How to Wash Scrunchies Without Ruining Them
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Scrunchies get worn against skin and hair every day, pick up oils and product, and then sit in a drawer. They need washing more often than most people do it — roughly every one to two weeks for one in regular rotation.
The catch is that the right method depends entirely on what the scrunchie is made from. Putting silk through a hot machine cycle will ruin it. Hand washing polyester is a waste of your evening.
Quick reference by fabric
| Fabric | Method | Drying |
|---|---|---|
| Silk | Hand wash, cold, mild detergent | Flat, away from sunlight |
| Velvet | Hand wash, cold, no wringing | Flat, away from direct heat |
| Georgette | Hand wash, cold | Flat |
| Satin | Hand wash, cold | Flat |
| Lace | Hand wash, cold, handle gently | Flat, reshape while damp |
| Polyester | Machine, cold, mesh bag | Air dry |
| Cotton blends | Machine, cold, mesh bag | Air dry |
Hand washing, properly
It takes about three minutes.
- Fill a bowl with cold or lukewarm water. Not hot — heat is what shrinks fabric and weakens elastic.
- Add a small amount of mild detergent. Baby shampoo works well for silk.
- Submerge the scrunchie and squeeze gently for thirty seconds. Do not rub, twist or scrub. Friction is what pills fabric and frays seams.
- Rinse under cold running water until the water runs clear.
- Press the water out between your palms or in a towel. Never wring — wringing is the single most common way people destroy a scrunchie, because it stretches the elastic permanently.
- Reshape while damp and lay flat to dry.
Machine washing without wrecking them
Polyester and cotton blends handle a machine fine, with two rules.
Use a mesh laundry bag. Without one, the scrunchie will wrap itself around something, get pulled out of shape, or vanish entirely. This is not a small risk — loose scrunchies in a washing machine disappear at a remarkable rate.
Cold cycle only. Hot water degrades elastic. A scrunchie that has gone slack after a few washes has usually been washed too hot rather than worn out.
Our IRIS and Willow are the two we would recommend for anyone who will not hand wash anything.
Never use the tumble dryer
This applies to every fabric without exception. Tumble drying does two things: the heat kills the elastic, and the tumbling stretches the fabric while it is hot and pliable.
A scrunchie that comes out of a dryer misshapen will not recover. Air drying takes a few hours and costs nothing.
Fixing common problems
It has gone slack. Usually heat damage to the elastic and usually permanent. Wash cooler from now on.
It has lost its shape. Dampen it, reshape by hand, and lay it flat to dry. This often works if the elastic is still good.
Velvet looks flattened. Hold it in the steam from a kettle for a few seconds at a safe distance, then let the pile recover as it dries. Do not iron velvet.
It smells even after washing. Soak in cold water with a spoonful of white vinegar for fifteen minutes, then rinse thoroughly.
How to make them last
- Rotate several rather than wearing one until it fails. Elastic recovers with rest.
- Do not use one as a wrist band all day, every day. Constant stretching over the wrist is harder on the elastic than hair is.
- Store flat or loosely in a drawer rather than stretched over something.
- Keep silk away from direct sunlight when drying — it fades.
Every FSL&CO scrunchie is hand-sewn with a fully enclosed elastic core, which is more durable than a bare band but still deserves cold water. More on how each fabric behaves is on our materials page.