How to wash your (one-piece) ski suit

by Shawn Ann Ribotti December 18, 2023

A ski suit should be washed at least once every season. If you think it has lost it's impermeability, it is most probably because it needs to be washed. Dirt and body oils will prevent the waterproof-breathable properties of your technical fabric. Whether it’s a modern technical ski suit or a retro 80s one piece, when you wash outdoor clothing, you need to be careful not to damage it. By following these instructions, you will be able to wash your garment worry free and reactivate the waterproofing at the same time.

Step 1 | Read the labels

Reading and following the label is the safest way to clean your gear. It will give you all the details as of what the garment is made of and most importantly at what temperature it is best to wash it in. When in doubt, always wash cold.

The information below is suitable for most ski wear. This information is not suitable for Gore-Tex type membrane.

Step 2 | Prep

Pre-wash any hard stain or mud stain using Marseille olive oil soap. Use an old toothbrush to rub it in gently and make it foam. Rinse well and repeat. If an oil-based stain, use warm water. For the second round, don't rinse at the end. If the hard stain is on white fabric, you can use OxiClean stain remover spray for a deeper clean.
Close all zippers and velcros. Zippers are the most fragile pieces on a garment. Please be gentle with them, at all times!
Seperate belt from suit and toss it in the washing machine. If you cannot remove the belt, turn the suit inside out.

Step 3 | Washing machine

Use a front-loading washing machine. Why? It uses less water, uses less energy, is better at cleaning and won't destroy your one piece ski suit.
Always best when washed separately and using a gentle spin mode.
Use regular dose of normal and odorless liquid detergent. Do not add any fabric softener. For optimal results, you can use technical detergent but it is a pricey product and we feel like a regular detergent does a great job. We use Attitude Nature+ unscented laundry detergent.
If your suit has a weird smell because it did not dry properly or if you have fluorescent colors on your retro ski suit (at the first wash only). We suggest adding 1/4 to 1/2 cup (depending on the size of your washing machine) of white distilled vinegar to the bleach compartment.
Select the right temperature cycle and add an extra rince cycle. If you still see soap residue after the cycle is complete, check if the clothes are not all clumped up and rinse again.
Take out the clothes right after the washing cycle is done.

Step 4 | Waterproofing (optional)

For optimal performance, a waterproof treatment is ideal for vintage skiwear. In some cases, it is THE step that will make your ski suit perform as good as new, but at half the price or less!

There are many products out there to use for waterproofing, some are wash-in treatment, some are spray-on. Please follow the instructions of their care labels.

Step 5 | Drying

Drying your ski gear in a drying machine is the most effective and simplest way to dry, maintain and reactivate the water repellent properties of your garment or treatment. If your one-piece ski suit is only used as a costume and the performance and optimization of water-resistant properties are not a priority, especially if it's a garment from the 70s-80s, air drying is perfectly sufficient. Using a dryer can, over time, damage your vintage outfit more quickly.

Still inside out, put gear in the drying machine and set to low-heat cycle. If down garment, add tennis balls to help fluff the feathers. One cycle should be enough for regular synthetic gear and 2 to 3 cycles are needed for down gear. Check your garment after each cycle.

If you do not have a drying machine, you can hang dry (inside out) any synthetic clothes, but you will need to use an iron to re-activate the waterproof treatment. Pass iron quickly at low temperature (max 110degree) on top of the outer fabric. Cover outer fabric with a towel before passing. For down gear, a dryer is essential and if you do not have one, you will need to go to a laundromat.

Feeling lazy?

The best way preserve your clothes for a long time is to maintain them properly. Loved clothes can last a lifetime. If you are not willing or can't take the right steps to care for your technical gear, take your ski suit to the dry cleaner. They even have a waterproofing option.

We recommend using the services of our partner Daoust Nettoyeurs ÉcoPerformants. Good news, when purchasing a ski suit from us, you will get a one time -20% discount coupon on their services (offer valid in participating stores only).

Participating stores:

Montreal:
Carré St-Louis. 3654 Saint-Denis.
Plateau Mont-Royal. 1389 Mont-Royal est.
Complexe Desjardins. 5 Complexe Desjardins.
Ville Mont-Royal. 15 Avenue Cornwall.
Ville Mont-Royal. 1968 Boulevard Graham.
Ville-Marie. 619 René-Lévesque O.
Laval:
Duvernay. 2760 de la Concorde est #212.
Sainte-Rose. 241 Curé-Labelle.
Sainte-Rose. 550 Curé-Labelle #2.
Vimont. 2050-B René-Laennec.
Laurentides:
Blainville. 20 boul. des châteaux.
Bois-des-Filion. 702 Adolphe-Chapleau #101.
Lorrain. 95 de Gaulle #20.
Rosemère. 346 Grande Côte.