Nylon is a synthetic fiber used in clothing, ropes, fabrics, and carpets. Nylon is characterized by being durable, resilient, and resistant to insects, animals, mold, and rot. Although nylon is durable, it is susceptible to stains from liquids, mud, wax, blood, and many other substances. Care should be taken when cleaning and handling nylon. Use some common household items to clean stains from nylon jackets.
Tip # 1
Apply a mild detergent and water to food or drink stains. Put 3 drops of mild, bleach-free laundry detergent on a clean cloth, then add a few drops of water to the cloth to remove old or new food or drink stains. Apply the cleaner solution to the stain on the nylon and let the solution sit for 15 minutes. Wipe the cleaner off the stain with another clean damp cloth. Use a dry cloth to wipe off any residual moisture on site.
- The newer the stain, the easier it is to remove. As soon as you notice food or drink stains, try to remove them.
Soak up grease stains with paper towels and solvent. First, use a dry, highly absorbent paper towel to remove as much grease from the jacket as possible. Continue to blot dry with paper towels until no more grease soaks through. Next, in a ventilated space, spray a high-grade cleaning solvent (like Simple Green), some dish soap, or a stain remover (like Shout) onto some paper towels, and dab the stained area until the stain is gone. Dry the area with some dry paper towels.
- Do not apply cleaning solvents directly to nylon. Lightly spray paper towels with the solvent, then lightly dab them onto the jacket.
- Wear gloves when working with cleaning solvents.
Freeze gum in an ice pack or freezer. If your jacket has gum or other waxy substances on it, freeze it in an ice pack or place the jacket in the refrigerator until the gum hardens. Break the solid gum into pieces and remove them with a spatula.
- You may need to repeat this process until all the gum is used up. After the gum is gone, use the method for food and drink stains in Step 1 to remove any remaining stains from the jacket.
Spray blood, urine or vomit stains with hydrogen peroxide. Apply a 3% hydrogen peroxide solution directly to these types of stains. Hydrogen peroxide will weaken stains and neutralize odors. Rinse with water and wash the entire jacket as usual
Tip # 2
Fill a clean washbasin or sink with warm water. Add a mild bleach-free cleanser to the water and mix it. Prepare your jacket by emptying the pockets and removing any stains.
Rinse the jacket in detergent water for 3 to 5 minutes. Gently wipe the jacket with your hands in a bucket of detergent. After 3 to 5 minutes, rinse the coat of any detergent with fresh water. You can add fresh warm water to another basin or rinse with lukewarm water.
Gently squeeze the jacket to remove excess moisture. Do not overtighten the jacket as it may cause damage or wrinkling. Shake the jacket gently to remove any formed wrinkles.
Lay the jacket flat or hang it to dry. Lay the jacket flat on a clean bath towel and reshape it. You can then gently roll up the towel and coat inside to absorb excess moisture. If you do, place the jacket on a new dry towel to keep it dry. Alternatively, you can hang your jacket on a hanger to dry.
Tip # 3
If available, read the care label on the jacket. Any special instructions for washing jackets in the washing machine will appear in the washing instructions. If the jacket does not have a care label, use these steps to occasionally wash the jacket in the machine.
Sort your laundry and choose a gentle cycle on your washing machine. Wash nylon jackets with other similar items such as nylon shorts, or wash them separately. Choose a gentle cycle on your washing machine. Use lukewarm water, lukewarm, as the wash temperature.
Add a mild bleach-free cleaner and put the jacket in the washing machine. Nylon items don’t require special cleaners, but avoid cleaners that contain bleach. Bleach can discolor nylon fabrics.
Remove the jacket from the washing machine as soon as you are done. Immediately after the wash cycle is complete, take off the jacket and shake it slightly to remove wrinkles. You should usually drip dry nylon jackets. Put the jacket on an unstained hanger and hang it to dry.
- If the care label says the jacket can be tumble dried in the dryer, set the dryer to the lowest temperature possible and take it out as soon as you’re done. Nylon doesn’t take long to dry, so check frequently and remove when dry.
