Taking care of clothes and other household fabrics can be trickier than it seems at first glance, as every material has different washing, drying, ironing, and storage requirements. Learning how to take care of all the fabrics you own will allow you to enjoy them for longer, allowing you to be more sustainable since you won’t constantly have to shop for new items to replace the ones that have become damaged. Some fabrics are exceptionally delicate, and washing them at very high temperatures can cause them to rip, shrink, and fade. In some cases, you can even make stains permanent by washing clothes at the wrong temperature. If you’ve been looking for ways to improve your laundry abilities and ensure that your clothing and household fabrics are always pristine, you can keep enjoying them for as long as possible.
Linen
Linen is the quintessential summer fabric, being breathable and odour-resistant, as well as part of a timeless style that will never look outdated. The fabric is also entirely biodegradable as well as hypoallergenic, and may even have some insect-repelling properties as well. If you want to keep your linen clothes in perfect shape, remember to always wash them in cold water and leave them to air dry. Linen can shrink significantly, so you should avoid tumble-drying at all costs. As a result of its moisture-wicking properties, the fabric can, unfortunately, be quite absorbent when it comes to stains as well, so make sure to check if there are any before washing.
Treating them separately will guarantee that they are completely eliminated from your clothes. When air drying, make sure it doesn’t get a lot of sunlight for a prolonged amount of time, as it can cause discolouration or fading. Since linen is highly prone to wrinkling and crumpling, you should get a table top ironing board that will allow you to iron garments to perfection and ensure there are no creases left. As a general rule, you should iron linen when it is still slightly damp and on a low heat setting. You can also add some padding on top to have an extra layer to protect the fabric.
Silk
Silk is a delicate, luxurious fabric, so you must take extra when cleaning it. While some people will recommend never washing silk and sticking with dry cleaning instead to maintain the finish and drape of the garments, the truth is that silk can be washed at home; you just need to take a few extra precautions when doing so. Silk should always be washed on its own, ideally by hand, with cool or lukewarm water. If you need to machine wash, always go for the delicate setting and remember to put the garments into a mesh laundry bag to protect them from getting snagged, torn, or tangled.
Use a mild detergent and dry items flat. Silk can also be ironed, but using steam is even better. Make sure to use a large ironing board cover to protect not only your ironing board but also your clothing. Covers distribute the steam and heat adequately, eliminating the risk of damaging your clothes.
Cotton
Cotton is one of the most ubiquitous fabrics in the world, but that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t take good care of it. In fact, it is crucial to care for cotton garments because this fabric is very resource-intensive, and making a single t-shirt can take as much as 2,700 litres of water. If you don’t know how to take care of cotton items and are forced to throw them away after only a few uses because they’ve lost their shape and lustre, you are essentially making that huge amount of resources go to waste. Cotton must be washed with cool water, as very high heat will cause considerable shrinkage and end up ruining the fabric.
If you believe washing with warm water is preferable, check the tag first, as it will tell you everything you need to know about exactly which temperature is the maximum you can go for to avoid damaging the item. Cotton is usually safe to iron on medium to high heat, and you can use water to get the fabric slightly damp beforehand. Clothing and other items made from this fabric should be neatly folded to prevent wrinkles. Make sure they are fully dry before storing, or they’ll start smelling damp, and you’ll need to wash them all over again.
Wool
Wool is a fantastic 100% natural, renewable, and biodegradable fabric. It is durable and offers thermal insulation and odour resistance while also being breathable and easy to clean. When washing wool garments, you must remember that warm water is very likely to cause items to shrink considerably. Hand washing and using cold water are the best options, and you must always air-dry. Drying flat also lets the items keep their original shape. Wool is typically wrinkle-resistant, so you generally won’t need to iron it.
You also shouldn’t go overboard with the washing as the items are unlikely to need to be laundered after every wear. Airing clothing out after each wear and even letting it out in the sun for a bit can kill bacteria and prevent unpleasant odours, and spot-cleaning is typically enough for most stains.
Keeping fabrics looking immaculate does take a little extra effort, but it is definitely worth your time. Keeping clothing looking good means you can enjoy it much longer, so you’re not constantly shopping for new items and directly contributing to a growing pollution problem. Doing laundry is an unpleasant chore for many, but learning how to approach it and what are the things you should do to protect your clothes can make it a much less frustrating experience.
As a general rule, it is always better to be careful with clothes if you want to preserve them, so wash with cold or warm water, not hot, avoid harsh detergents and chemicals, and air-dry fabrics. This will maintain their shape intact and keep their colours brighter for longer.
Leave a Reply