Decoding Garment Care Labels
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by James Gallichio
“Wait!!” she said. “You need to hand-wash that!”
H…how did she know that?
My mother seems to have a sort of sixth-sense about certain things. It’s as though she went to some sort of special Mum School, where they teach you all about baking delicious cakes, removing stubborn stains from clothes and making my bed in an incomparably comfortable way that, no matter how hard I try, cannot be replicated.
Garment care is one of those indelible skills that mums seem to know all about – yet, for whatever reason, their sons never seem to understand. I’ve been particularly bad at this. I’ve shrunken a fine wool cardigan in a tumble dryer; I’ve stripped a beautiful cashmere sweater of its lush, soft coating; I’ve been guilty of poor garment care.
But not anymore. I’ve learned from my mistakes. I swear. I was young and I was reckless. I admit that. But I’ve changed. I now understand what those little symbols on garment care labels actually mean. And I’m going to share it with you.
Hand WashWhat it means: Wash in warm water between 30-40°C mixed with a small amount of detergent. Don’t scrub too hard and don’t wring-dry the garment – hand washing is used for fragile fabrics.
Do not ironWhat it means: Don’t let an iron anywhere near the garment. If you are absolutely desperate to get some stubborn wrinkles out and don’t have time to go to a dry cleaner, use the steam setting on your iron to create a mist and hold it below the garment so the steam rises onto it.
Do not tumble dryWhat it means: After washing, dry the garment either on a clothesline or on a flat surface. Note, if you dry a wet garment on a wooden surface, the wet wood will stain your clothes.
Do not bleachWhat it means: Self-evident – do not use bleach on the garment. Bleach is quite a harsh chemical and damage delicate fabrics, and will make any coloured dyes run if the fabric is not colourfast
Dry cleanWhat it means: Always take delicate fabrics like silk – as well as jackets, blazers and blankets – to a dry cleaner. This method of cleaning is the easiestway to ensure the life of your garments as it cleans them without damaging them.
Machine-washWhat it means: The garment is safe to put in a washing machine. These symbols often have extra detail on them – sometimes, you’ll find dots inside the symbol (cold, warm and hot for one, two and three dots respectively), while others will mention specific temperatures.
Hopefully, with these easy-to-understand explanations, you won’t make the same mistakes that I did. High quality, well-made clothes are expensive, and it’s absolutely imperative that we take proper care of them. This will not only prolong their life, but keep them looking fantastic. Taking care of your clothes is easy when you know what you’re doing – keep them clean and they’ll look great for years to come.
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