incorporated: Laundry tips for cotton
- Pet Poison Helpline: How detergent pods can harm your dog