ACTIVE WEAR

If your clothes are super sweaty, wash them shortly after wearing in cold water with a mild detergent.  If you don’t have a machine at home, hand wash them to stop stains and smells from setting.  Be sure to hang sweaty workout clothes up if you can’t wash them right away, instead of bunching them up and tossing them in the hamper, to prevent mildew.  If sports bras and other items that still retain the scent of perspiration, you can soak them in the sink with either one part vinegar to four parts water, you can also use a little Borax mixed with water.  Let them sit for up to one hour before putting them through the washing machine.  Always air dry spandex and lycra workout clothes to maintain elasticity.  If you decide to use a dryer, make sure it’s on the lowest heat setting.

DENIM/JEANS

I’ve always preferred washing denim in cold water in a washing machine.  Black and very dark denim I usually dry clean to hold the color best.  If that’s not something your worried about by all means wash them at home.  If you have “raw” denim I recommend cold washing and hang drying.  As a dry cleaner I’ve seen some crazy cleaning labels for cleaning some denim.  Some say to place item in the freezer and that it will remove odors.I personally find this method silly.  Not only will it not get rid of the smell but will not actually CLEAN the item.  The freezer isn’t actually cold enough to kill bacteria. It also does nothing to remove dead skin cells and dirt that’s in the fibers.  I like to wash mine after every other wear unless stained or smelly.  Always wash jeans inside out in cold water. (If you actually want to fade your denim, you can wash once in hot water.)  you can either hang dry or dry on low heat setting.

VISCOSE/RAYON or other SYNTHETICS

For expensive or structured viscose or rayon I recommend dry cleaning.  If you choose hand washing do so in cold water with mild detergent.  Never wring or twist viscose when wet.  If you choose to machine wash I recommend using a mesh laundry bag.  Use a gentle cycle on a low speed spin cycle.  Reshape and air dry.  Do not leave crumpled up.Tip: Try ironing it when slightly damp.

DOWN

I definitely recommend using a front loading washing machine or a top-loading machine without a center agitator.  Wash on regular cycle with a mild detergent.  Be sure not to add more detergent than necessary as residual soap will prevent down items from getting fluffy.  If your have a extra dirty garment, stop the machine mid wash for a hour or so and let it soak.  Drying can be a slow process because high heat can causes unnecessary wear and tear to down filled items.  Dry on a low heat for 2-3 cycles to ensure dry feathers.  You can always toss in a few tennis balls or old (but clean) running shoes to break up clumps and speed up drying times.I always recommend pulling the item out of the dryer periodically and shaking out clumps.  Despite many down filled garments and comforters cleaning instructions saying dry clean only, I still recommend washing them. You can still take it to the cleaners if you prefer and they can do this for you if you don’t have a large enough washing machine.

LEATHER AND SUEDE

You should have your leather and suede garments cleaned by a professional leather cleaner once a year at the end of the season your wearing it most.  I always recommend before wearing a leather or suede garment you treat it first with scotch guard or a similar spray to help prevent the ingress of water, stains or dirt.  When you take your jacket or other item off, hang it on a well shaped hanger. I even like two put some tissue at the shoulder area to prevent shoulder bumps.  For skirts or pants you can either hang from laundry straps (if has) or fold over a tissue lined pant hanger.  Leather and suede are more prone to water stains when they’re not properly treated, and you should avoid taking them out in rainy weather.  Be sure to store your leathers and suedes in a cool dry closet, never a attic or basement.  You can use a leather conditioner on areas that get overly dry.

LINEN

If your busy or have the means I prefer dry cleaning linen cause it can be a pain to iron and the fibers are delicate.  But linen can be hand or machine washed on delicate cycle in cold water with a mild detergent.  Sometimes I like to do a low heat damp dry setting in the dryer to loosen some of the wrinkles, then hang to finish drying.  Linen can be treated with sizing or spray starch for a crisp finish.  It wrinkles very easily and requires ironing unless your going for the relaxed look.  Tip: If your are ironing at home try doing so while its slightly damp.

