- Remember, women's fashion fabrics tend to be delicate so use tender loving care when washing or ironing.
- Remember, the hotter the more harmful. Whether it is water, air or an iron, heat is the enemy of fabric and will erode the fibers much faster.
- Remember, hand wash is better than machine wash, cold water is better than warm water, hang dry is better than warm tumble dry, steaming is better than ironing.
- Remember, if you always dry your clothes on the very warm tumble dry setting, STOP! You are destroying your clothes at 3 times the rate!
- Remember, wash colors with colors, darks with darks and whites with whites to prevent color bleading and fabric discolorations.
- Remember, do not overuse detergent. Using too much detergent can erode the fabric of your clothes much faster.
- Remember, remove your clothes from the washer as soon as possible. Wet clothes can transfer color if allowed to sit too long.
- Remember, pre-treat stains with detergent or a stain remover to enhance stain removal effectivness.
Fabric Care Hints
- Steaming your clothes is much better than using an extremely warm metal iron. Consider buying a steamer to remove wrinkles instead.
- Tumble dry on delicate till your clothes are damp and finish with a hang dry. The hotter the tumble dry, the faster your fabric fibers erode.
- Try hand washing your delicates instead of machine wash. Helpful hand washing hints can be found all over the internet.
- Refresh your clothes not wash. You do not need to wash your clothes everytime after only one wear. When you wash your clothes, fabric fibers are slowly eroded. Washing and drying is the enemy of fabric. The less you wash the longer they last.
- Wear deodorant. The sweat from our underarms (Apocrine Sweat) not only carries an offensive smell, but it is also has ammonia and other destructive substances. Controlling your sweat can save your women's clothing!
- Hang up your clothes after changing and spray with a fabric freshner like Febreeze or any other non-acidic fabric freshner. DO NOT throw them into a pile in the corner because then you will have to wash them.
- Wash your clothes inside out.
- When you get a stain on your clothes, pre treat as soon as possible
Cotton Fabrics
Cotton is probably the one fabric where care and careful washing procedures are most important. Cotton is an amazing fabric to wear against your skin but it is also the one fabric that can shrink very easily. Contrary to popular belief, it is not washing in hot or warm water that is the main culprit but rather drying your cotton clothes in a warm or hot cycle in the dryer.
- Wash in cold or warm water, avoid hot water
- NEVER tumble dry in warm or hot dryer settings
- Hang Dry or tumble dry on the cold setting in the dryer
- It is best to take garments out of the dryer slightly damp and finish hang drying
- Only bleach white cotton for aggressive stain removal
Non Coated Polyester Fabrics
Polyester (non-coated) is a very durable fabric. Non-coated polyester is generally a soft stretchy fabric. NOTE: Faux leather is a coated polyester. Polyester fabrics can be washed and dried in warm water. Constant drying on the hot cycle in the dryer will make colors fade so use cold or warm water and air when washing. Polyester will generally not shrink.
- Wash in cold of warm water
- Dry in normal or warm temperatures
- Drying on hot may begin to slowly fade colors
- DO NOT use bleach on colored fabric
- Hang drying is best to maintain colors
Coated Polyester Fabrics
Coated polyester fabrics include faux leather leggings, metallic leggings or any other garment where another layer has been added over-top of the basic polyester base fabric. The coating on these women’s fashion garments are sensitive. Aggressive washing and drying will ruin the fabric very easily, even in just one wash. Be sure to follow these instructions with every wash.
- Wash ONLY on the delicate cycle
- Best to hand wash or professional wash (recommended)
- DO NOT place in the dryer, ONLY hang dry
- Garment WILL be ruined in just one wash and dry on hot, AVOID this always
Rayon, Lurex and Viscose Fabrics
Rayon, lurex and viscose fabrics are a similar fabric to cotton but are slightly more resistant to shrinkage. They do tend to be very soft and somewhat fragile so take care in washing these fabrics. Heat can easily remove the soft quality of these fabrics after only a few washes.
- Wash in cold or warm water (hot is OK but not every wash)
- Dry in the warm cycle (hot is ok but not every dry)
- Try not to bleach as bleach can ruin these soft fabrics.
