Newly purchased dog bandanas may be fine to wear. However, the stiff fabric makes it difficult to dress up your sweet sidekick in glamorous fashion trends.
Getting a bandana for your dog is a great idea because it provides health benefits. This will keep your furry friends warm during cold weather and help them stay fresh and cool in hot weather. Additionally, it makes your pet more sociable or make a cool fashion statement as you walk them in the park.
However, it is not enough to have a range of different colors, sizes, shapes, or bandana prints on your dog’s neck. You should also pay attention to your dog’s grooming habits and choose the right style for the scarf that is best for each situation.
Do Not Risk the Health of Your Furry Friend
Dog bandanas can be easily ordered from online stores of various fabrics, ranging from 100% cotton to cotton and poly blends.
Wearing the same bandana for your canine companion and neglecting to wash it can result in skin irritation, accumulation of germs, and dirt. Dirty clothing can make your dog sick and cause hair accumulation, which your dog can accidentally choke on.
So, it’s important to know how to wash and care for dog bandanas ordered online. Wash carefully so that the parts don’t get damaged during the wash process.
Why Are New Bandanas So Scratchy
A typical dog bandana may be made rough and stiff when it undergoes chemical processing such as starch or sizing added by the manufacturer to make the fabric easier to handle.
But a stiff bandana fabric can bring a lot of disappointments and discomfort. And like humans, the softness and luxurious feel of a bandana can also give pleasure to your puppies.
Bandanas are usually pretty rough when you first buy them. The starch helps the new bandana fold neatly and look good on display. The only problem with those brilliant starch-filled colors is that they don’t feel good to wear.
Removing the stiffness on a newly bought bandana isn’t tricky. However, if you are going to do it, be both gentle and thorough. Otherwise, you could end up with a mess of colors and patches of remaining starch.
6 Ways How to Soften New Bandanas
Getting rid of the starch and roughness on dog bandanas will not require much effort. And most individuals probably already have everything needed at home.
- Steam to Remove Starch
To soften your dog bandanas, you can use ingredients that are readily available at home. The first method is suitable for brightly colored bandanas. You will need a clean bucket, a large bowl, a pot, and some water.
Put about 6 to 8 glasses of water in a saucepan and put it on the fire. Raise the temperature until the water is steaming but do not boil it. Allowing water to boil is likely to cause color bleeding.
Next, add a cup of liquid softener to your bucket halfway with lukewarm water. Place the heated bandanas of the same color. If you want to prevent dye bleeding, repeat the procedure for each color.
Allow thirty minutes to pass. You may even place a lid on the top of the bowl to keep the heat in to help remove the stiffness quickly. Next, remove bandanas and rinse them with cold water as usual. You may use dryer sheets to boost smoothness.
Make sure that you don’t mix colors while doing the process to avoid the possibility of color bleeding.
- Use Commercial Fabric Softener
The best and easiest way to soften a newly purchased stiff dog bandana is to use a commercial fabric softener. Add some to the dispenser in your washing machine, set it to a delicate cycle, and let the machine take care of it for you.
Fabric softeners come in various types and fragrances. Some are free and clear, so they don’t contain as many harsh chemicals as their scented counterparts.
- Experience the Wonders of Vinegar
Natural products such as vinegar and baking soda can take some of the stiffness out of the dog bandana without wearing them down.
White vinegar not only helps remove starch from bandana material. It also helps brighten up printed dog clothing.
You can add ½ cup of vinegar directly to the washer. And if you’re questioning the effectiveness and the smell, you’ll want to do it right before the rinse cycle starts so no smell of vinegar left on the newly washed dog bandana.
- Let Baking Soda Do the Magic
For an even stronger homemade fabric softener you can use with any type of bandana fabric, try mixing baking soda and white vinegar.
Not only will your stiff bandana be softer and smell fresher, but it will also look brighter since you get the benefits of both vinegar and baking soda with this method.
- Use Salt to Soften the Fabric
Another alternative to soften rough dog bandanas is salt. These are helpful if you don’t have any fabric softener on hand.
Pour salt into hot water to make a saltwater solution. Dip the bandanas in the salted water, cover them, and let them simmer for 2 to 5 minutes.
Salt dissolved in water will help loosen the starch from the bandanas. Rinse with lukewarm water to finally remove any salt residue.
- Consider Hair Conditioner
Another great method to soften common bandana fabrics is to use a hair conditioner mixed with vinegar. Hair conditioner works by softening your hair, and it can also do the same for your dog scarves, particularly common fabrics like cotton and wool.
There are a lot of different types and scents of hair conditioners. Use whatever type and scent works best for your hair type. You can use any kind or scent of hair conditioner that you prefer.
Do Bandanas Shrink After First Wash?
Bandanas can shrink somewhat in the wash. However, cotton bandanas tend to be the most durable of the bunch. Thus, you can minimize shrinkage by washing your bandanas in cold water and hanging them to dry.
High-quality cotton bandanas are pre-shrunk, staying the same size after being washed in hot water.
Are Bandanas Machine Washable?
If a hand wash process is not an option, toss them into a washing machine. But choose the gentle settings to prevent the bandana from wearing out and shrinking too much by the wash process.
Most cotton blends should be able to survive the drying cycle shrink-free, but I recommend laying flat to dry for the best result. If you prefer, dry on low for half the time.
Final Thoughts
There are many ways to soften stiff bandanas, even if fabric softeners aren’t available in the house. Vinegar, baking soda, salt, hair conditioner, and even dryer balls can all be used to soften your dog’s clothing.
To soften starchy bandana fabrics requires little effort. However, it is essential to read and understand the care instructions. It ensures the material is safe to undergo a particular wash process, such as machine or hand wash, steam ironing, or tumble drying.
Bandanas are the best dog gifts to give your pooch a touch of glamour on any occasion. Shop at bandana.com and discover a wide range of bandanas for your dog’s wardrobe that fit your own style.
