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Modal hijabs are the softest thing most of us own and the first thing we ruin in the wash. The fabric that drapes so well on day one goes stiff, pills at the edges, or comes out of the dryer two inches shorter. All of that is avoidable. Here is how to wash modal so your hijabs look the way they did when you bought them, plus what modal actually is and why it behaves the way it does.
What modal is
Modal is a fibre made from beech tree pulp, spun into a fabric that is softer than cotton, drapes better, and holds colour well. It is a type of rayon, which is why it is sometimes sold as “modal viscose.” It is breathable, it does not cling, and it sits flat on the head, which is why it took over the hijab market.
The weakness is that modal is a semi-synthetic cellulose fibre, and cellulose fibres are weakest when wet. Hot water, heat, and friction all shorten its life. Treat it like something delicate and it lasts for years.
How to wash modal, step by step
1. Cold water. Thirty degrees or the cold setting. Hot water is what shrinks it.
2. Gentle cycle, or hand wash. The gentle cycle on a modern machine is fine. If you have one hijab you really care about, hand washing in the sink takes four minutes.
3. Mesh bag. A mesh laundry bag is the single most useful thing for hijab care. It stops the edges catching on zips and the fabric twisting around the drum, which is where pilling and snags come from. Two or three hijabs per bag, loosely.
4. Mild detergent, no softener. A gentle detergent for delicates or a no-rinse wool wash. Skip fabric softener entirely. It coats the fibres, kills the drape, and makes modal feel waxy after a few washes.
5. Wash with similar colours and weights. Modal with modal, or with other lightweight things. Never with towels or jeans, which rub it raw.
6. Do not wring. Press the water out between two towels, or roll it in a towel and press.
7. Flat dry or hang. Lay flat on a drying rack, or hang over a smooth rail. Modal dries fast. Do not put it in the dryer unless the label says you can, and even then use the lowest heat and take it out damp.
8. Iron on low with steam, inside out. Or hang it in the bathroom during a shower and skip the iron.
Hand washing in four minutes
Fill the sink with cool water and a capful of detergent. Push the hijab under and swish it for a minute. Let it sit for two. Drain, refill with cool water, swish again to rinse. Press out the water, roll in a towel, hang. That is the whole thing.
Why modal pills, and how to stop it
Pilling is the fibre breaking and balling up from friction. Modal pills less than cotton jersey, but it still pills at the edges where it rubs against your undercap, your collar, and your bag strap. The mesh bag handles the washing friction. For the wearing friction, a smooth undercap in a slippery fabric reduces it, and hijab magnets in place of pins stop the small holes that turn into pulls.
If a hijab has already pilled, a fabric shaver or a sweater comb takes the pills off without damaging the weave.
If you’ve already shrunk one
Soak it in lukewarm water with a tablespoon of hair conditioner for twenty minutes. The conditioner relaxes the fibres. Press out the water, lay it flat on a towel, and gently stretch it back to size, pinning the edges if you need to. Let it dry flat. It will not come back fully, but it usually comes back enough to wear.
How often to wash
Less than you think. A modal hijab worn for a day in an office does not need washing. Hang it, let it air, and wash after three or four wears unless it is sweaty or marked. Every wash is wear, and modal that is washed weekly looks tired in a year. Modal that is washed when it needs it looks fine in three.
Modal vs other hijab fabrics, for care
Chiffon takes the same cold, gentle treatment but should never go in a dryer at all. Jersey is tougher and can handle a normal cycle. Cotton voile is the easiest of all. Modal sits in the middle: not as fragile as chiffon, not as forgiving as cotton, and worth the five extra minutes.
We compared modal and cotton properly in modal fabric vs cotton for hijabs.
