I am a designer who follows Slow Fashion Principles. I am a firm believer in buying less and investing in better-quality items.
But opting for fewer but better is half the job done, the other is taking care of them the right way. 'If you care for your things, they will last a long time' - this adage cannot be more true for garments than anything else.
Proper garment care does not actually take more time or effort. All it requires is a little know-how and simple tricks.
1. WASH AT LOWER TEMPERATURES
We no longer need to wash at high temperatures thanks to modern washing machines and detergents. Not only modern washers are designed for lower temperatures, but many detergents have enzymes that will start working at 30C (cold).
Low-temperature washing not only means that your clothes will last longer, less likely to shrink, fade and ruin clothes, it can also reduce wrinkles. Some stains also does not respond well with warm temperatures, such as blood or sweat can set into fabric in hot water.
2. USE ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY CLEANING PRODUCTS
Conventional laundry detergents contain synthetic surfactants, artificial dyes, and fragrances which may cause allergic reactions to our skin and eyes. Switch to an environmentally friendly laundry detergent but don't use it too much. Overdosing won't have any effect on making your clothes cleaner.
3. WASH MINDFULLY
- The care label instructions that you can find on each piece of garment will give you advice on how best to care for your clothes so that they remain like new ones for years to come.
- A general guideline is to turn your garment inside out.
- In this way, the wrong side of the garment takes all of the abuse and fading caused by the agitation when washing.
- Delicates should be put into a zippered garment mesh bag so they don't get pulled out of shape.
- Sort by color.
- Sort by type (e.g. non-delicate vs more delicate garments.
- Sort by temperature (warm vs cold).
- Empty pockets, and close zippers.
- Make sure to not wash colored new garments for the first time together with lighter colors.
4. SKIP THE DRYER
Tumble dry will not only increase wear and tear of the fabric, it may even cause your garment to shrink due to the high heat and tossing motion.
Also, skipping the dryer may be one of the most significant choices in reducing your carbon footprint, saving costs (electricity usage), and leaving your garment in better condition and good shape longer.
5. STEAMING / IRONING
Most garments don't need ironing if you wash them on a lower cycle and gently stretch them (line dry or lay flat) when they come out of the washing machine and hang the garment to dry.
Reducing the wash cycle would help to reduce the number of creases (but the garments will come out more wet).
If the garments do need ironing, then it is best to refer to the garment care label to know what temperature setting is safe. As for me, I recommend steaming over ironing, as it's gentler for the fabric fibers.
When ironing cotton and linen items, we recommend using a damp function or using the steam setting on the iron. Giving the cotton or linen a little moisture before ironing will make the fibers smoother and the garment will flatten quicker.
6. STORAGE
Similar to washing, each garment must be stored differently depending on how they're made:
- knit sweaters and t-shirts should be folded to prevent gravity from doing its work and stretching them out;
- natural or delicate fabrics like silk, cotton, and linen best be hung after ironing to avoid wrinkles;
- blazers, jackets, dresses, and pants should be hung vertically to avoid necessary sagging or stretching out of the width.
Take good care of your clothes! Make loved garments last!
Natalie Friesen,
founder of DigFashion brand
P.S. A gift for you! :)
You can download this picture, print and put on the top of your washing machine. It's easy!
