It can be a thankless job trying to wash a lot of clothes, especially if they’re different fabrics. However, this is a task that we really cannot hide from. Different fabric types mean different washing patterns. This article is meant to give you valuable information of how to wash different fabric types.
How to wash cotton, wool and cashmere
Cotton: Even though cotton is quite hardy and is washable at a warmer temperature reaching forty degrees, the fabric can still shrink especially when it has been mixed with a different fiber. In order to avoid encountering a problem like this, ensure that you check the care label for washing requirements.
Cotton’s main problem is its color fading after a while. That’s why it is advisable to wash the fabric at around thirty degrees. It is also important to note that there are dyes that don’t completely fix, meaning they might stain other clothes. That’s why you should never put your whites and your blacks together.
Wool: This particularly fabric is extremely tricky and it’s likely that a lot of you reading this have shrunk something made of wool before. Hopefully you won’t have that problem anymore after reading this. Due to wool’s stain, odor and crease resistance, you honestly won’t have to wash it regularly. However, when you do need to wash it, use wool cycle and make sure the washer is kept below thirty degrees. If your machine doesn’t come with a wool cycle, opt for either the cold water wash or the delicate wash. You should also never attempt to tumble dry wool.
You can decide to hand wash your wool fabric. All you have to do is keep the water warm, turn the cloth and soak it for ten minutes or more. After this, rinse it with cold water and let it dry.
Cashmere: The cashmere fabric is one of the softest and most comfortable materials you’ll ever come across. The material makes for brilliant scarves and sweaters. Soak the fabric for an hour and then rinse it. However, don’t wring it because this will spoil the fabric. It is also better to dry the sweater flat.
Due to cashmere material being very expensive, a lot of people give out their cashmere sweaters and scarves to dry cleaners to handle their washing. Visit croydondrycleaning.co.uk to hire a professional dry cleaner.
How to wash leather, suede, denim and silk
Suede and leather: Suede and leather are beautiful to own and wear, but their maintenance isn’t as straightforward. Make use of leather dressing to make sure that the leather remains soft and fresh. Warm water and mild soap can also be used to clean leather. As for suede, it is advisable that you use a suede protector to make sure that your shoes remain water resistant. You should never put your leather clothes in the washer.
Denim: Denim jeans have a tendency to shrink if they’re not maintained well. You don’t want this to happen to your favorite jeans or jacket. First of all, make sure that the denim is turned inside out. This will prevent unnecessary abrasion when the washing cycle begins. Use a cooler delicate cycle to protect the denim from fading. This fabric can also be put in the dryer, but you should remove them before they’re completely dry. You should then air-dry it at this point. This gives you an opportunity to shape it since it is still damp.
Silk: This is one of the most luxurious fabrics and it’s obvious why. Look at the care label and if it states that the fabric is dry clean only, then you should do that. However, if you want to wash it yourself, that’s also fine. Silk is likely to fade, so you need to check the colorfastness of the fabric by patting an inconspicuous part with a damp washcloth. You can hand wash it with mild detergent or shampoo. Silk doesn’t take long to wash since dirt will come off very quickly. You should then air-dry it after this. Even with this, it is preferable that you give silk to a dry cleaner.
Maintaining the color of your clothes
Over time, colors in clothes can begin to fade. This is true about both bright and dark clothes. For bright clothes, separate them by their color intensity. It is advisable to wash them in two groups: pastels and bright colors. For newer clothes, ensure you wash them on their own since they might bleed a lot of dye in their first few washes.
On the other hand, dark clothes can be washed together. However, they should be washed with a cold water cycle. For detergent, never use one with bleach alternative in them as this will spoil your clothes. Minimize abrasion by fastening hooks, closing zippers and turning clothes inside out before putting them in the washer. You should also try to wash clothes that are of similar weight together. Just because a sweater and a jean jacket are both dark blue doesn’t mean they should be in the same washer at the same time.
Washing in the winter: Even though it’s a fact that cold water helps to reduce fading in dark clothes, a bitter cold weather could lead to the water temperature of the washing machine falling below forty degrees. This will make detergents very ineffective – even the ones that have been manufactured to work with cold water. If you happen to stay in a place that gets really chilly during the winter season, do not use the cold water setting when this period reaches. Instead, switch to the warm water wash.
What to do when colors run: It will be helpless trying to soak bright fabrics in vinegar or salt in a bid to forestall bleeding. If the colors in your bright fabrics have bled into other clothes, it is absolutely vital that you don’t put those stained clothes in the dryer. This is because the heat will make the dye set, which will mean that any discoloration in the fabrics will stay permanent. What you should do instead is separately wash the clothes again. The dye will most likely leave the clothes – as long as heat isn’t applied to them.