How to Wash Polyester for Great Results by Machine or Hand

Used in sportswear, blankets, underwear, pillowcases, bedsheets, carpets, and more, 50% or above of your fabric items are probably polyester. Thus, once you learn how to wash polyester, laundering will be quicker and easier for you.

How to Wash Polyester Tutorial

Polyester is a common fabric used in various items like sportswear, blankets, bedsheets, and more. Knowing how to wash polyester can make your laundering process quicker and easier. Here is a summarized tutorial on how to wash polyester garments:

1. Sort the items based on color and check for stains, rips, or tears.
2. Pre-treat stains with stain remover or mild dishwashing soap.
3. Repair any holes or tears in the fabric.
4. Turn the fabric inside out to prevent pilling and snagging.
5. Hand wash by swirling the fabric in cold water with a mild detergent or machine wash on a cold or warm setting with the right detergent.
6. Remove excess water by folding or rolling the fabric.
7. Air dry or use a dryer with a low-temperature setting.
8. Store the dry garments in your closet or drawers, either hanging or folding.
9. For polyester-filled pillows, use a laundry mesh bag and wash on a gentle or low setting. Air dry or use a dryer at a low temperature.

Additional tips include preventing static electricity by using fabric softener, restoring brightness with a detergent-vinegar solution or oxygen-based brighteners, and properly washing workout clothes to prevent odor. Remember to follow care instructions and avoid high heat and bleach.

How to Wash Polyester Garments

Polyester is a resilient material, so it can withstand regular laundering. As such, you can wash your tops and bottoms after every wear. Make sure you always check the laundry symbols or instructions, though, since you can't wash some polyester fabrics.

Here are the steps for how to wash polyester:

Step #1 - Sort

Like other fabrics, the process begins with sorting the items based on color: white, light-colored, and dark-colored. You must also sort stained garments or linens so that you can pre-treat them before washing them. Check for any rips, holes, and tears on the fabric.

Step #2 - Pre-Treat (Skip for Unstained Fabrics)

For fabrics with non-oil-based and fresh oil-based stains, you can pre-treat the stains using two different methods:

Using Detergent or Stain Remover

1. Dab a little amount of stain remover or heavy-duty detergent on the stain using a piece of cotton or white cloth.
2. Leave it for at least 15 minutes.
3. Slowly wipe off the stain.

Using Mild Dishwashing Soap

1. Dampen your fabric with water.
2. Place a small amount of mild dishwashing soap on your finger and dab it on top of the stain.
3. Gently rub with your fingers or a piece of white cloth, making sure you only focus on the stained area to prevent it from spreading.

Once the stain is gone, you can proceed to the next step. If not, repeat the steps above. For old or stubborn oil-based stains, it’s best to bring the garment to a professional launderer.

Step #3 - Repair (Skip for Fabrics Without Holes, Rips, and Tears)

All you have to do for ripped polyester seams is sew them by hand or with the help of a sewing machine. Of course, make sure you use threads of similar colors. Holes and tears, though, might need patching, depending on the size. (How to sew a patch)

On the other hand, if you have knitted polyester garments with snags, you can bring the errant thread from the fabric’s front to its opposite or wrong side. You can do this with the help of a needle.

If you have an expensive polyester garment, it’s best to let a professional fix the issue.

Step #4 - Turn the Fabric Inside Out

If you’re washing tops, bottoms, pillowcases, and fitted sheets, you must turn them inside out. The reason is that polyester tends to pill and snag, especially when machine-washed. (Pilling on clothes)

Step #5 - How to Wash Polyester

You can hand or machine-wash your polyester fabric, depending on the care tag. With that said, below are the proper procedures in doing so.

How to Wash Polyester by Hand

1. Fill your basin, tub, or sink with cold water.
2. Add the right amount of mild detergent.
3. Gently swirl your fabrics around the container with the water-detergent solution. Make sure you do this long enough to lift the dirt.
4. Rinse the fabrics by running them through the faucet or in a basin filled with clean, cold water.

How to Wash Polyester by Machine

1. Add enough water to your machine, and set it cold or warm and synthetics or permanent press cycle. Do not use hot water.
2. Add the right amount of heavy-duty, enzyme-containing types of detergent to your machine’s drum or soap dispenser.
3. Load the machine with your fabrics. Make sure you only add a few so that they have enough space to move around.

Step #6 - How to Dry Polyester

For hand-washed fabrics, remove excess water by gently folding the fabric and press into a clean sink, basin, or tub. Continue doing so until there’s only a little amount of water left. You may also choose to lay the fabric on top of a clean, white towel and then roll.

For machine-safe polyester fabrics, remove your garments from the washer and then place them in your dryer. Set your dryer to permanent or synthetic or low temperature to preserve the fabric’s quality.

You can also opt for air-drying. All you have to do is hang your washed polyester fabric over a clothes rack. Make sure you don’t hang them directly in the sun.

