Tips for Cleaning Corduroy

Corduroy is great for cold weather wear, but it can be a b*tch to keep lint-free and looking good. Here are a few things I’ve learned about laundering corduroy clothing, after a couple of unhappy experiences… Hey, someone should be able to profit from my laundry blunders!

• As with all cotton fabrics, wash your corduroy gear in lukewarm or cold water.
• You can wash it by hand or in the washing machine, your choice. If there’s a lining of a different fabric, however, be sure that the lining is also washable!
• Always, always, always turn a corduroy garment inside out to wash it. That way, it picks up less unsightly lint if you accidentally wash it with something fluffy (or if you forget a tissue in your pocket). The ribs of the corduroy will rub against each other and stay nice and full-looking.
• Unless you really want to shrink the item (or unless you know for sure that it’s pre-shrunk), dry it without heat. Yes, you can tumble it in the dryer — still inside-out — but use very low heat or the air-dry setting.
• If you choose to hang up a corduroy garment to dry naturally, it’ll probably need a touch-up with an iron before you wear it. I really hate ironing, so I usually give me corduroy a quick tumble in the dryer (no heat) when it’s almost dry, and that takes the curse off it very efficiently.
• If you do need to press it, iron your corduroy on the wrong side to avoid crushing the pile, and don’t press too hard. I like to put a fat towel down on the ironing board for soft padding. Do your ironing while the clothing is still slightly damp, or use a steam iron. That way you can press out the wrinkles with a very light touch.
• Oh, and about the lint — here’s the big secret. Lint comes off corduroy much more easily if the fabric is slightly damp. This applies to dog and cat hair, too, by the way! Once the material is dry, the hairs and lint will stick on firmly despite the best effort of your clothing brush.
• The sticky-roller type of clothing brush works especially well on corduroy, but it’s not essential — an ordinary clothes brush will do the trick. If you can’t find your clothes brush, just use the sticky side of masking tape or duct tape.