Care Instructions

Let us point out that First Lite products will last a long time. This does not mean though that garment should be washed too often. From an ecological standpoint but also for the fabrics used, the less you expose them to chemicals, the better. But of course, especially synthetics with high performance characteristics do sometimes require the correct care and cleaning in order to maintain their performance in water repellency, breathability etc. Here are some thoughts, guidelines and recommendations that we learned over time.

For Merino Wool it is important to say that this fiber was given all it needs to perform fantastically by nature. Merino Wool will handle much more sweating than synthetic fabrics before it starts to smell or stink. It will keep you warm when it’s wet, and it dries very fast.You will likely be able to use your Merino Wool from First Lite for many, many days if not several weeks without the need to wash it in the machine. Standard care procedures should be to hang your Merino Wool piece up for drying and airing after you wore it. A fresh air breeze without too much direct sun is the best for Merino Wool and this will help the microscopic hair of the wool fabric to breathe and reactivate their natural capabilities based on the natural oils in the hair of the sheep.

When the day comes when you really want to give your Merino Wool stuff a machine wash, that is fine! Please remember to close all zippers and pockets and ideally wash the pieces inside-out.. Just make sure to use a low temperature setting such as “cold wash” or "wool wash" and a low tumble setting. As laundry detergent, you can use high quality Merino Wash products or just a very mild natural laundry detergent with as little fragrance or odor as possible. Do not use softeners or bleach as such products can negatively affect the fundamentally important, natural oil content of the wool fiber / hair from the Merino Sheep.

Unless your dryer has a cold and very gentle tumbling program, do NOT tumble dry your Merino Wool clothing as that can result in shrinkage due to the heat.

You can follow the same instructions as for Merino Wool also on outerwear pieces like the semi or fully synthetic pants (Not the rain pants! For rain pants check out the instruction for rain gear below!)

For hard shell pieces such as rain gear, synthetic wind-breaking membranes, soft-shell materials etc., we recommend high quality cleaning products that mildly wash those high performant water-repellent membranes and increase the repellency by applying fresh repellency films. There are many products out there, personally we recommend Grangers’ “Wash + Repel Clothing 2 in 1” for waterproof pieces (Grangers has two different versions: one for waterproof apparel as “clothing” and one for down and insulation pieces). We have no affiliation with Grangers and this recommendation is purely based on our personal use and experience.

For down and synthetic insulation pieces, such as the legendary Uncompahgre Jacket or Pants, the Brooks Down Sweater or the Chamberlin Jacket, we recommend Grangers’ “Wash + Repel Down 2 in 1”. By doing a washing according to Grangers’ instructions your piece will get a good washing and the outside fabric gets freshened up it's impregnation. Make sure to follow also the drying instructions given by Grangers.

Generally with down and synthetic insulation you should tumble dry the piece at a low heat. We recommend to add some sort of light and soft items in the tumbler, such tennis balls or other soft rubber balls. This will help prevent clotting of downs or synthetic fabrics. Grangers does also offer such rubber balls.