First of all, read the care label carefully
The care label tells you what is good for the textile material used. Cotton, elastane or other synthetic fibers do not react in the same way to machine washing or high temperatures, so caution and circumspection are required...
The washing process is symbolized by a small basin with water. With the recommended washing temperature inside. But be careful, some materials do not like the washing machine.
The symbol is then crossed out. If hand washing is recommended, a small hand replaces the temperature.
The triangular symbol is for bleaching. It is allowed or not. A cross on the symbol is then visible.
For ironing, you will recognize an iron. The number of dots indicates the temperature to choose.For example, 2 dots allow a medium temperature (up to 150 °) with possible steam.
Machine drying is represented by a circle in a square. A stitch inside the square means that it must be set to "delicate". 2 dots, normal program possible. Otherwise a cross indicates that it is forbidden.
On some labels there is a circle + W/P/F: this means that you can take the garment to the dry cleaner. This can also be the only washing allowed. The letters indicate the cleaning techniques that can be applied to the garment. They are intended for professionals. W: wet techniques, P and F refer to specific types of solutions. If the circle is crossed out, dry cleaning is not possible even if you imagine preserving your favorite pieces this way!
Adopt smart washing practices!
Be careful with too high temperatures, the clothes may shrink and deteriorate, especially over time. We really advise you to respect the indicated temperature.
It is also more than preferable to separate color from white. Many pieces have their color that "bleed". And there it is the cata! Unless you opt for the anti-discoloration wipes placed at the bottom of the drum. Brilliant invention
At HABILE, our rule is to never wash hotter than 40°C, even our cotton pieces. For example, we wash our HABILE jackets at 30°. Why do we do this?
- Washing at 30° is more economical and more ecological
- It is enough to wash well, because of the technical progress of the new washing machines
- Even if the fibers are resistant, a very hot temperature can harm the dyes.
A washing temperature of 40 ° is recommended by experts for textiles in direct contact with the body (underwear, T-shirts, socks ...). 60 ° is to be chosen only for very dirty clothes, dish towels, sportswear or clothes worn by a sick person.
And contrary to popular belief, washing very hot will not help to remove stains or sweaty odors.
Well, it's true that end-of-day odors that stick to our T-shirts are hard to get rid of. The best trick is to pour white vinegar under the sleeves and let it act for 1 hour before washing. It's a bit of a hassle because you have to think about it. But at least it works! Afterwards, you just have to wash your clothes at 40°C.
For colored or printed clothes, remember to wash them inside out. The color will stay as beautiful as the first day!
The devil is in the details, so also learn to :
- Match linen types appropriately. For example: towels together
- Close buttons or zippers. Your pieces will more easily retain their original shape and keep the seams from being abused
Dosing your detergent: too much does not help and can leave marks on the laundry. If you are afraid of being too heavy-handed, use water-soluble detergents instead
Don't overfill the drum: it's better to wash your clothes twice than to come out with badly washed clothes
As for the spinning, be careful to choose a high power! You will save drying time, but you will damage the fabric. Not ideal for your favorite pieces!
If you want to recover the brightness of white, think of natural products such as lemon or baking soda:
1/ add lemon juice in addition to your laundry in the tub of the washing machine or place in your drum, a cloth pouch with 4 slices of seedless lemon. Lemon is also known to sanitize, soften and give a good smell to the laundry
2/ add 3 tablespoons of baking soda directly into the drum of the machine. Put your laundry as usual in the detergent tray.
At HABILE, the drying machine is not our "best practice". It damages the textile fibers. Why not favour natural drying?
Our best ally is the tancarville, the indoor drying rack!
The first tip is to space out your clothes on the drying rack for faster drying and to avoid wrinkles. T-shirts can be put on hangers but beware, depending on the material, your garment will take the shape of the hanger.
If you can't resist the call of the dryer, we advise you to choose a short and not too hot program. It's always better to get your clothes a little damp than completely shrunken :).
Ironing has never fascinated anyone.
At HABILE, to limit the need for ironing, we like to "whip" our clothes when they come out of the washing machine before hanging them carefully.
If ironing is unavoidable, adjust the temperature of your iron and iron on the reverse side. And above all, do not insist too much on the material to avoid shining it (mirror aspect).
Next time, we'll explain how to make your own laundry detergent or adopt grandma's recipes such as washing nuts. These practices are very trendy because they are ecological and economical!