Hand wash any item of clothing you love to make it last. Wash your garments less often and use a mild detergent.
Soak and rinse in cold water, roll in a towel to remove excess water and lay flat to dry.
Pretreat stains with a stain solution of your choice (oxy solution or ivory soap are good options) and gently work them with an old toothbrush. Don’t overbrush- you may need to treat more than once.
If you need to spot treat a tough stain on white fabric, gently brush the stain with a toothbrush and diluted bleach. Do not leave the bleach on too long or the fabric will yellow. Rinse out bleach immediately when the stain vanishes.
It is worth investing in a fabric shaver to depill your clothing and keep it newer looking longer!
Sweater knits are a blend of natural fibres and can either be hand washed cold or on a cold setting in the machine. Because they contain a little bit of stretch for memory, they should never be put in the dryer. Always lay flat to dry.
Cotton poplin is a crisp fabric with a slightly lustrous finish. Wash in cold water either by hand or on a gentle setting in the machine. Hang to dry. Spritz with water and steam iron to remove wrinkles. Iron inside out. Do not press too hard with a hot iron to avoid unwanted sheen.
Linen wrinkles naturally as you wear it and conforms to your body. Go with the wrinkles! It is not a perfect fabric and that is part of its beauty. You can use a spray bottle to dampen the linen and iron with high heat and steam or use a steamer. Do not spot-treat linen with brushing as it may pill.
Viscose is a fibre made from plant based materials such as wood. It is highly prone to shrinkage and must always be washed in cold water. If your viscose garment feels stiff or slightly shrunken after washing, you can steam it out with a steamer or iron. Never press the hot iron directly on the fabric as it can cause unwanted shine. Place a piece of fabric between the iron and garment. If you are uncertain or if the garment is lined, dry clean.
Chambray is a plain weave cotton fabric. Treat it like other cotton fabrics by coldwashing and hanging to dry. It can wrinkle after washing but can be easily pressed out with a hot iron on the steam setting.