How to Wash Corduroy Pants? Step-by-Step Guide

Wondering how to wash corduroy pants? This article is perfect for you!

With a little extra work and maintenance, corduroy—a beloved long-lasting, sturdy, and fuzzy fabric—can continue to look great for years.

When washed improperly, corduroy pants can shrink and wrap, and the fuzzy piles can become distorted.

To keep your corduroy pants in top condition, refer to our guide to caring for corduroy pants.

Table of Contents

Before Washing

Even though we’ve provided generalized advice for caring for your beloved corduroys, it’s always a good idea to also check the care label on your clothing to make sure you’re aware of specific care instructions.

Otherwise, our guide to washing and caring for corduroy is good for most corduroy garments.

Your corduroy pants should be zipped, buttoned, and inside-out before being washed. This prevents the pile (that adored velvety texture) from being crushed, distorted, or worn down while also assisting in protecting the cords and ridges themselves.

In general, it’s a good idea to turn inside-out pants before washing them, but corduroys in particular benefit from this practice to preserve the fabric’s durability and color vibrancy. The fabric and color of pants that have been washed inside-out may fade or become dull over time.

How to Wash Corduroy Pants?

Follow the instructions below to machine-wash corduroy pants without the risk of damage.

Step 1: Separate Your Laundry

You must correctly sort your laundry before adding your corduroy items to the washing machine.

You must separate your lights, whites, and darks into three piles, just like you would with any wash. This will lessen the possibility of dye transferring during the washing process from one item to another.

It’s crucial to keep lint-producing fabrics away from the corduroy wash in order to prevent lint buildup. Wool, towels, and felt are a few of the most frequent offenders.

Any lint created by placing these lint-producing items in the washer will stick to the corduroy with ease.

Unfortunately, these lint particles are particularly difficult to remove due to the distinct ridges in the fabric.

Although the lint will eventually come off the corduroy, it is best to avoid washing these items together to avoid the problem.

Step 2: Prepare the Garment for Washing

After you’ve separated your laundry, read the care label instructions on any corduroy items you want to wash before putting them in your washing machine.

There are some corduroy items that should only be dry cleaned, but for the most part, they can be safely machine washed.

Each garment must then have any buttons or zippers fastened before being turned inside out and loaded into the washing machine.

It also makes it more difficult for lint particles to adhere to the fabric’s exterior, reducing the chance of fading or snags during the wash cycle.

Step 3: Select the Correct Washing Cycle

When washing corduroy, you must ensure your washing machine is set to a ‘This pre-programmed setting, called the “Delicate” wash cycle, is intended to wash your clothes as gently as possible, reducing the possibility of any damage.

This delicate cycle may also be referred to as “Gentle” or have a different name depending on the brand and model of your washing machine.

For more assistance selecting the right cycle, refer to our guide on washing delicates without a delicate cycle.

Alternately, consult your user manual. The cycle with cold water and a slow spin speed is what you want to choose.

To prevent the corduroy’s waling from wrinkling or distorting, select, if possible, a shorter spin cycle or an easy iron setting. Once you’ve done that, you can fill the machine with your laundry detergent and start the cycle.

Step 4: Leave the Corduroy to Dry

Corduroy pants seem tricky to dry because they can wrinkle on the rack and shrink in the dryer. It is best to alternate between machine drying and air drying when drying corduroy pants to keep their shape.

When removing your cords from the washer, shake them out for best results. Next, tumble-dry them for about 10 minutes on low heat to remove creases. For best results, smooth out the seams, pockets, and pants, then let them air dry.

Corduroy trousers should be ironed in the same way as women’s jeans if you feel the need to. Turn the corduroy pants inside-out, and iron on the “wrong side” using medium-high heat.

When ironing corduroy, exercise caution to prevent accidentally squashing all the ribbing.

Step 4: Store Your Corduroy Pants

To store in a drawer or on a shelf, fold along seams and then smooth flat.

Your fabric will maintain its shape and avoid excessive creasing with proper folding and storage.

Final Words: How to Wash Corduroy Pants

Durable corduroy can stand up to a bit of wear, but the trade-off for this fabric’s strength is its stiffness.

While this may seem like a lot of steps, caring for corduroy is actually quite easy and is well worth the little bit of extra work to keep your favorite fuzzy pants lasting for years.

Can You Wash Corduroy Pants?

Of course, wash in warm or cold water with a gentle detergent approved for use on colored fabrics.

Can You Dry Corduroy Pants?

You can dry them on the low-heat setting.

Are Corduroy Pants Machine Washable?

In cold or warm water, most corduroy can be machine washed.

How to Wash Corduroy Pants? Step-by-Step Guide

Before Washing