Toronto winters are hard on outerwear. Between months of slush, road salt, crowded TTC rides, and coats that get worn every single day from November to March, the pieces doing the most work in your closet are usually the ones that go the longest without a proper clean. Getting them done now, before the first real cold snap, means starting the season with coats that are warm, fresh, and ready to last.
Down-filled winter coats: Canada Goose, Moncler, Aritzia Super Puff and more
Down parkas are the coats we see the most of once the temperature drops, and they’re also the ones most often damaged by home washing. Down insulates by staying lofty, and when it’s washed with the wrong detergent or dried too fast, it clumps together and leaves cold spots that don’t recover. Body oils, makeup on the collar, and salt splash along the hem also weigh the fill down over time, which is why a parka that’s a few seasons old can feel noticeably less warm.
We specialize in cleaning high-end down outerwear, including Canada Goose, Moncler, Mackage, Aritzia Super Puff, and The North Face. Each brand is built differently, so the cleaning is too:
- Down fill is cleaned with a down-safe process and dried slowly so the clusters separate and the coat regains its loft.
- Leather trim and details, common on Mackage and some Moncler styles, are protected and treated separately so they don’t stiffen or discolour.
- Fur and faux-fur hoods are removed where possible and handled on their own so the ruff stays full.
- Shell fabrics, from matte technical nylon to glossy Super Puff finishes, are cleaned without stripping water-repellent coatings or dulling the sheen.
Downfill winter coats start at $45, high-end down coats at $80, and coats with leather trim at $95. Full details are on our pricing page.
Trench coats, peacoats & wool coats: odour and pet hair
Structured coats like trench coats, peacoats, and long wool overcoats tend to collect two things over the season: smells and hair.
Odour builds up quickly in coats that are worn daily but rarely cleaned. Wool absorbs cooking smells, smoke, perfume, and the musty smell that comes from closet or basement storage. Airing a coat out on a balcony only goes so far, and fabric sprays mostly mask the smell for a day or two. Professional dry cleaning removes the oils and residue that actually hold the odour in the fibres, so the coat comes back smelling clean, not perfumed.
Cat and dog hair is the other big one. Wool and felted fabrics grab pet hair and weave it into the surface, and a lint roller usually picks up what’s on top while leaving the rest embedded. During cleaning, the coat is brushed and treated to lift hair out of the weave, including the collar, cuffs, and lining where it collects the most. If you share your home with a pet, a cleaning at the start of the season and another before storage in spring keeps it manageable.
Trench coats also benefit from attention to the details that wear first: belts, cuffs, and collars that pick up grime, and buttons that loosen with daily wear. Spring, fall, and wool coats are $40 to dry clean, and if a lining has torn or a button is hanging by a thread, our alterations team can repair it in the same visit.
Special care for wool and cashmere
Wool and cashmere are the fabrics that keep you warmest in winter, and also the ones that react worst to the wrong cleaning. Hot water and agitation cause wool fibres to felt and shrink, and cashmere can stretch, pill, or lose its softness after just one bad wash.
- Wool coats and suits are dry cleaned and pressed to keep their shape, structure, and drape. Pressing is also what restores sharp lapels and a clean shoulder line after a season of wear.
- Cashmere sweaters, scarves, and coats are cleaned with gentle handling and low heat, then reshaped so they keep their original fit and hand feel.
- Blends with silk, alpaca, or mohair are checked against the care label and treated according to the most delicate fibre in the mix.
Moths are another reason to clean wool and cashmere before they sit in your closet for long. They’re drawn to natural fibres with body oils and food traces on them, so clean pieces are much less likely to end up with small holes by spring.
Get your winter coats ready before the cold arrives
The first cold week of the season is when everyone pulls out their parka at once. Getting outerwear cleaned in October means it’s back in your closet before you need it. Our dry cleaning service handles down, wool, cashmere, and leather-trimmed coats, and with pickup and delivery across Downtown Toronto and Scarborough, there’s no need to carry a stack of bulky winter coats across the city.
