Cloth Care

1. Sort Items by Colour and Fabric Type

Proper sorting before you wash clothes and other fabric items ensures the best results. First, separate lights and darks to prevent colours from bleeding, fading, or turning dull.

Next, group items by fabric type. This allows you to wash according to ideal settings for each fabric’s needs. For example, bulky denim can handle hotter temperatures that would damage delicate Lawn, cambric, and silks.

Finally, sort by soil level – lightly worn items in one pile, heavily soiled items in another. This prevents traces of dirt and oil from redepositing on clean clothes.

Outfits worn in muddy conditions may need a targeted pre-wash treatment before going in with everyday laundry.

2. Pre-Treat Stains Before Washing

Don’t throw stained clothes straight into the laundry, as you risk setting the stains permanently. Start by identifying the type of stain:

• Oily stains like grease, tar, or makeup benefit from dish soap, baking soda, or stain pre-wash sprays.
• Acidic stains like juice, tea, or coffee do well with diluted white vinegar.
• Protein stains like blood, egg, and sweat respond to specialized stain removers bought over the shelf.
• Opt for a non-chlorine bleach to keep your whites bright without damaging the fabric.
• Mud and dirt stains need brushing/sponging off dry fabrics first before using stain removers.
• Gently dab or spray targeted pretreatments and allow time to work before washing. Avoid vigorously rubbing stains, which can further grind them into the fibres.
• Remember that catching stains early is vital for easy stain removal.

3. Use the Right Water Temperature

The heat of the water impacts how well detergent dissolves and activates enzymes that attack stains and soils. While hot water loosens oily, tough stains, cooler water is gentler on dyes and delicate garments.

• Use hot water for heavily soiled laundry, linens, towels, and non-delicate cotton.
• Warm water covers everyday laundry loads with a mix of fabrics.
• Cold water is ideal for lightly soiled clothing, dark prints, silks, wools, Lawn, cambric, and specialty performance fabrics prone to shrinking.
• Always follow the garment labels for recommended temperatures.

4. Measure Detergent Correctly

Too much detergent creates excess suds that deposit a sticky residue on fabrics that attracts dirt over time. Follow the amounts recommended on the packaging based on your load size:

• Small loads need 1–2 tablespoons of laundry detergent.
• Medium loads need around 3 tablespoons.
• Large/extra-large loads need 4–5 tablespoons.
• For HE (high-efficiency) machines, use only 1–3 tablespoons due to the low water volume.

5. Use Fabric Softener Wisely

Overuse of fabric softener can create a waxy buildup on fabrics that diminishes their natural absorbency. Follow these tips for best results:

• Only use 1/4 to 1/3 of the recommended amount per load.
• Dilute concentrated softeners before adding to the rinse cycle.
• Skip softener on athletic wear and towels where absorbency is important.
• Look for plant-based softeners with fewer added perfumes and chemicals.

6. Dry with Care

Proper drying preserves the feel, fit, and vibrancy of fabrics wash after wash:

• Lie sweaters flat to air dry to help maintain shape and size.
• Hang sturdy linens, shirts, pants, jeans, and socks to dry completely.
• Keep drying clothes out of direct sunlight to prevent fading.
• If using a tumble dryer, ensure it is set to the correct setting for your fabric type.
• Take clothes out of the tumble dryer immediately once finished to prevent wrinkling.
• Hang drying whenever possible helps to preserve fabrics’ look, feel, and structure over time.

7. Dry Clean When Needed

Delicate materials like silk, Viscose, light polyester, and wool often require professional dry cleaning to prevent damage, shrinkage, or misshaping. Consider dry cleaning for:

• Sheer silks, chiffon, crepe de chine, and other delicates.
• Cashmere, fine wools, and wool blends like gabardine.
• Rayon, which loses shape when agitated.
• Heavily embellished evening and cocktail wear.
• Suits, tailored overcoats, tuxedos, and other specialty garments.
• Always check the clothing label – if it says ‘dry clean only’, follow the instruction to be safe.