You know how it is – you’ve just come back from an amazing snowmobile adventure and your jacket is covered in mud and snow. How do you clean it so that it looks as good as new? Is there a special way to clean a snowmobile jacket? What items do you even need for this task?
Well, winter can be a magical time of the year, but the downside is all the snow and slush that comes with it. If you’re a snowmobile enthusiast, you know the importance of keeping your gear in top condition. But cleaning a snowmobile jacket? That may sound like a hectic task.
But don’t worry! We’ve got your back with some tips on how to clean your snowmobile jacket and make it look like new. So grab your cleaning supplies and let’s get started!
Table of Contents
- 1 Initial Thought
- 2 Supplies for Cleaning Your Snowmobile Jacket
- 3 Preparing the Snowmobile Jacket for Cleaning
- 4 Cleaning With a Washing Machine
- 5 Hand-Washing the Snowmobile Jacket
- 6 Drying and Finishing the Snowmobile Jacket
- 7 How To Maintain Your Snowmobile Jacket Outerwear
- 8 Additional Tips to Keep Your Snowmobile Jacket Clean
- 9 Conclusion
Initial Thought
Whether you’re a seasoned snowmobiler or just a beginner looking to explore the winter wonderland, knowing how to clean your snowmobile jacket is essential for both safety and style. After all, the snowmobile jacket is a winter essential for any snowmobiling enthusiast!
But what do you do when it gets grimy and dirty from the snow and mud? Well, you can try traditional methods like washing them in the machine or scrubbing them with a brush.
Or, you can take a more comical approach and clean your snowmobile jacket with the help of a vacuum cleaner, a blow dryer, and a little bit of elbow grease. But it has to be more than that!
Here’s your easy guide on how to clean your snowmobile jacket and get the job done right. So grab your cleaning supplies and let’s get started having fun cleaning your snowmobile jacket!
Supplies for Cleaning Your Snowmobile Jacket
Now before you even get started, you’ll need some supplies to help get the job done. Here’s what you’ll need:
- A bucket or container that can hold water
- Liquid detergent
- A sponge or cloth
- A toothbrush (optional)
- Salt (optional)
Once you have your supplies right by your side, fill your bucket with water and add some laundry detergent. Stir until the soap is dissolved. After that, dunk your sponge or cloth into the soapy water and wipe down the jacket. The point here is to get rid of removable grime.
If there are any tough stains, you can use a toothbrush to scrub them off. Then give the jacket a complete rinse with clean water and hang it to dry. (You can add salt to the rinse water to help prevent snow and ice from sticking to the jacket, that is if you’re feeling a bit more vibrant).
Preparing the Snowmobile Jacket for Cleaning
It’s important to get your snowmobile jacket ready for cleaning. This simply means removing all the accessories such as the hood, sleeves, and front zipper, and cleaning them separately.
Also, be sure to check the care instructions on your jacket. Some materials, like leather and suede, require a different type of cleaning than others. And in case you’re not sure what to do, it’s always best to consult a professional.
Cleaning With a Washing Machine
The first thing to hit most people’s minds when dealing with a dirty jacket is to machine wash, so here’s how to do it:
- Turn the jacket inside out and zip it up as much as possible.
- Place it in the washer on a gentle cycle with cold water.
- Add a mild detergent and let it run through a full wash cycle.
- Remove the jacket and hang it to air dry.
Note that aside from machine washing, regular cleaning is essential for the performance of your riding gear. Check through the manufacturer’s guidelines and suggestions for washing and follow them carefully, using a gentle cycle.
Consider fastening all zippers and closures before washing. It is recommended to use a regular liquid laundry detergent and a warm (110°F/40°C) machine wash in DWR treatments or a high-performance cleaner to completely remove all the detergent residue from the cloth.
To rejuvenate the durable water-repellent layer often found on snowmobile jackets, you can tumble dry it on a low heat setting. Avoid using fabric softeners, bleach, stain removers, or dry cleaning your snowmobile jacket. And since hot iron might permanently ruin the fabric, it’s best not to use one in an attempt to refresh the DWR finish.
Hand-Washing the Snowmobile Jacket
If the snowmobile jacket isn’t too dirty, some good hand washing may do the trick. Start by filling a bucket with lukewarm water and a mild detergent- specialized options are best but any non-abrasive, low-suds liquid detergent will serve just fine.
