Step by step: how to wash polyester so it stays smooth and smells fresh
- 1
Read the care label and sort
Check the label for the wash temperature and drying symbols, and for blends with spandex, rayon or wool, which need gentler care. Wash polyester with similar colors and weights. Keep it away from towels and fleece, which shed lint that clings to synthetic fabric.
- 2
Pretreat oily spots and collars
Rub liquid detergent or a stain remover into collars, underarms and any greasy spots and leave it for 10 to 15 minutes. Polyester attracts body oils and cooking grease, and an oily stain that goes through a hot dryer becomes much harder to remove.
- 3
Turn items inside out and close zippers
Turning polyester inside out cuts down on pilling and snagging and lets the detergent reach the side that touched your skin. Zip zippers, fasten hooks and put sheer or delicate pieces in a mesh bag.
- 4
Choose the cycle and temperature
Use a normal or permanent press cycle for everyday polyester and a gentle cycle for blouses and thin fabrics. Warm water helps lift body oils from activewear; cool water is fine for lightly worn clothes and dark colors. Never go hotter than the label allows.
- 5
Leave room in the drum
Fill the washer no more than about three quarters full so clothes move freely through the water. An overloaded drum leaves oily soil behind, and that is where the lingering smell in polyester comes from.
- 6
Dry on low or hang
Tumble dry on low or medium heat and take items out promptly while they are barely damp, then hang or fold them right away to prevent wrinkles. Hanging to dry is gentlest and also cuts static.
- 7
Iron cool if you need to
Most polyester comes out of the dryer smooth if you remove it promptly. If it needs pressing, use the synthetic or low setting, iron inside out, and use a pressing cloth on shiny fabrics.
What temperature and cycle should you use for polyester?
Warm water on a normal or permanent press cycle suits most polyester, with low or medium heat in the dryer. Use the table below as a starting point, then follow the label.
| Item | Wash | Dry |
|---|---|---|
| 100% polyester shirts and trousers | Warm, permanent press | Low or medium, remove promptly |
| Polyester activewear with spandex | Warmest the label allows, inside out | Hang, or lowest heat |
| Polyester blouses and chiffon | Cool, gentle, mesh bag | Hang to dry |
| Polyester cotton blends | Warm, normal | Medium, remove promptly |
| Polyester fleece | Cool, gentle, inside out | Low, or hang |
Tide’s guidance on drying is to dry cottons on high and synthetics on medium or low, or to pull the synthetics out of a mixed load as soon as they are dry. Polyester is a thermoplastic fiber: heat softens it, which is how wrinkles get set in and how a too-hot iron leaves a shiny or melted patch.
Why polyester holds smells, and how to fix it
Polyester holds smells because it attracts oily body soil, and odor-causing residue builds up when the oil is not fully washed out. The fix is better washing, not more fragrance.
Tide explains that most performance workout clothes are synthetic and that synthetic fibers act as magnets for greasy body soils, which then break down into unpleasant smells. Its advice: turn activewear inside out, wash it as soon as you can (or let it air dry before it goes in the hamper), do not overload the machine, and use the warmest water the care label allows.
- For a stubborn smell, soak the items for an hour or more in warm water with oxygen bleach, then wash.
- Skip fabric softener on activewear; it can coat wicking fabrics.
- For sweat that has already built up, see our guide to getting sweat smell out of clothes.
Can you bleach polyester?
Yes, white 100% polyester is bleach-safe in most cases, but anything with even a little spandex is not. Check the label first.
Clorox says white 100% polyester shirts can be presoaked for 5 minutes in 1/4 cup of bleach per gallon of cool water, then washed hot with detergent and 1/3 cup of bleach. If the garment contains spandex (also sold as Lycra or elastane), it recommends a long soak in an oxygen-based, color-safe stain remover instead.
For colored polyester, use oxygen bleach only. Dingy whites and stains on white shirts are covered step by step in our guide to removing stains from white clothes.
Mistakes to avoid
- Drying polyester on high heat, which sets wrinkles and can leave shiny or melted spots.
- Washing polyester with towels, so it comes out covered in lint.
- Overloading the washer, which leaves oily soil and odors in the fabric.
- Using chlorine bleach on polyester that contains spandex.
- Leaving sweaty activewear balled up in a gym bag for days before washing.
Products that make this easier
Optional. Everything above works with basic supplies; these just save time or effort.
- See it on Amazon
Everyday detergent
Tide Free & Gentle Liquid Laundry Detergent
A dye-free, perfume-free liquid that dissolves well in warm or cool water, so it does not leave residue on synthetic fabric.
- See it on Amazon
For activewear
HEX Performance Activewear Laundry Detergent
Made for synthetic sportswear that holds body odor. It is an extra product to buy if your regular detergent already works.
- See it on Amazon
For collars and oily spots
Shout Triple-Acting Laundry Stain Remover Spray
Spray it on collars and grease spots before the wash so oily soil does not build up in the fibers.
- See it on Amazon
For blouses and leggings
Mesh laundry bags (set)
Keeps thin polyester and leggings from snagging on zippers and hooks in the drum.
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