Ski Pants Care: Washing & Maintaining Waterproof Performance

Learn how to wash ski pants and you'll avoid looking like a derelict on the slopes. Ski pants are made to stand up to tough wear, but between mud in the ski resort parking lot and that chili dog and beer you spilled at lunch, you're eventually going to have to wash your ski pants. If the pants are only lightly soiled, brush off the dirt and hang them to air out. Washing removes the waterproofing in the pants and washing too often can shorten the life of your ski pants. When they are really dirty, wash them the right way to keep them looking and performing their best.

You'll need:

• Stain pre-treatment
• Mild laundry detergent
• Wash-in waterproofing

1. Empty the ski pants pockets. Cut off any lift tickets or ski passes. Remove any suspenders or removable gaiters.
2. Pretreat any stains with an all purpose laundry stain treatment.
3. Close all zippers and fasten all snaps. This will keep the pants from snagging on anything in the washer.
4. Wash ski pants in the washing machine in cold water. Use a delicate wash cycle. Use a mild detergent made for hand washables, or a detergent made specifically for outwear. Wash no more than two pairs of ski pants at a time.
5. Wash the ski pants a second time after the first wash cycle is complete. Again, set the wash temperature to cold and use a delicate cycle. Instead of detergent, fill the detergent dispenser with a wash-in waterproofing solution. Use a waterproofing solution made especially for clothing, not one made for sleeping bags or rain gear.
6. Remove the pants from the washer at the end of the wash cycle and hang them to dry.