If you are searching for how to care for a wool coat, or how to wash one, here is the honest answer for a Gloverall coat: don't wash it. Gloverall's wool coats, the Original Monty Duffle Coat included, are dry clean only. The care label says so, and the label is the definitive instruction for that garment. The good news is that a well-made wool coat needs cleaning far less often than you might think, and the routine that actually keeps it looking its best happens between cleans, at home, with nothing more than a brush, some fresh air and a little attention. This guide covers why wool coats shouldn't be washed at home, what to do instead, how to store a coat so it comes out of the wardrobe next autumn exactly as it went in, and the details particular to the Monty, from its toggles to its hood.
Why you shouldn't wash a wool coat at home
A wool coat is not a jumper. It is a constructed garment: face cloth, lining, interlining, shaped shoulders and structured fronts, all assembled to hang a particular way. Washing at home puts every part of that construction at risk, for two reasons.
Wool felts and shrinks in water. Each wool fibre is sheathed in microscopic overlapping scales. Heat, moisture and agitation, which is exactly what washing involves, cause those scales to lock together, matting the fibres into a denser, smaller cloth. This is the same process used deliberately to create boiled wool at the mill, under controlled conditions. In a bathtub or a washing machine it is uncontrolled, and once wool has felted or shrunk, the process is effectively irreversible.
The construction distorts. Even if the face cloth survived, the lining, interlining and shoulder structure respond to water differently from the wool around them. Panels pucker, linings shrink at different rates, shoulders lose their shape, and wet wool stretches under its own considerable weight. A coat that has been washed at home rarely hangs the way it did before.
This is why the care label on a Gloverall coat reads the way it does: dry clean only · do not machine wash · do not tumble dry · do not bleach · cool iron. Professional dry cleaning cleans the cloth without saturating the construction. It is the only cleaning method these coats are designed for.
The care that actually matters happens between cleans
Wool is naturally odour-resistant and sheds dirt far better than most fibres, which is why a wool coat needs professional cleaning only rarely. The routine below does the real work of keeping a coat looking well.
Brush after wear. Use a soft garment brush over the surface of the coat to remove dust, lint and light soiling before it settles into the cloth. Brush in the direction of the nap to avoid raising the fibres. A minute of brushing after a day's wear is the single most effective habit for maintaining the surface of a wool coat, and it noticeably extends the time between professional cleans.
Air regularly. Hang the coat outdoors, or by an open window, on a dry day. Wool's fibre structure releases moisture and odour into moving air, so a half-hour airing refreshes a coat that has picked up the smell of a pub, a train or a damp day. For most everyday wear, airing does what you might otherwise reach for a washing machine to do.
Spot-clean with care. For small marks, act early. Blot, never rub, with a clean, barely damp cloth and plain cold water. Rubbing lifts the surface fibres of the cloth and leaves a visible patch, which is harder to fix than the mark was. Anything oily, anything large, or anything that doesn't lift with gentle blotting is a job for the dry cleaner: tell them what the mark is and they can treat it properly.
Deal with rain properly. A damp coat should be hung on a wide, shaped hanger in a ventilated room, away from radiators and direct heat, until completely dry. Rushed drying is how wool shrinks and distorts. For the full guidance on wet coats, and on what wool can and cannot handle in the rain, see Are Duffle Coats Waterproof?
Creases: air first, iron cool. Most wrinkles drop out overnight on a wide, shaped hanger. For anything stubborn, use an iron on its coolest setting, which is the care label's maximum, and work gently. Wool responds to very little.
Professional dry cleaning: how often, and how to do it well
Once a season is enough for most coats. For many it is once a year, at the end of the season before the coat goes into storage. Wool does not benefit from frequent cleaning, and over-cleaning any garment ages it faster than wear does.
A few things make the difference:
- Choose a cleaner who handles structured outerwear. A coat with a lining, interlining and shaped shoulders deserves a cleaner used to working with tailoring, not just shirts.
- Point out any marks and say what caused them, so they can be treated correctly rather than simply run through the general process.
- Mention the hardware. Horn and wooden toggles and leather loops are natural materials, and a good cleaner will protect them during the process.
- Collect it promptly and get it out of the plastic. Store the coat on a wide, shaped hanger, never in the cleaner's plastic sleeve, which traps moisture.
Caring for the Monty: hood, toggles and hardware
This guide began life as a care guide for the Men's Original Monty Duffle Coat, and everything above applies to the Monty directly. A few details deserve particular attention on a duffle coat.
The hood and cuffs collect dirt first. When brushing after wear, give the hood and cuffs an extra pass, because they take the most contact and show soiling before the body of the coat does. The same soft garment brush, the same direction-of-nap rule.
