Product care

A made-to-order garment in natural fibres lasts for years. What usually decides it is how you treat it between wearings. Below is what holds for everything, and then what each material asks for on its own: how to wash, dry and iron it.

The basics

Wash less, air more. Most garments only need a few hours in the air after wearing.
Always inside out and fastened, as zips and buttons damage the surface of whatever is next to them.
Deal with a stain at once, with cold water and a light hand. Rubbing pushes it deeper into the fibre.
Skip the fabric softener. On natural fibres it leaves a film that takes away both absorbency and breathability.
Better to avoid the tumble dryer. It is the quickest way to shorten the life of most of our materials.

By material

Cotton

Washing

Wash coloured cotton at 60 °C at most; white cotton takes up to 90 °C. These are upper limits.
A garment in everyday wear only needs 30 to 40 °C, which spares the colour, the fibre and the energy bill.
Similar colours together, and the first wash on its own.

Drying

Best in the open air. Straighten the garment as you hang it so it keeps its shape.
Keep coloured cotton out of direct sun, or it fades.
Avoid the tumble dryer, as cotton shrinks in it.

Ironing

It takes a hot iron, and irons best slightly damp.
Take care not to scorch the fibre or turn it yellow.

Tencel™

Washing

Inside out, at 30 °C on a gentle programme, with a small amount of detergent.
Don't soak it.

Drying

Hang it in the air so it keeps its original shape.
Wet Tencel™ is more fragile, so don't wring it.
No tumble dryer and no direct sun.

Ironing

Inside out, at a low heat. A hotter iron scorches the fibre and leaves shiny marks.

Merino wool

Washing

By hand in cold water, gently, without rubbing or wringing. An ordinary hair shampoo works too.
Add a few drops of white vinegar to the last rinse.
In the machine only on the wool programme up to 30 °C, with an enzyme-free detergent and no softener.

Drying

Wrap the garment in a dry towel, or lay it between two and roll them up, so the water is pressed out without wringing.
Then dry it flat on a dry towel, out of direct sun and away from any heat.
Never in a tumble dryer, which shrinks the fibre for good.

Ironing

Inside out, at a low heat with a little steam.
Or simply hang it in the bathroom while you shower, and the steam will release the creases.

Good to know

It doesn't need washing after every wear; 24 hours of airing often freshens it.
If a jumper has shrunk and felted: soak it in lukewarm water with glycerine (one tablespoon per litre) or with diluted hair conditioner, and let it dry flat on a towel.

Cashmere

Washing

By hand in cold water, with a wool detergent, diluted shampoo or even hair conditioner. Wash and rinse quickly.
Rinse in cold water until it runs completely clear. Don't wring it.
In the machine inside a laundry bag (a pillowcase will do), on the wool programme with cold water and a spin of 600 rpm at most.

Drying

Press the water out by rolling it in a dry terry towel.
Dry it flat on another dry towel, out of the sun and away from heat. Laid flat and never wrung, it returns to its shape and needs no ironing.

Ironing

If it does need it: inside out, at a low heat with a little steam, lightly and without pressing.
Or hang it in the bathroom while you shower, and the steam will release the creases.

Good to know

24 hours of airing is often enough instead of a wash.
Pilling is natural; comb it off gently with a cashmere comb rather than cutting it.
Store it folded, not on a hanger: a hanger pulls the shoulders out.

Viscose

Washing

Inside out, on the delicates programme at 30 °C.
Don't soak it.

Drying

Let it dry in the air so it keeps its original shape.
Viscose is at its weakest when wet, so don't wring it.
No tumble dryer and no direct sun.

Ironing

Inside out, at a low heat. A hot iron scorches the fibre and leaves a shine.

Linen

Washing

Up to 40 °C, with a detergent for delicate fabrics. Hotter water costs it its softness.
Choose a short programme or a wash without spinning, and linen creases less.

Drying

Best in the air, in the shade, hung or flat.
Pure linen can take a tumble dryer, but it creases less and lasts longer dried in the air. Blends such as linen with cotton should always be dried more gently.

Ironing

Best while still damp, at a high heat (up to 220 °C), from the reverse.
It doesn't always need ironing. Creasing is a property of linen, not a fault, and after a few wearings the garment softens and falls.

The exact composition and the instructions for a particular piece are on its own page, under "Composition and care". More about what we make things from is in Materials.