You might remember numerous horror posts I dedicated to my past away black cashmere Ralph Lauren open back sweater which shrank to Barbie size, my high waste leather Topshop Kate Moss collection mini skirt which got ripped in gazillion pieces as if it was swallowed by a paper shredder or my floral silk RL collection dress which now looks like all of it flowers perished, all of these were victims of my evil washing machine!
I dedicate this post to all of my future designer pieces which will live long and prosperous life due to my new found garment cleaning habits.
Bellow I have listed useful advice I collected during my research – I hope you’ll find it useful lovelies! J
DRY CLEANING
Limit the amount of wearings & dry clean regularly.
Remove the plastic dry cleaning bags after laundering to prevent damage to the expensive fabric used to create most designer clothes. Send your fine furs and leathers to a furrier for cleaning.
CLOSET & STORAGE
Keep your closet well-ventilated and moth free. Don’t pack your closet to its full capacity. Create 1 inch of space between each hanger in your closet. Dry clean your designer clothes before placing the items into long periods of storage. Store your cashmere sweaters and fine woolens in cotton bags.
HOME WASHING & DRYING
Flip graphic tees inside out when washing and always use cool/cold water wash cycle. Always iron while damp.
The gentlest approach for drying is to hang dry. Most of the wear and tear to your clothes is done in the dryer. If you are going to use the household dryer, use the low heat setting and dry them to about 80% dry. Use the hang dry method to finish the last 20% of the job.
COLOR
Wash color cotton clothes gently in hot water and others in cold water. Some of the rare colors like black, turquoise blue and shocking pink always bleed and require special precautions when washed. Always use liquid detergents specialized for the type of clothes you are caring for.
COTTON
Cotton clothes require extra care. They can be washed depending on how often they are worn. Get your cottons dry-cleaned after a period of usage. Most cotton clothes need to get starched and the starch makes the cloth fluffy and stiff.
JEANS
Air-dry your jeans and vintage clothes, and use low drying settings. When it comes to jeans you don't want to wash them after every wear, try every three wears or till they feel dirty.
To maintain the color of your jeans, wash them inside out. If your jeans have faded and you want to add color, wash them together with a pair of new ones that have never been washed. The excess color from the new pair of jeans will transfer to the old pair in the process of washing.
Photos:Lily Donaldson, Gemma Ward & Caroline Trentini
by Steven Meisel for Vogue US December 2005.
ALWAYS! Read the label and follow instructions.
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