NATURAL FABRICS

It is very important when cleaning natural fabrics to follow the instructions or else disaster is the inevitable outcome. Steam ahead regardless and your ‘pride and joy’ XXXL t-shirt will end up only fitting your 3-year old son!!

All modern washing machines will have detailed instructions on the suitable temperature for a specific garment and even if you have lost them the dial on the front tells you what you should do. But before loading up your washing machine or sink (if you are hand-washing), here are some simple tips:-

Cotton is fairly easy to clean, however, machine-wash and tumble-dry cotton fabrics following the manufacturer’s instructions, as it is can easily shrink or wrinkle. A fabric-softener will improve softness and reduce wrinkling. Cotton should be ironed with a hot iron for the best results.

Wool is more difficult, but because of its nature it is not prone to wrinkling. It is however definitely prone to shrinking if the water temperature is too high. Woollen garments should be dry-cleaned unless they are specifically marked as washable. If the garment is washable only cold or luke-warm water should be used and because of their elasticity, any stretching of the item should be avoided.