Washing your clothes in a way that maintains their shape, texture, and handfeel requires more than just tossing them in the washing machine. Each fabric has a different composition, different washing and drying conditions, and hence different TLC.
For example, some fabrics are great at resisting stains while others are not. Some fabrics pill a lot while others are more durable. This whole laundry saga can easily get you confused if you don’t know much about the fabric that you are dealing with. That’s why we are mentioning the top tips and tricks for effective fabric care in our blog. Let’s get started.
Cotton Fabric Care
Cotton comes from the cotton plant and is highly absorbent and breathable in nature, making it a common choice for everyday clothing. The best way to keep your cotton clothes looking new is to hand wash them in cold water with a mild detergent. If hand washing is not an option, run a delicate cycle or cold-water cycle.
To keep your white’s crystal clear, make sure to separate them from any dark or colored clothes before putting them in the laundry machine. The indigo dyes used in cotton clothing are prone to colour bleeding in a hot water cycle and may bleed while in the washer. Using low heat tumble drying or natural drying methods is best. For air-drying, make sure to avoid putting your cotton clothes under direct sunlight. Sun is a major source of faded clothing and can add a yellowish tone to your whites.
ADDITIONAL INFO: Cotton can easily become covered in bobbles and lint meaning it loses its original hand-feel, color and look. Consider investing in a high-quality Re-Tergent such as BIORESTORE to remove pilling and revive the original texture and color of your cotton clothing.
Nylon, Polyester, and other Synthetics
These fabrics are not produced naturally, instead they are manufactured via chemically manufactured fibres. Some examples are Polyester, Nylon, Spandex, Acrylics, and Acetates. These fabrics are prone to shrinking and can also resist water-based stains. You can easily machine wash them with hot or cold water.
Maintenance of synthetic fibres is usually much lower than that of natural ones. But there is one major drawback. While washing, these fabrics release microplastics into the machine that gets into waterways afterwards. Choosing an eco-friendly detergent and installing a water filter in your washing machine to mitigate these impacts is very important.
When it comes to drying, use the low-temperature setting. Synthetics produce static and may get permanent wrinkles under high heat conditions. A fabric softener or anti-static dryer sheets can be used to reduce static.
Linen
Linen is also a natural fibre just like cotton. It is breathable and absorbent in nature and is mostly used in warmer climates and summer clothing.
For handwashing linens, use a subtle swill rather than scrubbing and for machine wash always switch to the delicate cycle.
Ditching tumble drying is the best thing that you can do for preserving linen clothes for longer. In simplest terms, the gentler you treat your natural linens, the longer they’ll last.
Wool
Wool comes from hairy mammals such as sheep. It is highly durable and can last for years and years with the right care.
Checking the care label on your sweaters and other wool clothing is a lifesaver. If you see “dry-clean” only written on the label, follow that. In case of hand washing, always go for cold or lukewarm water as wool can shrink under hot water temperature.
(A top tip is to test the temperature of the water with your elbow – just like when checking the water temperature of a baby’s bath!?
Make sure to use a mild soap or laundry powder (Using baby shampoo as a woolen detergent is not the worst idea!) Soak for 10-12 minutes and then rinse carefully. Remember, no hard scrubbing.
It goes without saying that you cannot use tumble dryer for your sweaters or other woolen clothing. After washing, you can either lay your sweater flat on a rack and let it air-dry or squeeze the excessive water by rolling it up into a spiral. This way you can avoid stretching the fabric and ensure that its original shape stays the same.
It goes without saying that you can’t use the tumble dryer for your sweaters or other woolen clothing. After washing, squeeze the excessive water by rolling it up into a spiral and gently twist and squeeze, then lay your sweater flat on a rack, gently reshaping the garments original shape and let it air-dry. This way you can avoid stretching the fabric and ensure that its original shape stays the same.
Silk
Silk is a luxurious fabric made from protein fibres of silkworms. Same as wool, checking the care-label is a must before treating any silk fabric. If the instructions say “dry-clean”, follow that. If it says “handwash” or “machine-wash”, that’s even better.
Dyes can bleed out of silk very quickly, so testing colorfastness is important before handwashing or machine-washing these. You can simply dip a cotton swab in the detergent and hold it over a small area. If the color is bleeding, you’ll be able to see that on the swab. If not, you are good to go.
It’s also good practice to turn the garment inside out before submerging it in sink or basin of cold water.
Denim
Denim can be surprisingly hard to take care of. If you look at even a year-old pair of jeans, it will appear faded out, especially from areas of high wear-and-tear such as knees. While denim usually absorbs a lot of dirt and sweat, they still don’t require as frequent washing.
As a rule of thumb, washing your jeans after 2-3 washes (minimum) is recommended. During the wash, ALWAYS RUN THE COLD-WATER CYCLE. It will help in preventing your denim from fading and shrinking. Avoiding harsh detergents and turning your jeans inside out during laundry are also good habits.
Delicates
Underwear or lingerie are generally considered “delicates” due to the sensitivity of their fabric, laces, and other embellishments. They are hand-washed but you can also use the delicate machine cycle for cleaning them.
Using a “laundry bag” is a great way to wash your delicacies as it helps them from friction of other clothing items in the washer.
Lastly, machine-drying even at a low-heat setting is not required for delicate so it’s’ best to follow twice for drying knits by laying them flat on a rack or let them hang in the air to dry naturally. This will help in avoiding snags, tangles, friction, and shape loss.
At the bottom line, each fabric has a different composition i.e., it requires customised care and a personalised washing ritual. While it may seem like a lot right now, actually sticking to these guidelines is easier than you’d think. If you want to take an extra step, adding a Re-Tergent to your cotton fabric care is a great idea.
Here’s to happy laundry cycles!
FAQ’s
- How to care for cotton fabric?
Cotton fabric can be easily maintained with a few tips. For clothes that are hardly breaking any sweat, try hand washing with cold water. If that’s not an option, run a delicate cycle with cold or hot water temperature. Avoid using high heat drying to avoid shrinkage and wrinkles. Also, preshrink cotton clothing before wearing and washing them.