Originally designed for outdoor enthusiasts and always on-trend, The North Face has evolved into a stylish yet practical brand, and people are willing to pay more for these warm, good-looking jackets. Many of them use waterproof materials, and if you own a North Face GORE-TEX jacket, you'll want to take extra care when washing it. Since all of its outerwear choices are not cheap, you'll want to do whatever you can to keep your jacket in good condition for as long as you can.
North Face GORE-TEX Jackets
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Decades ago, Bill Gore and his son, Bob Gore, founded the GORE-TEX company. They experimented with synthetic polymer polytetrafluoroethylene and discovered that when stretched, it turned into a tough, microporous membrane material that was waterproof, breathable and windproof. Every square inch of GORE-TEX has 9 billion pores smaller than a water droplet, preventing moisture from getting in.
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Today, GORE-TEX is used in sneakers, gloves, hats, outerwear and North Face GORE-TEX jackets among other things. Manufacturers use it in a softer, lighter, two-layer construction or heavy-duty, three-layer construction. The North Face uses GORE-TEX in a large selection of its children's, women's and men's jackets and vests.
Caring for a North Face GORE-TEX Jacket
The North Face stresses the importance of reading the jacket's label before washing its products. You should wash it to remove odors and dirt, but you don't have to wash it after each wear. Do not use stain removers. Instead, you should use a liquid detergent in the machine's prewash cycle or soak the jacket in the detergent and water before washing. Don't use powder detergents, fabric softeners or bleach on your North Face GORE-TEX jacket.
You should wash GORE-TEX garments in warm but not hot water with a little bit of liquid detergent. Use the gentle cycle because excessive spinning in the machine could cause damage. You don't need to wash these jackets separately as long as the other garments in the machine are not heavily soiled. A second rinse cycle will help make sure that all the detergent and soil are out. If the label says that dry cleaning is fine, you can do that as well.
Washing North Face Puffer Jackets
The North Face also sells down jackets, and they recommend sending these to a dry cleaner. Other sources claim that you can wash these puffer jackets at home. If you are unsure, read the product label first. You can try to wash the coat at home if the instructions authorize your doing so. However, avoid washing these jackets in top-loader washing machines with center-mounted agitators. You should only wash them in front-loading washing machines.
Check the jacket pockets and empty them, leaving the pockets unzipped but closing any Velcro pockets to prevent damage to the material. Wash the jacket on a gentle, warm-water cycle with nothing else in the machine. Be sure to use a laundry detergent designed for down garments.
As for drying the jacket, you can put it in the dryer with a few dryer balls or tennis balls to make it dry faster and fluffier. Only use the lowest heat for a short amount of time and then check the jacket to see if it's dry enough. You can also air dry it.