- General Care
- Columbia Fleece
- Rain Jackets
- Windbreakers
- Natural Down Insulation
- Synthetic Down Insulation
- Columbia Technologies
General tips to extend the life of garments:
- COLOR: To improve the color fastness of your clothing, add vinegar to the first washload of dark colors for natural fibers or cotton/poly blends.
- STAINS: To reduce permanent stains, treat them as quickly as possible. Start by blotting or sponging the stain to remove as much as possible before treatment. Never rub the stain as it can cause the stain to spread or force the stain deeper into the fabric. Rubbing can also cause abrasion damage to the fabric.
- WASHING: To reduce wear from washing, do not wash clean clothing. Excessive washing causes clothing to wear out faster, so wearing a garment multiple times before washing extends the life of the garment. To reduce snags and damage from washing, ensure that garments are completely closed up; zip-up all zippers, secure any hooks or loops and close all snaps and buttons.
- DRYING: To reduce heat damage from drying, hang dry your garments or dry them flat. Heat and agitation in the dryer environment can cause clothing to wear out at an accelerated rate. If you do use a dryer, use the lowest heat setting advisable.
- STORAGE: To keep your gear safe for next season, store it in a clean, dust-free, and dry environment.
Washing and caring for Columbia fleece products:
- WASHING: Wash in cold water on the delicate or hand-wash cycle. Separate wash loads by color and fabric weight. Washing light and dark-colored clothing separately will help to maintain color integrity. Avoid washing lightweight clothing with heavyweight clothing to avoid friction and damage to lighter-weight fabrics.
- CLEANING SOLVENTS: Use a mild detergent, preferably non-toxic and biodegradable. Do not bleach or add fabric softener, the strong chemicals can degrade the fleece over time.
- DRYING: To reduce shrinkage and reduce energy usage, hang dry or dry flat. If a dryer is used, dry on low heat.
- IRONING: Do not Iron 100% poly fleece. Iron on low setting if needed for cotton-majority fleece.
Washing and caring for a Columbia rain jacket:
- WASHING: Wash with cold water on the delicate or hand-wash cycle. To avoid friction and pilling, ensure all hooks and loops (velcro) are closed. Washing your jacket will help to maintain the water-repellant features of your jacket. If you have a High-efficiency (HE) top-loader washing machine, check the machine manual since waterproof clothing can interfere with or cause damage to HE washing machines.
- CLEANING SOLVENTS: Use a mild detergent, preferably non-toxic and biodegradable. Do not bleach or add fabric softener, the strong chemicals can break down the waterproofing elements that keep you dry and happy.
- DRYING: When drying, hang dry or dry flat in areas with plenty of ventilation. This will prevent the peeling or melting of the inner waterproof coatings. The garment can be tumble dried on low heat, but ensure the garment is right side out and zipped up. The inner coating can stick to the walls of the dryer and cause friction, which may tear or melt the waterproof coating. If you are using the dryer, add a towel or two to absorb some of the moisture and help tumble the garment softer.
- IRONING: DO NOT IRON. The inner coating and seam sealing is applied by heat and will melt if it comes in contact with high heat, and may ruin your iron.
- STORING: Make sure to hang your jacket until dry after use. Storing a wet crumpled garment can cause mold and mildew.
Washing and caring for a Columbia windbreaker:
- WASHING: Wash with cold water on the delicate or hand-wash cycle. To avoid friction and pilling, ensure all hooks and loops (velcro) are closed.
- CLEANING SOLVENTS: Use a mild detergent, preferably non-toxic and biodegradable. Do not bleach or add fabric softener, the strong chemicals can break down the waterproofing elements that keep you dry and happy.
- DRYING: When drying, hang dry or dry flat in areas with plenty of ventilation.
- IRONING: DO NOT IRON. The inner coating and seam sealing is applied by heat and will melt if it comes in contact with high heat, and may ruin your iron.
- STORING: Make sure to hang your jacket until dry after use. Storing a wet crumpled garment can cause mold and mildew.
Washing and caring for Columbia clothing with natural down insulation:
- WASHING: Before washing, close all zippers and flaps, and brush off any loose dirt or grime. Then, turn your garment inside out if possible. Wash in a front-load washing machine in cold water on a gentle cycle. The agitator in top load machines could damage your garment.
- CLEANING SOLVENTS: Use mild detergent or down-specific detergent to preserve the feathers and extend the life of the garment, preferably non-toxic and biodegradable. Do not bleach or add fabric softener, the strong chemicals can degrade the materials over time.
- DRYING: Dry on low to no heat, this might take a few cycles, but high heat can damage the feathers or the fabric.
- To help restore the fluffiness of the down, add two or three clean tennis balls to your dryer. Check the garment every 15-20 minutes to pull apart clumps. This process will help ensure that feathers are distributed evenly and the garment is completely dry which will prevent mold.
- IRONING: DO NOT IRON. The inner coating and seam sealing may be applied by heat and will melt if in contact with high heat, and may ruin your iron.
- STORING: Before storing, ensure your garment is clean and completely dry.
Washing and caring for Columbia clothing with synthetic down insulation
- WASHING: Before washing, close all zippers and flaps, and brush off any loose dirt or grime. Then, turn your garment inside out. Wash in a front-load washing machine in cold water on a gentle cycle. The agitator in top load machines could damage your garment.
- CLEANING SOLVENTS: Use mild detergent or down-specific detergent to preserve the feathers and extend the life of the garment, preferably non-toxic and biodegradable. Do not bleach or add fabric softener, the strong chemicals can degrade the materials over time.
- DRYING: Tumble dry on low heat, remove promptly after the dry cycle.
- IRONING: DO NOT IRON. The inner coating and seam sealing may be applied by heat and will melt if in contact with high heat, and may ruin your iron.
- STORING: Before storing, ensure your garment is clean and completely dry.
Special Care Instructions for Columbia Technologies
In addition to the product care instructions on our website and on the care label of your garment, the following instructions will help to enhance performance for Columbia technologies:
Omni-Freeze Zero
Do not bleach, use fabric softeners or stain removers as the chemicals can degrade the cooling performance of Omni-Freeze Zero.
Omni-Shield
To best maintain Omni-Shield’s stain-resistant properties, do not wash in hot water or iron.
Omni-Shield Blood ‘N Guts
To best maintain Omni-Shield’s stain-resistant properties, do not wash in hot water or iron.
OutDry
To best protect the OutDry water-repellent membrane, make sure your gear is clean and dry before storing.
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