How to Wash Golf Pants

Washing your golf pants correctly is just as important as reading a tricky putt. Doing it wrong can ruin expensive performance fabrics, while doing it right keeps them looking sharp, feeling comfortable, and lasting for seasons to come. This guide walks you through the entire process, from pre-treating those stubborn on-course stains to the final, fresh-out-of-the-laundry feel.

Why Taking Care of Your Gear Matters

As a coach, I believe an often-overlooked part of the mental game is showing up to the first tee feeling prepared and confident. A big part of that is looking the part. Your golf attire is your uniform. It’s part of your pre-shot routine. When your pants are clean, fit well, and feel good, it's one less thing to worry about. You can focus entirely on your swing and your strategy. Proper washing also protects your investment. Modern golf pants are packed with technology - stretch materials for a full turn, moisture-wicking fabrics to keep you dry, and UV protection. Harsh washing methods can break down these fibers, reducing their effectiveness and lifespan. Think of it this way: you wouldn't use a rusty wedge, so don't wear out your pants in the laundry room.

Step 1: The Pre-Wash Prep

What you do before your pants even touch the water can make all the difference. Just like a good pre-shot routine sets you up for success, a little prep work here prevents laundry disasters.

Check the Pockets and Turn Them Inside Out

This sounds basic, but you’d be surprised what can survive a round in your pocket. Always do a thorough check for tees, ball markers, that scorecard you forgot about, or a divot tool. A stray metal tool can snag and tear fabric in the washing machine. Once the pockets are empty, turn the pants inside out. This has two benefits:

• It protects the outer surface from friction against other clothes, which an helps prevent pilling and color fading.
• It exposes the dirtiest part of the pants - the side that was against your skin - to the water and detergent for a more effective clean.

Decode the Care Label

The small tag inside your pants is the manufacturer's coaching manual for washing. Ignoring it is like ignoring your caddie’s advice on a blind tee shot. Here’s a quick breakdown of what you’ll likely see on pants made from performance fabrics (like polyester and spandex blends):

• Washing Machine Symbol: A tub with a water line means it's machine washable. A hand in the tub means hand-wash only.
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One dot inside the tub symbol means wash cold (around 30°C / 86°F). Two dots mean warm, and three mean hot.

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A triangle means any bleach is fine. A triangle with diagonal lines means only use non-chlorine bleach. A solid, crossed-out triangle means

. Chlorine bleach destroys synthetics like spandex. -Drying Symbol: A square with a circle inside is for the dryer. A circle with a single dot means tumble dry low. A crossed-out symbol means do not tumble dry. A square with a curved line at the top means hang to dry.

Pay attention to the fabric composition. Most golf pants are polyester, nylon, and spandex blends. These materials give you stretch and wick away sweat, but they are sensitive to high heat and harsh chemicals.

Step 2: Expert Stain Removal

Every golfer comes home with a story, and sometimes that story is written in dirt and grass on their pants. Tackling these stains before the wash is the best way to get them out completely.

Treating Grass Stains

The green streak of a well-played (or poorly played) shot from the rough. Grass stains are a 'dye' stain, making them tough. Never use hot water initially, as it can set the stain permanently.

1. Create a paste using a small amount of powdered detergent and water, or use a liquid detergent or stain treater.
2. Gently rub the paste into the stain with an old, soft toothbrush or your fingers.
3. Let it sit for about 15-30 minutes before washing as usual. For stubborn stains, a 50/50 mix of white vinegar and water can also work as a pretreatment.

Handling Mud and Dirt

Your first instinct might be to wipe wet mud off immediately. Resist! Wiping wet mud rubs the particles deeper into the fabric fibers. The smarter play is to be patient:

1. Let the mud dry completely.
2. Once it's dry and cakey, take the pants outside and use a soft brush (or even just shake them vigorously) to flake off as much of the dried dirt as possible.
3. Apply a small amount of liquid detergent to any remaining discoloration and let it sit before washing.

