GARMENT CARE
How we look after our clothes once we take them home can leave really big impacts on the environment. Being a bit more conscious about how you care for your clothes, including laundering, repairs, and end of life disposal is a great way to reduce your footprint.
LAUNDRY
Let's face it, after a hard week at work we would all love to spend our Saturday mornings doing anything else other than laundry! But with a little 'know how' you'll be surprised at how easy it can be to care for your garments properly.
Firstly check out that handy little label on the inside of your garment. Care labels are there to guide you in the best way to care for each individual garment to keep it safe from any hazardous processes or substances, to ensure the garments longevity.
Secondly ask yourself whether your garment even needs laundering? Too often we feel pressure to wash our clothes automatically after wearing them once, but in most cases (especially when its cold out) you can wear something several times without needing to launder it.
- Does it just need some fresh air - hang clothes such as the Jagger Jacket outside to freshen up. Turning it inside out to help air out the underarms and lining. This not only saves cleaning costs but also helps to prolong the life of your garments.
- Can you spot remove any small stains. Dropped your lunch on your Jacket? Use a damp cloth to blot out the stain and hang it up to air dry.
Wash
- Check the care label attached to your garment again, just to be sure you are following the right instructions for that fabric and style.
- Most of our garments, with the exception of our Jackets, can be washed at home. We recommend a cold gentle machine or hand wash with a small amount of earth friendly detergent. Don't overload the washing machine or add extra detergent - these aren't any more beneficial to getting your clothes clean.
- For stains, we love love love this amazing soap from The Tasmanian Soap Co. For tough stains, or whites we also use this soap in conjunction with Oxygen Bleach or sodium percarbonate. This alternative to bleach is great for treating stains, as the oxygen released when exposed to water lifts the stains right off. It is more gentle on the environment and stops your exposure to harmful substances found in chlorine bleach.
- We recommend washing any of our garments made from our Deadstock synthetic fabrics (Polyester, Nylon, and Acrylic) in a Guppyfriend Washing Bag. These cool little bags not only protect your garments in the washing machine, but they also protect our oceans and stop wildlife & humans from ingesting microfibers. They're available from places such as Sea Shepherd.
Dry
- Hanging your clothes out neatly on a clothesline, or flat out on a clothes rack to dry naturally is the best way to dry most clothes. By hanging them neatly, you also can reduce wrinkles making your ironing time shorter. We especially love stainless steel pegs for their quality and longevity. Biome have a great range of sustainable pegs available at their online store here.
- Skip the Tumble Dryer - your clothes will last longer, look better and your power bill will thank you.
Iron
- Natural fibres such as Hemp, Linen, Ramie and Cotton iron easier when they are still slightly damp, so take them off the line before they are completely dry and give them a quick wiz over with the iron or steamer to make your life a little easier.
- Don't worry if some of the Hemp turns a darker shade when ironed, it will return to its original colour once it's cooled down (we have noticed this happens in particular to the Cherry Hemp/Organic cotton).
Dry Cleaning
- Due to their tailored construction, some of our pieces such as our Jackets and other outerwear need to be professionally dry cleaned. We recommend using an ‘Eco' or ‘Green' dry cleaner. What the - does that mean? Look for a Perchloroethylene (PERC) free dry cleaner. This chemical is classified by the World Health Organisation as toxic and should be avoided at all costs. We also recommend airing out your Outerwear between Dry Cleaning sessions to prolong the life of your garments.
None of the links to external business's are paid endorsements, we just really love their products and would genuinely recommend them to our friends.