Caring for your clothes is caring for the environment. The purpose of this clothing care guide is to help you extend the lifespan of your clothing and to reduce the environmental impact of care processes. Follow this guide to minimize clothing wear and tear and to reduce the amount of water and energy used when washing, drying and caring for your clothes.
01. Freshen up
Hang up your clothes to freshen them up. Washing your clothes will wear out fabric little by little while also using water and energy. Sometimes all your clothing needs is to be aired out or brushed down to make it like new again.
02. Full loads
Each wash cycle uses water and energy. If the washing machine isn't full, your clothing will wear out faster. By waiting until the machine is full, we can reduce the number of washes and help reduce our environmental impact. Keep in mind though, the load size will influence the result of the wash cycle. This means that overloading the machine can lead to your clothes not washing properly.
03. Cooler wash
Washing at a lower temperature is more gentle on clothing, doesn't cause shrinkage, prevents color fading, and uses less energy, thereby reducing co2 emissions. Keep your clothes clean by washing them on a cold water cycle.
04. Gentle spinning
Use the low spin program when washing your clothes. Low spin programs reduce pilling, which helps you care for your clothing and reduce their environmental impact as they release fewer microfibers into the water.
05. Inside out
Turn your clothes inside out to keep them from experiencing so much wear and tear during the washing process. This helps prevent color fading and protects the fabric to maintain the item's original quality.
06. Line drying
Dryers use a lot of energy. Line drying your clothes instead of machine drying them helps care for them by reducing fabric wear and tear, producing fewer wrinkles, preventing shrinkage and pilling, and it doesn't require any energy at all.
07. Keep the shape
Knit garments are elastic and can loose their shape when placed on hangers. To prevent any warping of the garment, dry flat and then store folded in your wardrobe. To help knits maintain their elasticity, hand wash or wash on a delicate cycle.
08. Professional cleaning
If you need to professionally dry clean your clothes, try to find a dry cleaner that offers a "wet cleaning" service, for those items that can withstand it, or dry cleaning systems that use technologies that are more respectful of the environment.
09. Leather care
Leather is a sturdy natural material, but it can also be delicate, which is why it is important to avoid humidity, heat, chemical products or rain, as all of these can damage it. You can use a slightly damp cloth to remove light stains. For more delicate stains, take your leather items to a specialized dry cleaner. If leather gets wet, allow it to air dry at room temperature.
10. Accessories care
Simple actions such as cleaning your accessories with a cotton cloth or soft brush can help you care for them and reduce their impact. Whenever possible, look for eco-friendly cleaning products.
