Jacket Cleaning Tips: How to Keep Your Irish Jacket Looking New

When you live in Ireland, a jacket, a weatherproof outer layer designed to shield against rain, wind, and chill. Also known as a coat, it’s not fashion—it’s survival. Your jacket takes a beating: Atlantic storms, muddy trails, wet sidewalks, and endless laundry cycles. Skip the machine wash and harsh detergents. A clean jacket isn’t just about looks—it’s about staying dry, warm, and protected. If you’re using a waxed cotton jacket, a technical shell, or even a classic Aran wool layer, cleaning it wrong can ruin its water resistance. And that’s not just expensive—it’s dangerous in Irish weather.

Most Irish people don’t wash their jackets like t-shirts. They know better. A waxed cotton jacket, a traditional outer layer treated with paraffin wax for water resistance, commonly worn in rural and coastal Ireland needs gentle brushing and re-waxing every year or two. Use a soft brush to remove dried mud, then wipe it down with a damp cloth. Never use soap. For technical waterproof jackets, modern outdoor gear made with membranes like Gore-Tex or similar, designed for high-performance use in wet conditions, you need a specific cleaner—like Nikwax or Grangers. Regular detergent strips the DWR coating, and once that’s gone, water soaks right through. Wash on a gentle cycle with no fabric softener, then tumble dry on low to reactivate the water-repellent layer. And if you’ve got a wool jacket, a traditional Irish garment made from sheep’s wool, prized for warmth and natural moisture-wicking, hand wash it in cool water with a wool-specific soap. Lay it flat. Don’t hang it. Wool stretches when wet, and a misshapen jacket won’t fit right next winter.

It’s not just about cleaning—it’s about maintenance. Check the seams. Re-seal the zippers. Tighten the hood drawcords. A jacket that leaks at the collar or won’t zip up is useless. And don’t store it crumpled in a closet. Hang it on a wide hanger in a dry, ventilated space. If you’re not using it for months, put it in a cotton bag—not plastic. Moisture gets trapped, mildew grows, and you’re left with a stinky, ruined jacket. The best jacket cleaning tips in Ireland aren’t found in fancy blogs. They’re passed down from people who’ve walked the Burren in a downpour, commuted through Galway rain, or hiked the Wicklow Way with nothing but their gear and grit. What you’re about to read isn’t theory. It’s what works when the weather doesn’t care what you bought.