CLEANING

CLEANING YOUR CLOTHES

Please pay attention to care labels when cleaning your clothes. However, if an item is labelled ‘dry clean only’ think twice before sending it to the dry cleaners. Dry cleaning is incredibly damaging both to our clothes and the planet. Instead, we recommend giving these items a delicate hand wash with a gentle eco-friendly detergent. This will really nourish the fibres and leave garments naturally clean and fresh.

For a quick refresh, steaming is an effective and natural method of cleaning your favourite clothing items. This will not only reduce the appearance of wrinkles (perfect for silk!) but will also remove any odour. Steaming is also better for our clothes than ironing, which can flatten the fibres and cause irreversible damage.

If your clothing item has any embellishments or beading, we wouldn’t recommend washing it at home, as these can become damaged or fall off. In this instance, we would recommend specialist cleaning, but please consider using a cleaning service which offers wet cleaning (versus traditional dry cleaning) as this is much better for the environment. You can again also use a steamer to de-wrinkle beaded or sequined clothing items that can’t be washed.

Dark fabrics can bleed when washed and fading is slightly inevitable over time. However, try turning clothes inside out when washing and using a specialist colour-protecting detergent to lessen the effects.

TOP TIP: wherever possible, let your clothes air dry as dryers are often too hard on fabrics and create more wrinkles.

REPAIR & RESTORE

When the heart-breaking moment arrives when your favourite clothing item rips or the beading falls off, consider mending before throwing an old favourite away. We recommend that any small holes or tears are mended as quickly as possible to prevent them from getting worse. Wearing a damaged dress will only result in further damage. If you’re not confident in repairing the damage yourself, please don’t panic as this can normally be fixed by a tailor or a seamstress in no time.

PRACTICE GOOD STORAGE HABITS

When you aren’t wearing your favourite clothing items, it is important to store it correctly so that it is ready for when you do. How you store your item depends on your wardrobe space and the fabric type. We recommend either box or hanger storage. Ensure the storage space is cool, dark and dry, to protect your item from humidity, sunlight and damp. All of these will likely cause damage and increase the need to clean the item.

For hanger storage, invest in good quality wooden hangers that can hold the weight and shape of the item. This is particularly important for heavily beaded items. Remember to leave a gap between your items to allow them to breathe.

TOP TIP: line the hanger with tissue paper to protect any beading or use a breathable garment bag for extra protection.

If you’d prefer to store a special item away from your everyday wardrobe, use acid-free tissue paper to line a storage box. Lay the hem in the box first, then fold the item. We also recommend this method for stretchy dresses as this helps them keep their shape better by lying flat.

The most destructive thing for your clothes however is moths and in fact not the moth itself but the larvae it lays, which are invisible to the naked eye. Whilst cedar balls and lavender sachets can deter moths, try using a decoy that aims to stop the reproductive cycle entirely.

With these top tips, your favourite clothing items will last longer and stay beautiful. This will not only help to reduce the environmental impact of fashion but will allow you to keep wearing the items you really love.

 
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