How to Wash and Care For Your Durag (So It Lasts)

A durag soaks up pomade, sweat and oils every night. Wash it right and it stays slick, keeps compressing and lasts for months. Wash it wrong and it fades, frays and loses its stretch.

How often to wash

Once a week if you wear it nightly. Every two weeks for occasional wear. If you use heavy pomade, wash more often, because buildup transfers back onto your hair and scalp.

Hand washing (recommended)

1. Fill a basin with cool or lukewarm water.
2. Add a small amount of gentle detergent or mild shampoo.
3. Submerge the durag and gently swish for 2 to 3 minutes.
4. Focus on the forehead band where oil collects.
5. Rinse in clean cool water until no suds remain.
6. Press out water; never wring or twist.

Machine washing

If you must, use a mesh laundry bag on the delicate cycle with cold water. Wash with similar colors only, since printed and camo durags can bleed in the first few washes.

Drying

Hang it or lay it flat away from direct sunlight. Never put silk or velvet in the dryer: heat shrinks the fabric and kills the shine.

Storage

• Hang durags on a hook or fold them flat in a drawer.
• Keep velvet away from heavy items to avoid crush marks.
• Rotate two or three durags so each gets time to dry fully.

When to replace

Replace your durag when the ties stretch out, the fabric thins, or it stops sitting snug. For most daily wearers that is every 3 to 6 months.

Treat your durag right and it will keep treating your waves right.