Toggles and loops are the first parts to show wear. The toggle-and-loop fastening is the most distinctive feature of a Gloverall duffle coat. Horn and wooden toggles are natural materials that develop a patina with use. This is normal, and it adds to the coat's character rather than detracting from it. Leather loop straps benefit from occasional conditioning with a small amount of leather balm to keep them supple.
Check the fastenings now and then. A loose toggle or a lifting thread is a five-minute fix if caught early, and a lost toggle if left. If a toggle, rope or button does eventually need replacing, that is a repair, not a retirement. Gloverall's Care & Repair collection stocks replacement toggles, rope and buttons designed to match the original hardware, so a coat can stay in service rather than being written off over a fitting.
The same routine applies across the family. The Women's Original Monty Duffle Coat shares the same construction and the same care label.
How to replace a duffle coat toggle
Replacing a toggle is a fifteen-minute job with a needle and strong thread. Unpick the stitching holding the damaged toggle's rope or leather loop to the coat, keeping the fabric beneath intact. Position the replacement so it sits level with its partner on the opposite front, then sew the loop back down through the original stitch holes, working several passes for strength before finishing with a secure knot on the inside. If the loop itself has worn through, replace the toggle and loop as a unit rather than patching the old one.
Gloverall's Care & Repair collection stocks the original hardware: varnished and unvarnished wooden toggles with jute rope, brown wooden toggles for the Mid-Length Monty, horn toggles on black or brown leather, and anchor buttons in gold or black. Toggles and rope are sold as complete packs, so one purchase re-equips the coat front. Match the toggle style to your coat before ordering, and if in doubt contact us with your coat's style code. A tailor or dry cleaner offering repairs will fit them in minutes if you would rather not sew.
How to store a wool coat at the end of the season
Clean before storing. Moths are drawn to soiled fibres far more than clean ones. Have the coat professionally cleaned before it goes away for the summer.
Use a breathable garment bag. A cotton or linen cover rather than plastic, which traps moisture and encourages mildew. A breathable cover lets the wool continue regulating its own moisture content while protected from dust.
Hang on a wide, shaped hanger. A narrow wire hanger will distort the shoulder structure over months of storage. Use a hanger wide enough to span the full shoulder seam.
Add cedar blocks or lavender. Both deter moths without the chemical residue of mothballs. Refresh cedar blocks annually by lightly sanding the surface. The deterrent effect comes from the cedar oil, which fades with time.
Fasten loosely. Fasten one or two toggles on a duffle coat before hanging. This keeps the front opening and lining in place over long periods and stops the front panels pulling out of shape.
Built to be cared for
Care matters because these coats are built to reward it. Every coat in the Heritage Collection is made in England at our factory outside London, and made to be worn, lived in and passed on, worn for decades rather than seasons. A brush by the door, an airing now and then, one good clean a year and a proper hanger are the whole of the contract. Browse the coats in our men's and women's duffle coat collections and men's wool overcoats, starting with the Men's Original Monty Duffle Coat.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you wash a wool coat in the washing machine?
No. Gloverall wool coats are dry clean only. Machine washing subjects wool to heat, moisture and agitation, the combination that felts and shrinks the fibre, and saturates the lining, interlining and shoulder structure, which distorts the way the coat hangs. Once wool has felted or shrunk, it cannot reliably be restored.
Can you hand-wash a wool duffle coat?
No. The care label on a Gloverall coat says dry clean only, and the label is the definitive instruction. Hand-washing saturates the coat's construction just as a machine does, and wet wool stretches under its own weight, distorting the shoulders and fronts. Brushing, airing and careful spot-cleaning handle everyday freshness; professional dry cleaning handles the rest.
Can you wash a Harris Tweed coat at home?
No. Harris Tweed coats, including the Men's Hynes Harris Tweed® Overcoat, are dry clean only. The handwoven cloth and the structured construction of an overcoat, with its lining and shaped shoulders, do not tolerate home washing. Follow the care label.
How often should a wool coat be dry cleaned?
Once a season is enough for most people, and many coats only need cleaning once a year, before going into storage for the summer. Wool is naturally odour-resistant and does not need frequent cleaning. Brushing after wear and regular airing do most of the work between cleans, and over-cleaning ages a coat faster than wear does.
How do you get a smell out of a wool coat?
Air it. Hang the coat outdoors, or by an open window, on a dry day. Wool's fibre structure releases odour into moving air, and a half-hour airing removes most everyday smells without any cleaning at all. If a smell persists after airing, take the coat to a professional cleaner. Avoid spraying perfume or deodorant directly onto wool, which can mark the surface.
Does wool shrink when washed?
Yes. Heat, moisture and agitation cause the microscopic scales on each wool fibre to lock together, matting and shrinking the cloth, and once that has happened it is effectively irreversible. This is precisely why wool coats carry a dry clean only label. Professional cleaning removes soiling without saturating and agitating the wool.
