A flannel shirt can be a common piece of attire for individuals to wear when they are hiking, camping, or doing other outdoor activities. Unfortunately, many individuals may not be aware of how they should be caring for these shirts. This can lead to them neglecting to properly care for these garments.

Use Cool Water And A Slow Or Gentle Setting For The Washer

Flannel can be a very durable fabric, but washing can be a source of substantial wear and tear for these items. One way to help reduce these impacts will be to use cool water. Hot water can make the fibers in the shirt more likely to tear or suffer severe stretching while the shirt is being washed. Also, setting the washing machine to work on a slow or otherwise gentle setting can further reduce the amount of strain that the fabrics suffer. You should also make sure that you are using a color-safe cleaning product so that you avoid causing the rich flannel colors to fade.

Apply A Fabric Protector Before Hiking

Hiking can be an extremely damaging activity for your garments. While the thickness and density of the flannel fabric can help these garments to avoid ripping, it can still be possible for the flannel to suffer staining. Whether it is dirt, plant pigments, or other sources of color, it can be possible for your flannel shirt to become severely discolored in a fairly short period of time. Applying a fabric guard to the shirt will help to avoid this problem as it will prevent the fabric from being able to absorb the pigments. Most of these coatings will fade once the garment is washed, which means you may need to apply it before each hike. Luckily, this will be fairly simple as these coatings are usually in the form of an aerosol spray.

Avoid Overloading The Pockets

Flannel shirts will often have at least a couple of pockets. This can make it extremely convenient to carry items with you while you are outdoors. Unfortunately, overloading the pockets of the shirt can cause them to rip and tear, which may allow the items to fall out. As a result, you should consider carrying a backpack or other container if you find that your pockets are getting full enough to stretch. If you notice that the pockets are starting to tear at the seam, this will be a fairly easy repair to make as long as you sewing it back before it fully rips.

For more information, contact a retailer that carries flannel apparel like men's double pocket flannel shirts.