Core Technology of Laundries: Principles of Hardshell Jackets + Professional Care Solutions

When a fan of outdoor living sends an expensive hardshell jacket to the laundry shop, what he or she sent is not just a piece of clothes, it is a reliable guarantee in tough environments. The waterproof and breathable function of a hardshell jacket is entirely dependent on its precise microscopic physical structure. Incorrect washing methods can permanently damage this function. As a result, mastering its core principles and standard maintenance procedures has become an important skill for modern laundry shops to undertake high-end functional clothing business, and it is also a key to showing professionalism and building customer trust.

Characteristics of Hardshell Jackets

A hardshell jacket is a common piece of equipment for outdoor activity enthusiasts. It should have two basic features: water resistance and breathability.

- Professional waterproof function means that no matter in the damp places or in stormy environments with wind and rain, it can all effectively prevent the invasion of rain, frost, and snow, and keep water from seeping into clothes to avoid the feel of dampness and coldness.

- Breathable function means skin sweats and produces a lot of moisture in outdoor activities. The moisture must be quickly expelled from the body. Otherwise, the moisture will be trapped between the body and the clothes, and make people feel damper and colder. In extremely cold conditions, it is very dangerous for the body to feel cold and get hypothermia. Therefore, having good breathability is a very important function of a hardshell jacket. The seemingly contradictory characteristics 

Waterproof and breathable fabrics usually have a multi-layer structure. The outer layer is made of common synthetic fibers like nylon or polyester, which are not inherently waterproof. Manufacturers apply a waterproof coating to the surface, just like a lotus leaf. This allows large water droplets to slide off directly. However, this waterproof coating will gradually wear out and lose effectiveness with use.

The middle layer is the core waterproof component. It is made of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) or polyurethane (PU). Its inter-fiber pores are small enough to block aggregated liquid molecules. But it is not as dense as those in ordinary plastics, so that discrete water vapor molecules can still pass through. This allows evaporated sweat to escape and achieves breathability.

The innermost soft lining protects the middle layer, boosts wearer comfort, and does not impede sweat evaporation.

Cleaning

Hardshell jackets can never be dry cleaned. They can be washed by hand or in washing machines.

● Hand Washing Steps

- Generally, hand-wash the clothes with clean water at around 40 degrees Celsius until it is completely wet.

- Choose neutral detergents. Use a sponge to directly dip a suitable amount of detergents and wipe the surface of the clothing until bubbles form. Bubbling can accelerate the dissolution of stains. Then, gently rub. Do not scrub vigorously or use a brush. If it is really difficult for people to remove the dirt, they can soak the clothes for a few minutes and then rub. 

Use clean water to wash away the bubbles. After complete rinsing, do not wring hard. Place the clothes in a well-ventilated area to dry and avoid direct sunlight.

● Machine Washing (Top choice for professional laundry shops: Kingstar Wet Cleaning Machine)

Though machine washing has higher efficiency, it has a high demand for the precision of the equipment’s programs and parameter control ability. Kingstar professional wet cleaning machine (15/20/25 kg) is specially designed for functional clothes. It is equipped with a program for hardshell jackets, which can perfectly meet the maintenance needs. The specific operation process and equipment advantages are as follows:

- Pretreatment

Use a soft-bristled brush to gently remove obvious stains on the jacket’s surface (e.g., dirt on cuffs and collars). This prevents stains from damaging the fabric during washing.

- Clothes Preparation

· Fasten all zippers, snap buttons, and hook-and-loop fasteners to avoid scratches on the fabric or snags on washing machines.

· Fold the jacket with the dirty side out (reduce friction on clean areas) and put it in a laundry bag.

- Equipment Setup and Startup

Choose the “Hardshell Jacket" mode on the Kingstar wet cleaning machine. It is developed by professionals based on the characteristics of hardshell jackets. This program comes preset with chemical fiber/gentle washing modes. There is no need for repeated manual adjustments. One click can start the adaptive process. This avoids functional damage caused by improper parameter settings.

- Precise Temperature Control Guarantee

Relying on a stable temperature control system, the equipment strictly maintains the washing water temperature at around 40℃ (meeting the washing temperature requirements). It effectively removes stains without damaging the outer waterproof coating and middle functional layer structure. This can solve the problem of large water temperature fluctuations in ordinary washing machines.

- Low Mechanical Force Protection

The program defaults to a gentle rotation speed of 15 rpm (minimum) and a scientific stop/rotation ratio. This significantly reduces mechanical friction and beating force during washing. It prevents deformation of the inter-fiber pores in the middle layer (to ensure waterproof and breathable performance) and avoids pilling and wear on the outer fabric. It addresses the pain point that the gentle mode is still strong in ordinary washing machines.

- Dehydration Stage

The hardshell jackets program of the Kingstar wet cleaning machine is equipped with a low-speed dehydration function. It avoids cracking of the adhesive at down jacket seams and fabric deformation caused by strong centrifugal force from high-speed dehydration. It can also reduce residual moisture and reduce drying time.

- Drying

After dehydration, hang the down jacket in a ventilated area. Direct sunlight should be strictly avoided. To accelerate drying, moderate air-drying in a ventilated environment is allowed. High-temperature drying must not be used (high temperatures will melt the middle functional layer and permanently damage the waterproof and breathable performance).

Care

● If the hardshell jackets are not dirty, people had better wash them less frequently. The more times it is washed, the greater the damage to its functionality.

● Shake the special foam cleaner thoroughly → spray the foam evenly on the garment surface from a distance of approximately 20cm from the stained area → keep 30 to 50 seconds → gently wipe the stained surface with a cotton cloth

People can refer to the specific product instructions for details.

● When ironing the waterproof jacket, people should be sure to select the low-temperature setting for cashmere or nylon. Do not stay in one area for too long, especially at the seam-taped joints.

● For jackets equipped with a waterproof membrane, do waterproof maintenance after cleaning. Lay the clean jacket flat on an ironing board and spray the waterproof membrane evenly over the surface.

Conclusion

For a laundry shop that wants to improve its competitiveness, the care and maintenance of functional clothes, like hardshell jackets, has an important meaning. This can not only effectively expand the business scope and increase the average transaction value, but also shows irreplaceable professional value to customers by successfully restoring the protective performance of the clothes. It is suggested that laundry shops standardize this set of procedures and proactively popularize maintenance knowledge among customers.