Reprimo Care Guide
Reprimo's tees, shorts, joggers and windbreakers are built from stretch fabrics, bonded seams and reflective prints — none of which behave like ordinary cotton in the wash. Get the temperature, detergent or drying method wrong and you can lose stretch, crack a logo, or dull the fabric long before its time. This guide breaks care down by piece, straight from what's on the label.
1 | Why Technical Fabrics Need Different Care
Reprimo pieces are built around three things a normal cotton wash routine will happily destroy: elastane, bonded seams and reflective prints.
Elastane
The stretch fibre blended through Reprimo fabrics loses elasticity when it's exposed to high heat or fabric conditioner. Once it's gone, the garment won't hold its shape the way it did new.
Bonded Seams
Many technical seams are heat-sealed rather than stitched. Direct ironing or high tumble heat can lift or weaken the bond over time.
Reflective Prints
Reflective trims are heat-set onto the fabric surface. Iron directly over one, or run it through a hot dryer cycle repeatedly, and it can crack or start to peel.
What Actually Kills These Fabrics
Fabric conditioner, hot washes, high tumble heat, and a direct iron over branding or seams — in that order. Avoid those four and a Reprimo piece will outlast a cotton equivalent many times over.
2 | Nylon-Elastane Pieces — Flight & Summit Tops, Shorts, Pants
Flight tees, Summit tees, and the Summit shorts/pants range are built on nylon-elastane blends — the highest-stretch fabrics in the line, and the ones most sensitive to heat and softener.
Wash Routine
- 30°C, gentle cycle
- Turn the garment inside out first
- Mild liquid detergent only
- No fabric conditioner — it coats the fibres and kills the fabric's moisture transfer
- No bleach
- Air-dry — never tumble on heat
- Never iron directly over reflective or bonded areas
Fabric conditioner is the single biggest cause of a Flight or Summit piece losing its wicking performance early — it leaves a coating on the nylon-elastane fibres that stops moisture moving through the fabric the way it's designed to.
3 | Polyester-Elastane Pieces — Flight Shorts, Jackets & Windbreakers
Flight shorts, jackets and windbreakers use a polyester-elastane blend built for shape retention and light stretch rather than maximum flex — but the same wash rules apply.
Wash Routine
- Close all zips before washing
- Secure any drawcords so they don't tangle or catch
- Turn the garment inside out
- 30°C wash
- Air-dry on a hanger — don't tumble dry
Closing zips and securing drawcords protects both the garment and anything else in the wash — an open zip is the most common cause of snagged seams on jackets and windbreakers.
4 | 100% Polyester Tees — Vortex, Shibori & Axis
Vortex, Shibori and Axis pieces are 100% polyester — no elastane to protect, but the fabric surface is more prone to abrasion and odour retention than the stretch blends.
Wash Routine
- Wash with other synthetics, not towels, denim or anything with Velcro — abrasion from rougher fabrics and fastenings will dull the surface and cause pilling
- If odour is the issue, use a sports/technical detergent formulated to lift bacteria from synthetic fibres
- Don't wash hotter to solve odour — a hotter wash won't fix the smell and only adds unnecessary heat exposure to the fabric
5 | Hoodies & Joggers — Motion & Collective Brushed-Back
The Motion and Collective hoodie and jogger sets use a brushed-back fabric — softer against the skin, but more prone to pilling and shrinkage if it's over-processed in the wash.
Wash Routine
- Low spin speed
- Don't overload the machine — brushed-back fabric needs room to move to avoid friction pilling
- Air-dry rather than tumble dry, to prevent pilling and shrinkage
- Wash a hoodie and jogger set together so both pieces age the same colour, rather than one fading faster than the other
6 | Socks — Tread
Tread socks are a cotton/polyester/elastane blend and take slightly more heat than the tops and bottoms, but the elastane content still needs the same protection from tumble heat.
Wash Routine
- 30–40°C
- Turn inside out after training — sweat and grip residue sit against the inside face
- Avoid tumble heat — it weakens the elastane over repeated cycles and the fit loosens at the cuff first
7 | Protecting Reflective Details & Bonded Seams
Whatever the fabric, three rules protect the details that set Reprimo apart from a plain cotton tee: no ironing over them, no tumble heat, and always wash inside out.
- Turn every piece inside out before it goes in the machine — this is the single easiest way to protect reflective prints and bonded seams from friction and heat
- Never run an iron directly over a reflective trim or a bonded/heat-sealed seam — the heat that presses a crease into cotton is enough to crack a reflective print
- Keep tumble drying off heat settings, or skip the dryer altogether and air-dry — the same heat that damages elastane is what causes reflective and bonded details to fail early
8 | Care Help at OD's
OD's Designer Clothing has been trading from St Helens since 1992, and we're an authorised Reprimo stockist. If you're not sure how to wash a specific piece, bring it in or drop us a message — we handle Reprimo stock daily and can talk you through the right routine for your fabric.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Can Reprimo go in the tumble dryer?
We'd avoid it, especially on heat. Tumble heat weakens the elastane in Reprimo's stretch fabrics and puts extra stress on bonded seams and reflective prints. Air-dry instead — it takes longer but the garment keeps its stretch and finish for far longer.
Does Reprimo shrink?
Washed as directed — 30°C, gentle cycle, no high heat — shrinkage should be minimal. Hot washes and tumble drying on heat are the two things most likely to shrink an elastane blend, so keep both off the routine.
Why is fabric conditioner not recommended?
Fabric conditioner coats the fibres in Reprimo's technical fabrics and kills the moisture transfer that makes them work as sportswear. It also speeds up the breakdown of elastane. A mild liquid detergent, with no conditioner, is all these fabrics need.
Do reflective logos peel?
They can, if they're ironed directly or put through repeated hot tumble cycles. Reflective prints are heat-set onto the fabric surface, so avoid ironing over them and wash inside out to keep friction and heat away from the print.
How do I stop gym clothes smelling?
Use a sports or technical detergent designed to lift bacteria from synthetic fibres, rather than washing hotter. A hotter wash won't fully clear the odour and adds unnecessary heat exposure to fabrics that are already sensitive to it.
Can I iron Reprimo?
Never iron directly over reflective trims or bonded/heat-sealed seams — the heat can crack the print or lift the bond. If a piece needs pressing, keep the iron well clear of any branding, reflective detail or seam line.