How to Wash Fleece and Avoid Pilling and Static
By TaVare · updated 2026-08-03
Washing fleece is easy as long as you remember that fleece is plastic, not wool: keep the wash temperature low, skip fabric softener entirely, and wash the garment inside out. That way you avoid the three classic fleece problems – pilling, static electricity and the garment losing its warmth. Here is the full method, why the rules are the opposite of wool, and the few cases where you should leave the job to professionals.
Fleece is plastic, not wool – that is why the rules are reversed
Fleece is knitted from polyester, often recycled, and brushed up into a soft pile that traps warm air. Because it is synthetic, the rules are the opposite of those for wool on two points. First, polyester tolerates heat poorly – too high a temperature in the wash, dryer or iron melts and deforms the pile, leaving the garment flat, hard and full of pills. Second, never use fabric softener: it forms a film in the pile, clogs it, reduces warmth and the ability to move sweat, and leaves residue that holds odour. In return, fleece is tough, dries fast and rarely needs more than a mild, lukewarm cycle.
How to wash fleece step by step
Fleece is one of the easiest garments to wash at home. The key is low temperature, little friction and the right company in the drum.
- Turn the garment inside out and close all zips and hook-and-loop fastenings – open velcro tears at the pile and creates pills.
- Wash on a cold or lukewarm cycle (around 30 °C), ideally gentle. Use a small amount of ordinary or mild detergent.
- Do not add fabric softener – use wool dryer balls instead if you want the garment soft and less static.
- Wash fleece with smooth garments, not with towels, velcro or coarse textiles that abrade it and cause pilling.
- Low or normal spin is fine – fleece tolerates it and dries quickly anyway.
Keep the heat low – in drying too
It is heat, not water, that ruins fleece. So let the garment air-dry, or use the tumble dryer only on low heat. Fleece dries very quickly, so air-drying is usually both the easiest and the gentlest option. Do not iron fleece – the iron melts the pile instantly – and keep the garment away from radiators and direct heat sources while it dries. This one rule, low heat all the way, is what keeps the fleece soft and lofty for many years.
Pilling, static and microplastics – the three synthetic challenges
All three come from fleece being synthetic, and all three you can control:
- Pilling comes from friction and abrasion. Wash inside out, gently and separated from coarse garments, and remove pills carefully with a fabric shaver when they appear.
- Static electricity gets worse in dry winter air and with the fabric softener you are not using. Skip over-drying, air-dry where you can, and use wool dryer balls – they reduce static without clogging the pile.
- Microplastics: fleece releases tiny plastic fibres in the wash. Wash less often and with full, cold, short cycles, and use a wash bag or filter that catches microfibres. That reduces the release and wears the garment less.
When should you leave the fleece to professionals?
Honestly, fleece is one of the garments you care for most easily yourself – follow the method above and it rarely needs anything more. The most common reason to send fleece in is not washing but repair: a broken zip, a seam that has come loose, or a tear or burn hole in the pile. If there is also a set-in stain or odour you cannot lift at home, or a technical or expensive piece you are unsure about, we can handle cleaning and repair in the same round. We clean according to the garment and its care label, so the treatment is correct and gentle. You order online, and you see the price before you order.
You see the price before you order.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use fabric softener on fleece?+
No. Fabric softener forms a film in the brushed pile, clogs it and reduces both warmth and the ability to move sweat – and leaves residue that holds odour. If you want the garment soft and less static, use wool dryer balls instead.
Can fleece be tumble-dried?+
Only on low heat. High heat melts and mats the synthetic pile, leaving the garment flat and full of pills. Fleece dries very quickly anyway, so air-drying is usually both the easiest and safest option.
Why does my fleece get covered in pills?+
From friction and abrasion, especially against velcro, zips and coarse textiles in the wash. Wash fleece inside out, gently and separated from such garments, and remove the pills carefully with a fabric shaver afterwards.
Does fleece release microplastics in the wash?+
Yes, synthetic garments like fleece shed tiny plastic fibres when washed. You reduce the release by washing less often, with full, cold, short cycles, and by using a wash bag or filter that catches microfibres.
Rather have us handle it?
You see the price before you order.