Cloth Care
Your fabric and the garments you sew are an investment, and how you prepare your cloth, and care for your garments, will determine how they maintain their shape and wear. The cloth care and prewash guidelines will eliminate any mishaps and prevent disappointment. Cloth Edit doesn’t accept claims on fabrics that have been laundered incorrectly.
This is general information only and should not be relied upon or used as the sole basis for making decisions. Much of this is common sense, but err on the side of caution. The fibres are natural and deserve some love and attention. We do not recommend tumble driers (it damages cloth), and often hand washing is best. Spot test when ironing.
Cloth Prep:
It’s standard practice to pre-wash your fabric (unless it is ‘Dry-Clean’ only), but this is even more important in the case of natural fibres as there will usually be some shrinkage. The general consensus is to treat your fabric in the same way as you intend to wash your made garment. There are some other important considerations to note though:
- wash new fabric separately, or at least keep lights and darks separate. If you are unsure if a colour may run, then wash a sample of your fabric with a scrap of white cloth to test.
- overlock or zigzag the edges of the fabric to avoid fraying and the tangled threads causing undue creasing or damage to the fabric.
- tumble dryers aren’t great for fibre longevity, and are often not recommended for your precious garments. Tumble drying is far too rough on clothes and damages the fibres. Nevertheless, if you are going to safely tumble dry your finished garment, then you should test a small portion of the fabric by drying it in the tumble dryer before it is cut out. Do not over dry fabrics and do not use high settings.
Cloth Edit provides care instructions for each fabric listed in the collection. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Cotton Care
Cotton is generally an easy care fibre as it is strong when wet. Cotton can generally be machine washed and tumble dried without too many problems. Wash colours separately. After the initial pre-washing and tumble drying, the finished garment will last longer and look better if it is shaken out when wet, and placed on a hanger to dry. To prevent fading, wash inside out and dry in the shade. Cotton needs a warm to hot iron. Cotton is dry cleanable.
If it is a delicate cotton then more care needs to be taken. Use a mesh washing bag, use a delicate cycle, and do not tumble dry.
Linen Care
We recommend a gentle machine wash or hand washing. It is important not to wring the fabric or garment, so if you are handwashing, roll up in a towel to press out excess water. If you tumble dry the cloth, then do so on a cooler setting. Dryers break down the fibres. It is preferable to wash inside out. Wash colours separately. Shake out the wet garment and dry flat (or on a hanger) in the shade. Use a warm/hot iron and spot test. You may need a water spray bottle to get rid of the wrinkles when you are ironing, or just embrace the crinkled look of the fibre ;-). Linen softens upon wearing and laundering.
Rayon / Viscose
Viscose is a regenerated cellulose fibre made from natural cellulose sources such as wood pulp. It is delicate and requires special care to reduce the risk of being pulled out of shape, pilling, and shrinkage. Hand washing is recommended as it is delicate when wet. Turn inside out and wash in cold or lukewarm water. Do not wring. Machine wash using a cool and delicate cycle. It is a good idea to use a mesh washing bag so the garment is not pulled and distorted. Turn inside out to minimise fading. Dry flat or on a padded hanger. Wash colours separately. Do not dry in a dryer as the fabric will shrink and it is damaging to the fibres. Iron on the reverse side, use a low setting, and spot test.
Silk
While silk is strong, it is very elastic and thus machine washing is out of the question. The general advice is to Dry Clean only. Hand wash at your own risk. If you risk hand-washing, always test a sample of fabric first. If a printed fabric ‘bleeds’ then you need to Dry Clean. Silk can only be hand wash using a gentle detergent such as a baby shampoo or specialist silk detergent as the chemicals and bleach in regular washing liquids and powders will damage the cloth and make it dull. If hand washing use cool water. Hot water is harmful to the fibre. Wash inside out and gently move around the cloth or garment in soapy water. You can let it soak for a few minutes. Rinse by gently holding the cloth or garment in your hands until the water runs clear. Do not bleach, wring, or tumble dry. Do not spot clean silk. Wash colours separately. Dry flat in shade as the sun can yellow light colours. Use a warm iron and spot test.
Hemp
This cloth will last for a long time and retain its integrity if it is looked after. Hemp (and hemp/cotton blends) can be machine washed on a gentle, warm cycle, or hand washed in warm water. It benefits from a warm rinse. Rinse well. Do not bleach or wring. To prevent fading, wash and dry garment inside out. Dry on the shade. Do not tumble dry. Do not dry clean. Use a warm iron and spot test. Like linen, hemp softens upon wearing and laundering.
Modal (with spandex)
Modal knit is resilient and luxurious, and it will last for a long time, retaining its colour and shape, if it is looked after. Due to its spandex content it can’t be treated as freely as 100% Modal. It is recommended that you hand wash in cold water. Do not wring or bleach. Machine wash at own risk but use a garment bag to avoid the garment being pulled out of shape, and select a short, cold, delicate cycle. Turn inside-out when washing to avoid any unnecessary rubbing against the garment surface. Wash colours separately. Dry inside out and in the shade (preferably flat). Use a cool iron, but it is best to let any creases fall out as you wear it. Do not tumble dry. Dryers destroy the spandex. If there is a lot of weight in the garment (such as a maxi dress), store it folded rather than hanging it on a hanger.
