How to Clean a Nylon Jacket

Removing Stains

Apply mild detergent and water to food or drink stains. Old or new food or drink stains can be removed by putting 3 drops of mild, bleach-free laundry detergent onto a clean cloth, and adding a few drops of water to the cloth. Apply the detergent solution to the stain on the nylon, and allow the solution to sit for 15 minutes. Using a different clean, wet cloth, wipe the detergent from the stain. Use a dry cloth to blot the remaining moisture from the spot. The newer the stain is, the easier it will be to remove. Try to remove food or drink stains as soon as you notice them.

Blot a grease stain with paper towels and solvent. First, get as much of the grease off the jacket as you can with dry high-absorbent paper towels. Keep blotting with the paper towels until no more grease soaks onto them. Next, in a ventilated space, spray a high-grade cleaning solvent such as Simple Green, some dish soap, or a stain remover such as Shout onto some paper towels and then dab at the stained area until the stain is gone. Wipe the area dry with some dry paper towels. Do not apply cleaning solvents directly to the nylon. Lightly spray paper towels with solvent and gently dab those onto the jacket. Wear gloves while working with cleaning solvents.

Freeze chewing gum with an ice pack or in the freezer. If you get chewing gum or another waxy substance onto your jacket, freeze it with an ice pack or put the jacket into the freezer until the gum is solid. Break the solid gum up into fragments and remove them with a scraping tool. You may need to repeat this process until all the gum is gone. After the gum is gone, remove any remaining stain from the jacket by using the process from step one for food and drink stains.

Spray blood, urine, or vomit stains with hydrogen peroxide. Apply a 3% strength hydrogen peroxide solution to directly these types of stains. Hydrogen peroxide will weaken the stain and neutralize the odor. Rinse with water and wash the entire jacket as usual.

Washing by Hand

Fill a clean wash basin or sink with lukewarm water. Add a mild bleach-free detergent to the water and mix it around. Prepare your jacket by emptying pockets and removing any stains.

Swish the jacket in the detergent water for 3 to 5 minutes. Use your hands to rub the jacket gently in the tub of detergent water. After 3 to 5 minutes, rinse all detergent from the jacket using fresh water. You can fill another basin with fresh warm water or use warm running water to rinse.

Squeeze the jacket gently to remove excess water. Don’t wring the jacket too much, or this could cause damage or wrinkles. Shake the jacket gently to remove any forming wrinkles.

Lay your jacket flat or hang it up to dry. Lay the jacket flat on a clean bath towel and reshape it. You can then gently roll the towel up with the jacket inside to soak up any extra moisture. If you do this, lay the jacket on a new dry towel to remain drying. Or, you can hang the jacket up on a hanger to dry.

Washing in a Machine

Read the care tag on the jacket if it has one. Any special instructions for washing your jacket in a machine will appear on the washing instructions. If the jacket does not have a care tag, use these steps for occasionally washing your jacket in a machine.

Sort your laundry and select a gentle cycle on your washer. Wash a nylon jacket with other similar items such as nylon shorts, or by itself. Choose the gentle cycle on your washer. Use warm water, not hot or cold, for the washing temperature.

Add mild bleach-free detergent and load your jacket into the washer. Nylon items do not need a special detergent, but avoid using detergents that contain bleach. Bleach can discolor nylon fabrics.

Remove your jacket promptly from the washer when it’s done. As soon as the wash cycle is complete, remove your jacket and shake it a bit to remove wrinkles. You should typically drip-dry nylon jackets. Place the jacket on a non-staining hanger and hang it up to dry. If the care tag says that the jacket can be dried in a dryer, put the dryer on the lowest temperature setting possible and remove it promptly when finished. Nylon does not take long to dry, so check it frequently and remove it as soon as it is dry.