How to Wash Your Fabrics
A Guide to Laundering Your Clothing
Knowing how to wash your clothing properly can extend the life of your favorite items and keep them looking their best longer. Use the following laundry guide to help you determine the best way to handle your clothing based on the fabric that it is made of.
Cotton Clothing
Cotton is a soft natural fiber, it’s very popular because the natural fibers make it comfortable and let it breath. Most of the cotton you purchase is preshrunk because it is very prone to shrinkage, especially with hot water and a lot of agitation. Cotton that is not preshrunk should be hand washed in cold water with a mild detergent. Preshrunk cotton is more durable and can be washed in the washing machine in either cold or warm water
Linen
While cotton is made from fluffy fibers, linen is made from firmer fibers of the flax plant. It generally has a nice crisp woven look that breathes exceptionally and is great for warmer weather. It is usually recommended that you dry clean linen but you can often get away with hand washing it in cold with a mild detergent or machine washing on a gentle cycle.
Rayon
Rayon is actually made of wood pulp and is considered a semi-synthetic fabric. Rayon is a great warm weather fabric as its lightweight and flowing which gives it a cooling quality. Rayon holds its color and shape best when it’s dry cleaned, but you can hand wash it in cold water with a mild detergent. Because it’s not extremely colorfast, wash it alone and then iron it when it’s slightly damp to help it retain its form.
Silk
This luxurious fabric comes from silkworms and is very durable if handled properly. Dry cleaning is recommended much the same as it is with rayon, but hand washing in cold water with a mild detergent is usually okay as long as the dye is colorfast.
Synthetic Fabrics
There are a lot of synthetic fabrics including nylon, spandex, acrylics and the every popular polyester. These fabrics are great because little care is needed, they can simply be tossed into a washing machine with regular detergent. Do take care when drying as a lower heat is best.
Wool
A great, durable fabric which typically comes from the fur of sheep or goats. Wool is an excellent cold weather fabric as it holds in warmth and when woven tightly enough it protects from chills. Because wool is a natural fiber it is prone to shrinking in warm or hot water and with agitation. Dry clean wool items or wash them by hand in cold water with a mild detergent and never toss wool items into the dryer.
Remember that many pieces of clothing are made of blends of different materials, in this case you should treat the item as though it’s all made of the most delicate fabric that is in the blend. But, if the percentage is really uneven, you may be okay simply following directions for the material that makes up the majority of the garment.
As a side note, if you’re looking to be as green as possible, use cold water when ever possible.
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