Cloth care

 

Cotton:

It’s essential to wash cotton GENTLY. That means washing them with cold water and drying on permanent press to avoid wrinkles or laying to dry.

Store your cotton products carefully. Folding or rolling them up is the best way to avoid extra creasing. Hanging causes unsightly hanger marks, and gravity causes them to stretch.

Ironing temp: 400° F / steam clean for best results

Wool:

The soft, warm fiber made from wool. Naturally insulating and easy to dye.

Depending upon how heavy the rotation, clean wool items twice during the summer and then when you’re done with the season, clean them once again before you put them away.

In the natural state, wool is washable, but because many wool garments incorporate construction methods that can’t be washed, dry-clean wool clothing where the label requires. 

If washable, use a gentle detergent and hand wash or machine-wash in lukewarm water, using cold water to rinse can cause shrinkage when it comes to wool. A bit of shrinkage will inevitably happen, so be sure to give a little bit of allowance for shrinkage.

Ironing temp: 300° F

Silk/Rayon:

Treat like delicates! Wash by hand and never put in the dryer. Putting anything that has an elastic in the dryer will ruin the elasticity of the elastic. Wash like colours together.

Step by step:

1. Fill a bucket/sink with cold water and mix in a gentle detergent

2. Swirl the laundry a few times over an hour

3. Roll the item in a towel to press out moisture or gently squeeze out any excess water.

4. Lay to dry on a drying rack.

*Optional* Press silk garments with a warm iron.

Ironing temp: 300° F / steam clean for best results

More Tips: 

• Buy quality clothes (Our artisans can vouch for our quality!)

• Pay attention to laundering details (how to read laundry symbols guide)

• Wash clothes inside out to increase longevity

• Invest in a drying rack

• Swap harsh detergents like bleach for Color-safe alternatives

• Wash clothes less, try to prolong wear

• Practice good storage habits

• Dress after your hair and makeup

• Keeping up with any repairs the cloth may need to reduce further damage

Tip for Stain Removal: 

The longer you wait to remove a stain, the less likely you’ll be able to remove it.

1. Wet a cloth with cold water. (Avoid using paper towels so that they don’t shed on your garment and create more of a mess.)

2. Add a drop of dish detergent to the wet cloth. (We suggest using “a citrus-based soap — anything that smells like lemon or orange.”)

3. Place another cloth beneath the stain if you can.

4. Press on the stain, over and over, to lift it out. Resist the urge to rub, or you might damage the fabric.

5. You can let the stain sit overnight, even in water, before putting it in the laundry. Or you can wash immediately after treating the stain.

Here is how you can safely remove other kinds of stains at home ONLY for garments that can be carefully cleaned with water. Follow each instruction by washing the clothing, as we have mentioned above.

Ink. With a cloth underneath the stained area, re-wet the stain with ice-cold water. Using a Q-Tip or small towel soaked in a cleaning solution (5 ounces water, 1-ounce ammonia, 1-ounce peroxide, 1-ounce colour safe detergent) lightly tap the stain, pushing it onto the cloth underneath. 

Dirt. Remove any chunks of mud carefully. Place the garment in lukewarm water and move it around to loosen and remove as much dirt as possible. Apply detergent to the stain and re-soak for half an hour, rinse and repeat. 

Tomato. With a butter knife or spoon, carefully pick up any excess tomato sauce. Dab detergent onto the stain then, from the underside of the garment, rinse with cold water (to push the stain out of, instead of back into the clothing). 

Oily stains Salad dressing, lipstick and auto grease create oily stains on clothing Apply a liquid detergent directly to the stained area. Allow the item to stand for 15 minutes before laundering. The detergent will loosen and dissolve the soil so that it can be lifted away in the wash.

Protein stains Blood, milk and dairy products, and most body soil contain organic matter that will harden and set over time or when exposed to hot water. Soak protein stains in cold water for at least 30 minutes before laundering. A tip from the nursing profession: Stubborn, dried-on bloodstains may be removed by applying a 3 percent hydrogen peroxide solution to the stain, but pretest fabric for colour-fastness.

Tannin stains Wine, coffee, tea, soft drinks, fruits and fruit juices commonly cause tannin stains. Then apply a mild cleaning solution (6 ounces water, 2 ounces colour-safe detergent) until the stain comes out. If that doesn’t work, try a tougher solution (2 ounces water, 2 ounces colour-safe bleach). Wash in the hottest temperature appropriate for the garment.

Dye stains Grass-green dye stain, foods with intense colours, such as blueberries or mustard, create dye stains. So does direct transfer from fabric or leather, such as the blue cast rubbed off on white undergarments worn beneath new jeans. Pretreat dye stains with direct application of detergent to the stained area, then wash in the hottest water appropriate for the fabric.

Haldi (turmeric) stains For all our south Asian customers, hands up if you’ve ever gotten a Haldi (turmeric) stain on your clothes? If you’re a real south Asian or a lover of Asian cuisine, your hand will definitely be up! The worst feeling is getting that stain on a piece of clothing you love. How do you get it out? We’ve asked our resident experts, HOK team mommas!

1. Treat immediately, don’t wait!

2. Hold a paper towel under the stain and use one on top to lift away any excess turmeric. For an oil-based turmeric stain sprinkle a bit of cornstarch, baking soda or flour on the stain for 20 mins before removing it

3. Pour/spray a spot treatment like “Shout advanced stain remover” or “all-purpose liquid detergent” directly onto both sides of the stain and scrub gently with a wet finger or half of the stained area with the other half. Be careful not to rub too hard because some fabrics will show harsh scrubbing after dry.

4. Wash in warmest water your fabric will allow. *Can wash with other clothes when pretreated*

5. If signs of the stains remain, hang your clothes out to dry on a wire or drying rack in direct sunlight. The sun has bleaching powers and lifts a Haldi (turmeric) stain like magic!

For all other inquiries or more help on caring for your HOK products, feel free to contact us through our contact page or email us at houseofkiran@gmail.com