The simple philosophy: if you look after your clothes well, they’ll look great and last longer. That’s why we’ve created this Clothing Care Guide, to help you learn more about how to wash less, wash well and care better.
Wash Less
Most clothes never become worn out. They become washed out, losing their shape, colour and thickness. Unnecessary washing also means wasting water and energy. Our best advice for prolonging any garment’s lifetime? Wash your clothes as little as possible.
5 Great Alternatives to Washing
STEAMING: The best choice when you don’t want to wash: the hot steam kills bacteria, reduces bad smells and returns your item to its former wrinkle-free condition.
MISTING: Steamery’s clothing mists contain active bacterial cultures that break down bad odours from clothing. Spray the mist directly on the source of the smell and boom - your item can be worn again straight away.
AIRING: Fresh air is your friend when it comes to removing odours. Hang your clothes outside overnight to make your garments feel crisp and new - this works particularly well for woollen items
REMOVING STAINS: Spilled tomato juice on your favourite top? Don’t panic: stains are much easier to remove if you can use a treatment before washing.
BRUSHING: A clothing brush is a far more versatile alternative to a lint roller, and will easily brush away dirt, hair and dust from the surface of fabrics.
For most ordinary stains (mud, ice-cream), use ordinary stain remover or detergent
For oil and grease marks, use specialist soap products
For wine and harsher stains, use hydrogen peroxide-based remover
Wash well
The key to eco-friendly washing is washing less. However, when you can’t avoid the growing laundry pile any longer, it’s important to know how to wash your clothes well; using the right detergent, technique and temperatures to help your clothes stay fresh and look new.
6 Washing Rules for Eco-Friendly Laundry
SORT AND SEPERATE: The only surefire way to prevent your white garments from turning grey is to sort and separate before washing. Dark clothes, light-colours and whites should all be washed separately. For garments labelled ‘hand-wash’ or ‘wash separately’, do exactly that
DRY CLEANING ISN’T NECESSARY: Good news for your dry cleaning bill: most clothes with a ‘dry clean’ label can be hand washed. We recommend hand washing all your favourite items anyway to make them last longer. Watch out for ‘dry clean only’ labels though - some fabrics don’t react well to water.
DETERGENT ISN’T ONE-SIZE-FITS-ALL: Standard laundry detergents can destroy delicate fibres, so use an enzyme-free delicate wash detergent for silk and wool. Use the quantity recommended on the packaging: your clothes won’t be any cleaner if you use too much
DON’T TURN UP THE HEAT: You know all the different temperature options on your washing machine? Forget them - you only need two. Make 30 ºC your standard option, and wash your bed linen, sheets and towels at 60ºC
PROTECT YOUR DELICATES: They’re called delicate for a reason after all, so make sure to put them in a wash protection bag before they go in your machine. Opt for a bag made from a breathable fabric where possible, as otherwise mildew may develop.
LEAVE YOUR TUMBLE DRYER ALONE: Tumble drying has a high energy consumption and high risk of shrinking clothes. Luckily, most garments last longer if they can air dry. To avoid the disappointment of a misshapen jumper, flat dry knitwear using a towel to gently roll it up and absorb any excess water
Care better
Different materials need different kinds of care. So, if you give your woolly knits, linen trousers or denim jeans the treatment they deserve, the fabrics will last so much longer.
Protect By Fabric Type
LINEN: More good news: linen is naturally dirt and stain repellent, so a cool wash and a gentle spin should do the trick. Fold in a different way after each wash to avoid unnecessary tear on the fibres. And remember, tumble drying is linen’s worst enemy (don’t say we didn’t warn you!)
WOOL (INCLUDING MERINO AND CASHMERE): Wool garments are naturally anti-bacterial so they can be washed very infrequently, with a delicate wash detergent. Air them, mist them and keep them folded in a drawer, as hanging may stretch them.
POLYESTER: Polyester can be spun into anything from sheer dresses to NASA spacesuits. However, it may release microplastics when washed. Wash infrequently using a Guppyfriend bag - a great little washing bag that filters out the particles to stop them getting into the sea.
SILK: The best way to care for your sleekest, silkiest garments is to cool hand wash with a delicate wash detergent. Avoid ironing in case you create an unwanted scorch mark (so easily done) and follow the care label as some silks should be dry-cleaned.
COTTON: You’ll probably be relieved to find out that cotton garments aren’t that sensitive. They can be tumble dried, ironed or steamed: the choice is yours. Use separate detergents designed specifically for either coloured clothes or white clothes to keep them looking in great shape.
DENIM: Denim can be washed so infrequently that you can go months in between washing your favourite jeans. Air them and mist them to keep them fresh, and when laundry day finally arrives, opt for a cold gentle spin and avoid the tumble dryer.