At nontre.co, we’re passionate about perfecting our laundry routines, so we’ve learned a thing or two over the years. In our quest for optimising our routine, we realised that many people aren’t aware that different materials require different care when it comes to washing. Natural fibres, such as wool and cashmere, together with functional wear using spandex and lycra, need a bit of extra TLC to preserve them and extend their life!
We’ve compiled a few handy tips to get you on your way to perfect laundry, specifically for these trickier items.
ACTIVEWEAR
Activewear is an essential for many, with its versatile use for wearing out and about, running errands and of course, working out. Activewear conforms to your skin and is super comfortable for the every day, making it a great option for mums! However, they’re usually not cheap - especially your more premium activewear. To prolong the wear of your work out clothes as long as possible, a good laundry care routine is essential.
Activewear is often made using different types of synthetic fibres, including spandex and lycra (otherwise known as polyester and elastane). These fibres give your workout gear their stretch, but need to be cared for to ensure the elasticity of the garments are maintained over time. Read on for our top tips on how to best care for your activewear clothes.
- Use a mesh laundry bag to put your clothes in. As they are made from synthetic fibres, workout clothes can emit microplastics, and the mesh bag helps to collect these microplastics, protecting your machine.
- This might be a no-brainer, but activewear MUST be washed after every use. Although stretchy and comfortable, the material is usually not breathable and catches odour swiftly.
- Using a gentle liquid detergent is a must. Our Sports Active Laundry Liquid is specially formulated to treat and wash activewear, using enzymes that are made specifically for removing stains and odours, while maintaining the quality, compression and breathability of the fabric.
- Try not to use a fabric softener on these items, as they can destroy the stretch in the elastane. Instead, a simple wash with detergent will suffice.
- When washing, use a gentle cycle on a cool setting of 30 degrees or less, as a cycle that is too hot could cause the clothes to lose their shape.
- Make sure you air dry your activewear items rather than tumble dry - it can be tempting to pop them in the dryer, but try to resist as it can cause damage to the fabric, as well as potential shrinking. Hanging dry is best!
NATURAL FIBRES - WOOL, CASHMERE, ALPACA & SILK
Natural fibres such as wool, cashmere, alpaca wool and silk are notoriously difficult to wash, and won’t do well with a standard laundry routine. Luckily, the fibres naturally deflect dirt, which can usually be brushed off and does not penetrate the fabric as easily as other materials. In this way, natural fibres are very environmentally friendly, as they don’t need to be washed anywhere near as often as your sports fabrics or everyday wear. Generally, once or twice a season will do the trick.
That being said, although natural fibres don’t get dirty easily, they have a tendency to stain easily, and that’s where knowing how to care for them, particularly when removing stains, is essential to ensure their original form is maintained. Here’s a few handy tips to make sure your clothes are looking and smelling good as new when they’re cleaned!
- Generally when it comes to cleaning items consisting of natural fibres, hand washing is best. However, check your care labels - some knitted garments such as woollens can be put in the wash on a cold setting and a ‘wool’ or ‘delicates’ cycle.
- Treat stains as soon as they appear, as stains can become permanent on natural fibres a lot quicker than on synthetics. If you wait, you’ll find it much harder to lift the stain.
- Garments using natural fibres should be washed with a mild detergent that is suitable for delicate materials. Our Wool & Cashmere Laundry Shampoo Concentrate is a great one as it is formulated without harsh chemicals such as optical brighteners, enzymes or dyes, protecting and preserving your delicate woollens.
- Don’t wring your knitted items out, or scrub them. Take care to treat your items carefully to maintain the shape of the garment.
- If your item ends up losing shape, you can get it back to its former condition by simply stretching the garment with firm, regular movements.
- Avoid hanging knitted garments, rather you should lay the item flat on a dry towel and roll up to absorb the moisture, or, for woollen items, a low spin cycle of less than 800 RPM can be used to dry.