Again, be sure to check the jacket’s tags for fabric care instructions. If you can, consider using a mixture of hot and cold water – this is especially important if you’re dealing with grease and oil stains. Put your jacket into the soapy water, but be careful not to rub or scrub too hard as this could damage or fray the fabric. Give it a few gentle stirs with your hands before taking it out and running it under cold water to rinse off all of the soap residues.
Once you have finished rinsing your snowmobile jacket, dangle it outside to hang dry in the sun. It’s best to keep it from drying directly in sunlight though. You don’t want your jacket to fade either.
Drying and Finishing the Snowmobile Jacket
Once you’re done washing the jacket, it’s time to dry it. To ensure that it dries properly, it is best to hang the jacket up in a well-ventilated area. You may want to put a towel or sheet underneath the jacket to catch any excess water droplets, that is so you wish.
Don’t put your snowmobile jacket in the dryer or use an open flame. This can cause significant damage to your garment, which is obviously the last thing you want. If you have a drying cabinet, you may use that instead- just make sure that it is on the lowest setting.
Once your snowmobile jacket is completely dry, you may want to apply a waterproofing spray or spray-on protector to help increase its lifetime and keep it looking good as new!
How To Maintain Your Snowmobile Jacket Outerwear
Your jacket‘s outerwear most likely features durable water repellent (DWR) treatment (applied during manufacturing). In wet conditions, this solid DWR performance keeps the line of defense and may even cause moisture to just bunch up on the surface fabric and then roll off.
Over time, however, the DWR finish may deteriorate and will sometimes need some replenishment. The best part about maintaining the DWR finish is that it will ensure the best performance from the garment. In fact, you can test the DWR finish of your garment by softly misting or splashing it with water to see if the water beads up or is absorbed by the fabric.
You will know it’s time to rejuvenate the DWR finish if the outerwear of your jacket wets out, in which case we suggest using DWR replenishing products such as TX.Direct Spary-On or Nikwax TX.Direct Wash-In. Conductive heat loss can easily make your ride less enjoyable.
Moreover, heat-induced drying can help recharge the DWR on the jacket‘s surface. To ensure that the DWR is reactivated, you might want to put the GORE-TEX fabric into the dryer for about twenty minutes as long as it is completely dry. Note that DWR is crucial and your gear’s surface fabric will “wet out” more quickly without it. The GORE-TEX membrane will keep you dry on the inside, but conductive heat loss can soon make your day not so enjoyable.
The explanation behind this is that air loses heat 23 times more quickly than water. Therefore, to restrain conductive heat loss, the DWR will have to operate to its maximum. But then again, DWR is rather temporary and will wear over time. Although drying frequently reactivates it, reapplying a DWR treatment is an important step in improving comfort.
After your gear is dry, spray it with water from a bottle or sprinkle some on with your hands. If it beads up and rolls off the gear, you’re good to go. Go riding! If it soaks in quickly, it’s time to re-apply.
When your jacket is completely dry, sprinkle some water on it with your hands or so. You know you’re good to go if the water beads up and then rolls off the gear. Otherwise, if the outwear absorbs water quite faster, it’s definitely the right time to reapply.
Additional Tips to Keep Your Snowmobile Jacket Clean
In addition to regular cleaning and maintaining your snowmobile jacket, there are several preventive measures you can take to keep your jacket looking and performing its best.
Here are a few tips we’d recommend:
Hang your snowmobile jacket up in a well-ventilated area away from direct sunlight when it’s not in use. Not only will this help prevent odors from building up, but it will also reduce the chances of mold or mildew forming due to moisture build-up and maintain durable waterproofness.
Avoid dry cleaning and using chlorine bleach. This is how you improve the overall lifespan of the fabric surface on your snowmobile jacket.
Another thing is to remove any loose dirt and debris before storing it; this will help keep your jacket clean and looking sharp.
Always remember to read the manufacturer’s instructions before you start washing; this will help avoid any potential mistakes that could damage the fabric or cause fading in the colors. It will also help to know the recommended liquid detergent.
When possible, opt for using cooler water temperatures when washing and drying; this is gentler on materials like Goretex or nylon and helps with retaining color vibrancy over time.
It’s amazing how following these simple steps can help ensure that your snowmobile jacket remains clean and in like-new condition for seasons to come.
Conclusion
If you use a snowmobile, you know how important it is to keep your gear in good condition. But when it comes to cleaning a snowmobile jacket, you need to know the best way to do it, whether there’s any special technique you can use to ensure your jacket looks as good as new as well as what products should you use to get the job done right.
The good news is that cleaning your snowmobile jacket is a pretty straightforward process. Just follow these simple steps, and your snowmobile jacket will be good as new in no time!
