How to wash and care for acid wash clothing
An acid wash garment has already lived a little before it reaches you: it was deliberately faded to get that uneven black and that texture. Looked after properly, it keeps that look for a long time and gains even more character. Washed the wrong way, it can turn dull, shrink or bleed. Here's the right method.
Acid wash: what you need to know
Acid wash fading creates lighter and darker areas on the fabric. These variations are normal and part of the piece: two garments of the same model are never exactly identical. With each wash, the contrast evolves gently. That's the idea behind our "built to fade" world.
Washing in 5 rules
- Wash inside out. Always turn your piece inside out before it goes in the machine: friction wears the inside rather than the visible side and the embroidery.
- Cold or 30 °C maximum. Hot water speeds up fading and can shrink a thick fabric.
- Only with dark colours. Especially for the first washes: a faded piece can still bleed slightly.
- Gentle detergent, no bleach or stain remover. Also avoid too much fabric softener, which clogs the fibres of heavyweight fabrics.
- Moderate spin. A spin that's too strong marks the fabric and wears out the seams.
Drying: the most important step
No tumble dryer. It's the number one cause of shrinking and warping, even more so on a thick fabric. Dry flat or on a wide hanger, away from direct sunlight, which makes the fading uneven. A heavyweight fabric like 600 GSM takes longer to dry: give it time.
Ironing and embroidery
If needed, iron at a low temperature, always inside out, and never directly on the embroidery. A quick steam is usually enough: heavyweight fabrics barely crease.
Wash less often
A heavyweight hoodie or t-shirt doesn't need washing after every wear. Just air it out between wears. Fewer washes means colour that lasts longer and fibres that stay dense.
In short
- Inside out, cold, with dark colours.
- Gentle detergent, no bleach.
- Never in the dryer, dry flat.
- Wash less often.
These tips apply to the SH4DE Zip Hoodie as well as the SH4DE T-Shirt. If in doubt, the care label sewn into the piece is the reference. To learn everything about their fabrics, read our article on fabric weight.
