Garment Care 101
Made with care | Care for your garments
An aspect of slow fashion is more gentle and slow washing care. The garments are made with care, so caring for your garments will extend their life. Care labels have instructions on how to properly care for the garment from the experts - the people who made the fabric. Use this as a starting point to care for your garments.
Machine Washing
Machine washing is the fastest and most effective way to clean a lot of garments, but can have adverse effects on the garments if not done correctly.
Wait until you have a full load of clothing that needs washing.
Select cold water setting. It is better for your clothing- by reducing fiber degradation and color fading.
Select a delicate/gentle setting. Use a garment bag if you'd like an even more delicate wash.
Add a natural and biodegradable detergent free of artificial fragrance, bleach, optical brighteners, sulfates, and dioxane. Check the container for the correct water-to-detergent ratio.
Skip washing
Natural fibers are innately antibacterial - you will be surprised how little they actually need washing.
Spot clean as needed. If there are small marks or stains, or certain smelly areas, wash only the problem zone in the sink using a natural, biodegradable detergent.
Air out clothing for a quick refresh. As soon as you are done wearing them, hang garments outside to get some airflow and naturally self-clean.
Natural Dyes
Natural dyes are more sensitive to washing, PH, and sun than their chemical alternatives. As long as you keep that in mind, caring for naturally dyed pieces is easy.
Hand-wash naturally dyed garments in cold water.
Naturally dyed garments can be machine washed on cold and delicate settings. Always wash with like colors and know machine washing may cause more color fading than hand-washing.
Natural dyes are sensitive to PH and chemicals. Always use a PH-neutral, natural, and biodegradable detergent.
Hang dry naturally dyed garments away from direct sunlight - the sun will fade color.