Fighting Sunscreen and Sweat Stains

Sunscreen stains are oily, and sweat can leave behind yellowing on lighter pants over time.

• For Sunscreen: The oil needs a degreaser. A bit of dish soap (like Dawn) is excellent for this. Apply a small amount to the oily spot, gently rub it in, let it sit for 10 minutes, then rinse that spot with cool water before tossing it in the main wash.
• For Sweat: Don't let them sit in the hamper for a week. The fresher the stain, the easier it is to remove. Pre-treating the underarm or waistband areas with your detergent can make a big difference. For set-in yellowing on white pants, soaking them in a solution of warm water and a product containing sodium percarbonate (like OxiClean) for a few hours before washing can work wonders.

Step 3: The Wash Cycle - Perfecting Your Technique

With the prep work is done, it’s time for the wash itself. Your settings here are what preserve the performance and fit of your pants.

Use a Delicate Touch

Just as you swing easier with a wedge than a driver, your washing machine needs to be equally gentle.

• Wash with Similar Items: Avoid washing performance-wear with heavy, abrasive items like jeans or towels with zippers. The friction can cause pilling and snagging. Wash them with other synthetics and athletic clothes.
• Choose the Cold, Gentle Cycle: Always select the cold water option. This is non-negotiable for performance fabrics. A cold wash prevents colors from bleeding, stops the atextile from shrinking, and protects the delicate elastic fibers (spandex/elastane) that give your pants their stretch. Use the 'delicates', 'hand wash', or 'gentle' cycle. This uses a slower spin speed and less agitation, which is much kinder to the fabric.

The Right Detergent (and How to Use It)

Less is more when it comes to detergent. Using too much can leave behind a residue that clogs the pores of the fabric, inhibiting its ability to wick moisture. A sports-specific detergent is great, but a standard, mild liquid detergent works perfectly fine.

Absolutely avoid liquid fabric softeners and dryer sheets. They coat the fibers with a waxy substance that a's designed to soften cotton, but it ruins the moisture-wicking properties of synthetics. Your pants will no longer be able to pull sweat away from your skin effectively.

Step 4: The Drying Process

You can do everything right up to this point and still ruin your pants in the final 30 minutes. The dryer is the biggest enemy of performance golf wear.

Air-Drying Is Always the Best Shot

The single best way to dry your golf pants is to hang them. High heat from a dryer is the fastest way to destroy spandex. It makes the elastic brittle, causing it to lose its stretch and recovery. It’s why pants that used to fit perfectly suddenly feel baggy in the knees.

Simply hang your pants by the waistband on a hanger or lay them flat on a drying rack. Since they are designed to be moisture-wicking, most performance fabrics dry surprisingly quickly on their own.

If You Must Use a Dryer

If you're in a pinch and need them dry quickly, you have one option: use the lowestheat setting possible. This might be called 'Air Fluff' (no heat), 'Low Temp', or 'Delicates'. Never use medium or high heat. Check them frequently and pull them out as soon as they are dry - or even slightly damp - to finish drying on a hanger. Tossing in a few wool dryer balls can help speed up the process and reduce static cling without resorting to dryer sheets.

Final Thoughts

Perfectly caring for your golf pants comes down to a few simple habits: check the care label, pre-treat stains intelligently, always wash on a cold and gentle cycle, and avoid fabric softener and high-heat drying at all costs. Following these steps will keep your gear looking professional and performing its best, leaving you free to focus on dropping putts.

Just as mastering these small details with your gear can make your day on the course more enjoyable, we built Caddie AI to help with the thousands of other small decisions you face during a round. If you’re ever unsure about a club choice for an approach shot, don't know the right strategy for a new tee box, or are staring at a difficult lie in the rough, our app gives you immediate, expert-level advice. It’s like having a 24/7 golf coach in your pocket, ready to offer a second opinion and help you play with more confidence and less guesswork.