Step #7 - Store

Once your polyester garments are dry, make sure you store them immediately in your closet or drawers. Experts prefer hanging them instead of folding them, but you can do both. Generally, you should hang woven and tightly knitted items, and you can fold loosely knitted ones.

For long-term storage, make sure you place the folded ones in a plastic tub, while those that you need to hang in a garment bag protect the fabric from dirt, unwanted odor, and pests.

How to Wash Polyester Filled Pillows

Most, if not all, pillows filled with pure polyester require professional dry cleaning, which is usually costly. The good news is you can wash them, but make sure you don’t do it regularly. The steps on how to wash pillows are the same, but below are special care instructions for polyester-filled ones.

How to Wash Polyester Pillows:

1. When washing using a machine, place the pillow in a laundry mesh bag to protect it from possible damage due to the machine’s movements.
2. If all you have is a top-loading machine with its agitator located in the middle, you’re better off handwashing your polyester pillows.
3. Don’t wash any other items with your polyester pillows. Place only one or two of them in the machine.
4. Set your machine to the gentlest or lowest setting.
5. Use cold water only and add a higher amount of fabric softener than usual.
6. Many delicate pillow materials, like feathers and small polyester fibers, clump together when wet.
7. Polyester fillings will clump when wet, so make sure you shake the pillow out or punch it once you take it out of the washer.
8. Spin dry or place in a drying bag or wrap the pillow in a clean, white towel and then place in the dryer set to sensitive or the lowest temperature.
9. It’s always best to let the pillow air dry in a warm, clean place and not placed directly under the sun.

Other Tips on How to Wash Polyester Fabric

The information provided above only details the right steps and techniques for how to wash polyester. Below are some other expert tips that can help maintain the fabric's quality when washing.

Preventing Static Electricity

As a synthetic type of material, polyester fabric will almost always create static electricity when you place it in a dryer. That is brought about by the friction created when they rub against each other. You can prevent this from happening by adding a good amount of fabric softener in the washing process.

How to Wash Polyester and Restore Brightness

As with any other fabric, white polyester can soon look yellowish because of detergent residue that hasn’t been rinsed off properly and got stuck in the fibers. Bleach is always the first agent that comes to mind, BUT it will damage your polyesters.

That said, for yellowed-white polyester fabrics, here’s what you need to do:

1. Make a detergent-vinegar solution by mixing equal parts of distilled white vinegar and detergent. You may also replace the vinegar with water.
2. Soak the fabrics in the solution for six to eight hours.
3. Remove the fabric from the solution and drain the tub.
4. Remove excess water from the fabric without wringing it. You can gently press on the wet fabric.
5. Rinse the fabric with running water or clean water placed in a clean basin, tub, or sink.
6. Remove excess water as discussed above.
7. Wash the fabric starting from Step #3 (handwashing) up to the last step of how to wash polyester garments.

For colored polyester items that have lost their brightness, use oxygen-based brighteners instead of color-safe bleach. Bleach-based or chemical-based brighteners will strip away the fabric’s coating.

With your eco-friendly, oxygen-based brighteners, here’s what you need to do:

1. Dilute your oxygen-based brightener with the right amount of cold water. Follow the product’s directions.
2. Submerge your polyester garments in the solution.
3. Let them soak for at least two hours, longer for those that are too dull.
4. Rinse the fabric with running water or clean water placed in a clean basin, tub, or sink.
5. Remove excess water as discussed above.
6. Wash the fabric starting from Step #3 (handwashing) up to the last step of how to wash polyester garments.

How to Wash Polyester Workout or Exercise Clothes

It is very common for workout and sportswear to be made from polyester. Ideally, you must wash polyester garments right after working out or exercising because microorganisms can grow in the fibers. If not, it can leave a foul smell that can stay even after you wash them.

If that’s not possible since you don't have enough time, make sure you hang your clothes outside to air dry before placing them in the laundry bin. It’s also best to have a separate bin for them. Then, before washing them, soak them in a diluted vinegar solution for an hour. That is one tablespoon of distilled white vinegar to one gallon of water.

How to Wash Polyester- In Conclusion

As a durable material often combined with other fabrics, there are different ways to care for polyester-made items. Referring to the care tag is always the number rule.

The major takeaways on how to wash polyester garments, linens, and pillows are:

• Do not use high heat and bleach.
• Avoid direct exposure to sunlight,
• Do not wash without taking care of stains, rips, tears, and holes.
• Air dry and pre-soak used workout clothes that you can't wash immediately.
• Don't overdry your polyesters and overload your machines.
• Wash with the inside out.

Whether made of 100% polyester or not, it's always best to follow the tips and techniques provided in this guide on how to wash polyester.

More Washing Articles

Now you know all about how to wash polyester, it is time to learn more washing techniques. Here are some related articles: