Fleece Is Not Low-Maintenance — It’s Just Different Maintenance
Many people treat fleece workwear as a wash-and-forget garment. In practice, fleece requires specific care to maintain its pile height, thermal performance, and appearance. Fleece washed incorrectly consistently looks matted, flattened, and tired within months. Fleece washed correctly retains its loft and appearance for years of regular use.
Washing Fleece Correctly
Temperature: 30°C is the ideal. 40°C is acceptable for lightly soiled fleeces. Above 40°C is unnecessary and begins to affect pile quality in some fabrics. Spin speed: use a low spin setting — maximum 800rpm. High-speed spinning compresses and matts the pile in ways that persist after drying. Detergent: use a standard liquid detergent at half the recommended dose. Powder detergent residues can accumulate in fleece pile and reduce breathability over time.
Never use fabric softener on fleece. Fabric softener coats the fibres and reduces both thermal performance and moisture management. It also causes pile fibres to clump together rather than standing individually, degrading the loft that gives fleece its warmth.
Drying Fleece Correctly
Tumble dry on low heat is ideal — heat gently restores pile height after compression during washing. Remove the fleece while still slightly damp and shake it vigorously to lift the pile before final drying at room temperature. Never dry fleece at high heat — this melts and flattens synthetic pile permanently.
Air drying is also fine — lay flat or hang on a broad hanger. Hanging a wet fleece on a thin wire hanger for extended periods creates shoulder compression marks that are difficult to fully reverse.
Dealing With Pilling on Fleece
Fleece is prone to pilling in high-friction areas — underarms, cuffs, and where a bag or seatbelt regularly contacts the garment. A fabric shaver removes surface pilling effectively. On fleece, run the shaver very lightly to avoid cutting the pile fibres themselves.
Browse our fleece workwear range in our workwear shop or contact us for care advice on specific garments.