POLYESTER

Most polyester and can be machine washed in warm water.  I do recommend using an added fabric softener because polyester is prone to static cling.  Some polyester blends need to be dry cleaned, always check the care instructions before cleaning.  Dry the garment on a low temperature and use a low to medium warm iron if needed.  Polyester tends to hold stains in quicker, so I recommend cleaning within 24 hours if you do get some sort of stain on it.

SILK

I almost always recommend dry cleaning silk.  If a dry cleaners says they may need to wash it to remove a certain stain I would let them do it.  They will wash appropriately with a stain spotting agent then hang dry.  Once dry they should dry clean the item which will soften the silk usually back to its original state.  If you are going to wash silk yourself, do so in cool or lukewarm water using a tiny bit of mild detergent.  You never want to  wring or squeeze out water on silk.  Hang to dry. If the garment has excess water roll the item up in a towel and gently press the water out, then hang dry.  If you are ironing at home, do so on a low setting and don’t use steam, which can leave watermarks.  Always store silk in a dry dark place.  Never keep in it in plastic since the fabric needs to breathe and to prevent whites from yellowing.

SWIMWEAR

While your swimsuit doesn’t need to be washed with detergent every time you wear it, I would rinse in cool tap water every time you take it off after swimming or sunning to remove most of the sunscreen, dirt, sweat, and chlorine.  If you prefer to wash after each wear, turn the swimsuit inside out and add a tablespoon or less of liquid detergent to a filled sink. Swish for a few minutes and then rinse well.  Be sure to gently squeeze items, don’t wring or twist. Lay or hang dry indoors or out of  direct sunlight to prevent fading.I don’t recommend machine washing for bathing suits, but if you do, place in a mesh laundry bag.  I usually do this at the end of the season.

VELVET

Be sure to always read labels, as some velvet fabrics must be dry cleaned, but others such as “crushed velvet” can be machine washed in cold water on a delicate cycle.  You never want to iron velvet, as the fibers will get crushed and the iron will leave an imprint.  Alternatively you can use a steamer to remove mild wrinkles from velvet, but be sure to turn the garment inside out.  If you don’t have a steamer you can also hang wrinkled velvet in a steamy bathroom to remove wrinkles.  Never fold velvet when storing. I like to gently stuff items with tissue paper and lay flat inside garment storage.  Since velvet gets flattened rather easily, never press or blot the fabric.  If you spill something, shake out moisture and, if it leaves a stain, follow cleaning instructions in a timely manner.

WEDDING GOWNS

Bring to a professional dry cleaner that specializes in wedding gowns in a timely manner.  I personally don’t recommend the “preserving” method offered by cleaners (although for Chrissy Teigen we did). Upon bringing it home, remove from the plastic covering.  Purchase or use a cheap large white sheet. Make a small slit in the middle of the sheet and place over hanger top. Let sheet drape loosely down the gown. Store in a cool dry place. This will prevent yellowing and save money.

WOOLS

I recommend always dry cleaning wool.  If wool does get wet, blot area. If the entire garment is wet, allow to air dry as quickly as possible.  During the wearing season, use a lint or suede brush regularly after wearing to remove surface soil and lint to prevent buildup.  Hang wool overcoats on sturdy wood hangers so the weight of the coat doesn’t stretch the shoulder area.  You can remove light stains on wool by blotting (not rubbing) with cold water using absorbent cloths or paper towel.  If a wool item say hand wash, you can use the washing machine’s hand-wash or wool cycle with cool water with a very mild detergent like “THE LAUNDRESS-DELICATE WASH”.  If the item garment can fit in a mesh laundry bag, I advise to do so.  If you’d actually like to hand wash, use a mild detergent and lukewarm water and let the item soak for 3 to 5 minutes then rinse in cool water. To dry, gently squeeze the garment or lay between two towels and roll out excess then lay it flat. (Do not hang)  Allowing at least 24 hours between wearing your wool garments will allow wrinkles to dissipate and maintain the elasticity of the fabric. DO NOT USE WARM WATER.  Always dry clean at the end of the season and store in a cool dry place.  Wool coats shouldn’t be hung in a over stuffed closet, as breathing helps the material stay crisp. I recommend using either cedar hangers or some type of cedar alternative.

LAUNDRY SYMBOLS