How to Care for Your DEXON™ Gear: Hoodies & Tees That Last the Long Haul

Keeping It Fresh For The Long Haul

Now after working in the rag trade for nearly a decade, I’ve picked up on a few pointers regarding care of your garments. The DEXON™ Classic Hoodie was not a product selected off a rack in a factory it was a product designed with care, consideration and is a custom template that was curated with myself, the team and the fashion house founder of a reputable manufacturer. The main considerations that outweigh the other factors of a product like this was always comfort and sizing first. Having seen first hand the mix of different cuts, designs and comfort levels from brands across the board, the main objective was knowing our target market and ensuring comfort was always put first. 

When it came to fabric selection, you can imaging the amount of choices. A brushed cotton fleece always sat as our first option having known its warmth and breathability and introducing a mixed fabric would not allow the versatility we wanted for this hoodie. So here’s the deal with looking after it. I always wash my hoodie in cold water — anything warmer will shrink heavy fleece and take the shine off the embroidery. I keep it in with like colours only, because nobody needs their black hoodie coming out looking like it spent a night rolling around with the red socks.

Bleach is a hard no. Those chemicals chew straight through fabric and stitching, and once it’s gone, it’s gone. For drying, I’ll either hang it up or tumble dry on low — both keep the shape snug and stop that annoying pilling you get when fleece is cooked too hot. And lastly, forget the iron and dry cleaner. Heat and solvents do more damage than good, and this hoodie just isn’t built for that kind of treatment.

“If you’re air-drying, lay your tee flat instead of hanging it. It helps the fabric keep its shape and avoids that stretched collar look.”

Noojee, Victoria - Photos by Geolian Coleiro

The Easy Way to Wash Your Tee (and Not Stuff It Up)

When it comes to looking after the Classic Tee, I keep it simple. No fancy tricks, no overthinking and no cutting corners. Rule number one: always wash it cold. I’m talking 20–30°C on the dial. Hot water will shrink cotton and chew through elastane quicker than you can blink, and before you know it, that solid fit we built it for is gone. Cold water keeps the fibres relaxed, the colours true, and the shape right where you want it. Now, I get it, back in the day, hot washes were the go-to for getting things properly clean. But times have changed. Modern detergents are built to do their job at colder temps, knocking out stains and smells without the heat. Better for the tee, better for your wallet, and better for the planet.

As a rough guide, I save the hotter washes for bedding, socks, jocks, and towels, the stuff that cops a real hiding. Everyday tees and hoodies? They’re perfectly happy in the cooler cycle. And if you do end up covered in mud or grease, nothing a good soak or a quick spot-clean can’t fix. I also make sure to wash it with like colours. Sounds obvious, but I’ve been lazy before and learnt the hard way. Dark tees with light gear? Yeah, you’ll regret it. It’s not the overall tee so much, but the embroidered logo that I would consider. 

Skip the bleach. The embroidery we’ve used is tough, but chemicals like that will chew straight through the threads and ruin it. For drying, I’ll either hang it in the shade or tumble dry on low. Anything hotter and you risk warping the fabric, losing the stretch, or ending up with a collar that doesn’t sit right. And here’s the golden rule, don’t iron it and don’t take it to the dry cleaner. Heat and solvents just aren’t friends with stretch fabrics. If it’s wrinkled, hang it out overnight and let the fabric do its thing. Simple.

The reason we went with this fabric and design in the first place is because I wanted something you could live in, not just wear. A tee that holds up on the road, at camp, doing your morning yawn and stretch in and focus on what really matters, like collecting more wood or an early morning fish. But like anything that’s built properly, it’ll last longer if you show it a bit of respect in the wash. And if you’re ever unsure? Read the care label, we put it there for a reason. And if all else fails, give us a call. We’d rather help you keep your gear alive than have you bin it and start again. That’s just how we do things.

Noojee, Victoria - Photos by Geolian Coleiro