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Tips how to take care of natural fiber clothes

HandyDuo would like to share with you some insights about natural fabrics and tips how to properly take care of natural fiber clothes and accessories: how to clean, wash, dry, iron them. Although there are some general rules, remember that the most valuable information is on each garment’s label and you should always follow manufacturer’s instructions.

Woolen clothes

Sheep wool, alpaca wool, mohair goats wool, cashmere goats wool and the most luxurious vicuña wool are very warm, but demanding yarns. Sometimes there may be enough to ventilate woolen sweaters, coats, scarves, hats, etc., outdoors as sweat easily evaporates. On the other hand, never leave woolen clothing in the direct sunlight for too long because colored fibers might get bleached and white wool might get yellowish. Dirty woolen clothes and accessories can be hand-washed or machine-washed with special mild detergent at water temperature not higher than 30°C (higher temperature causes shrinkage). If you decide to hand-wash, be careful not to rub or twist too excessively. Always dry flat to keep the shape and size of woolen clothes unchanged. Avoid ironing, but if needed, use medium heat settings and a piece of protective cloth between the iron and wool. Cahmere, mohair and alpaca fibers are really soft and even more tender than traditional sheep wool. However, nothing compares to vicuña wool which is one of the most expensive yarns in the world. That’s why it is advisable to have these textile fiber clothes cleaned dry by professionals if you still have any doubts.
 

Silk garments

Silk is very fragile material. It is produced by moth caterpillars Hand-wash or machine-wash with delicate cycle settings just like wool clothing. Never use clorine bleach, choose mild detergent specially for silk or wool. Avoid twisting if you hand-wash. Lay an item flat and air-dry. When it has already dried, iron on low-medium heat without steam and make sure the garment is inside out. You can use a protective cloth, too. Nevertheless, if it is your favourite silk dress, it may be the safest option to take it to a professional dry cleaner.

Down jackets

Taking care of them might be a bit challenging and it is the best to do that in the summertime. To refresh and ventilate the jacket, just hang it outside for a while, but do not leave if for too long in the direct sunlight. If there is only sole spot, you can simply take a damp cloth and clean the dirt. But if machine-washing is needed, set low temperatures 30-40°C and use detergent that is suited for wool or other delicate natural fibers. Down jackets require adequate rinsing of the detergent so hand-washing would be very tedious and is not preferred over machine-washing. To dry the jacket, lay it down horizontally outdoors and from time to time fluff it so that feathers wouldn’t be compacted into one mass. Also, down jackets can be tumble dried but at low heat.

Linen clothing

Hand-washing or machine-washing are both appropriate options. For colored linen – use low temperature water not higher than 40ºC, for white linen – not higher than 60ºC. Do not use cleanser with chlorine for white linen as it might damage yarn structure, better use gentle detergent. Dry flat or machine dry at low heat and remember that it would be the best way to iron the linen garment while it hasn’t dried completely and is a bit damp. For ironing set high heat settings, use spray and steam when needed.

Cotton clothes

Cotton also requires special care as it is prone to shrink. Apply the same washing and drying tips as for wool. Iron on high heat settings while fabric is still a bit damp. When necessary you can use spray and steam.

Natural fiber clothes