It is very important to check and follow each specific garment label as they can differ between garments and brands.
Washing: Always study the manufacturer’s garment care guidelines as labelled before washing. It is advisable to wash garments inside out.
Ironing: Make sure your iron is set to the correct temperature as instructed on each specific garment label. Do not iron over any elasticated hems/cuffs. Printed garments should not be ironed over the printed area.
Drying: Always strictly follow the manufacturer’s garment care guidelines as many garments are best left to dry naturally and not suitable for tumble drying. Drying on radiators can also cause garment issues such as shrinkage and pilling, we would not advise this. We would recommend to always dry garments on a washing line or clothes dryer if possible.
Fabric conditioner: We advise avoiding the use of fabric conditioner, many garments are specially coated for easy care and fabric conditioner interferes with this process.
Dealing with pilling (bobbling): All knitted goods are prone to pilling, some more than others. There are certain materials more susceptible to pilling but they bring a host of benefits to the garment. The main cause of pilling is friction, this can be rubbing against clothing (even itself, areas such as under the arm) or another object and this does not necessarily mean that the garment is faulty. Pilling can also be caused by any of the following:
- Heat generated by the individual when the garment is worn;
- Washing the garment at the incorrect temperature and/or with other fabrics that will rub against the garment;
- Tumble drying the garment at too high a temperature or exposing it to high temperatures (such as putting on a radiator), which causes the heat to draw out the fibre.
Some garments appear to have ‘fluffed up’ after a short period of wear and this is due to surface fibre from the yarn coming to the surface. The yarn in these cases is slightly hairier than usual and the hairs disappear after a period of wear and washing. This is similar to a carpet, where when first laid, the loose fibres come to the surface and are vacuumed away. If the fibres do not wash away, various devices can be used to remove the excess fibre to enhance the look of the garment. Once the fibre is removed the garment is unlikely to pill again. Check that bags and outerwear do not have any exposed Velcro fastenings which may cause damage to garments worn beneath them.
Our advice: We find that the best solution is to turn garments inside out when washing. When pilling occurs it should settle down after washing a number of times.
