Paying some extra attention to how you wash and take care of your clothes will not only prolong their life, but also help minimize their environmental impact and save natural resources. The washing instructions on the label provide useful advice and are a good place to start. We’ve also put together a guide on how to keep your clothes looking their best.

SYNTHETICS

They can handle a bit of wear and tear. Nowadays synthetics are beautifully designed and are easy to wear and to take care of. Wash on medium temperature and preferably hang them out to dry. Synthetic fabrics cant handle a hot iron, so medium iron, or look into the specific washing instructions on your garment.

COTTON

One of the reasons why cotton is such a popular fabric is that it’s low maintenance. Cotton is fully machine washable and if worn and treated with care, will last for a long time. Check the washing instructions on each garment for specific instructions.

LINEN

When washing linen, set your machine to a low temperature and a delicate cycle. Linen is a natural material and can easily become misshapen when wet. You can restore the garment to its original shape by ironing it with a hot steam iron. To keep its sheen, iron the garment on the reverse side.

SILK

Silk is a delicate material and should be treated as such. Check the label first – sometimes dry cleaning is the only recommended option. If the garment is washable, use cool water and a detergent for delicates and avoid stretching the garment while it’s wet. Avoid tumble-drying silk garments – this will most likely damage and shrink the fabric.

WOOL

Woollen garments usually don’t have to be washed that often – try airing and spot cleaning them first. Use a detergent for delicates when you do wash them. Use the wool or hand wash cycle on your washing machine or even better, wash by hand. To avoid stretching the wool fibres, don’t wring wool clothes and always dry them flat. Ironing after washing helps to restore the material’s natural sheen – use a steam iron on the wool setting and a pressing cloth.

DENIM

Wash jeans inside out to stop them fading. Take them out of the washing machine as soon as possible after the programme has ended to avoid creasing. Denim’s characteristic look is the result of a special dyeing method that can result in dry-bleeding, where small pigment particles remain on the surface and can rub off. This can be lessened by washing your new jeans in cold water a couple of times before you put them on.

LEATHER AND SUEDE

Leather and suede are natural materials and can be sensitive, so remember to keep them away from humidity, heat and chemicals. All leather and suede needs to be conditioned once in a while to keep it soft and supple. To get rid of light stains, wipe the garment with a slightly damp cloth. Otherwise we recommend that leather items are taken to a specialist leather dry cleaner. Always dry leather or suede at normal room temperature.

CHUNKY-KNIT GARMENTS

Chunky-knits should be reshaped and dried flat to maintain their original shape.

DOWN FILLING

Put a couple of tennis balls in the tumble dryer when drying down garments. This may sound like a strange idea, but it helps distribute the down evenly. Remember to check that the down is completely dry afterwards.

DETAILS

Take off any removable details and do up Velcro and zip fastenings before washing. Wash nylon tights and delicate garments with details in a laundry bag.

ECO-LOGICAL WASHING

We’re convinced that we can create clothing collections that enable our customers to express their personality and care about our planet at the same time. And we work hard at it! But the environmental impact of a garment doesn’t stop after it has been produced and delivered to you. The greatest share of energy consumption in its life-cycle actually occurs when you wash it. That’s why we think it makes sense to help you help us reduce the amount of energy each garment consumes in its lifetime by providing some sound advice on a more ecological – and logical – way of washing.
Here are a few easy tips that can help reduce your garment’s impact on the environment:

DON’T WASH CLOTHES UNNECESSARILY

Don’t wash clothes that are not dirty. Often, airing and brushing clothes is enough to keep them looking and feeling fresh.

LOWER THE WASHING TEMPERATURE

We always label garments with the highest permitted temperature, but you can use a lower washing temperature to save energy. Most detergents work just as well at lower temperatures, and washing at 40°C uses around half as much energy as washing at 60°C. However, we do recommend that heavily soiled clothes and underwear are always washed at the highest temperature allowed.

FILL YOUR WASHING MACHINE

Sort the clothes according to colour and washing temperature. Fill up your washing machine, but don’t stuff too much in. A washing machine is full when you can fit your clenched fist on top of the washing without pushing down the clothes. Use an energy saving programme – most modern washing machines have one.

CHOOSE AN ECO-FRIENDLY LAUNDRY DETERGENT

Use an environmentally friendly detergent that is free from optical whiteners and phosphates, since these have a negative environmental impact. Dose the detergent as stated on the packaging – using too much detergent will not make your clothes cleaner. To get the dose right, you need to know whether you have hard or soft water. Try to avoid fabric conditioners, although we do recommend that acrylic garments are washed with fabric conditioner to counter static electricity in the garment after washing.

TRY TO AVOID DRY CLEANING

Dry cleaning is a process in which the clothes are cleaned using an organic solvent. Dry cleaning has a negative environmental impact when the solvent is released into nature. A small proportion of our garments are dry clean only, because they contain details or materials than could change colour or become misshapen after washing them at home. Today, there are also greener methods of dry cleaning that use carbon dioxide reclaimed from industry.

LEAVE YOUR WASHING OUT TO DRY

Tumble dryers and drying cabinets use a lot of energy, so it’s a better idea to hang your washing out to dry. To reduce drying time, spin the clothes well before taking them out of the washing machine.

GIVE AWAY YOUR CLOTHES

When you no longer have a use for your clothes, give them to an organisation that can extend the garment’s life. Or why not swap them with your friends?