All About Clothing Care

Table Linen Care

admin — Mon, 07 May 2012 22:48:00 +0000

If you’ve invested in table linens, you want to be careful how you clean, care for, and store them. Nice table linens can last generations if treated correctly.

How you treat your linens will depend on what type of material they are. Some are actual linen made of a natural fiber, while others are blended with polyester for easier care. If your linens have a tag that instructs you on how to care for them, you’re in luck. If they don’t, then you’re better off safe than sorry. Treat them as if they are real linen if you’re not sure.

Real linen is a fine fabric that must be treated carefully. It is a natural fiber, so you will need to treat it as such. Natural fibers, in general, can shrink, lose shape, and break if treated harshly. Don’t wash natural fibers in hot water. You will also want to avoid excessive agitation and harsh detergents. Most washing machines have a low, hand-wash setting that is fine for table linens. If you’re worried, you can use your bathtub.

Wash gently in cool water. Use detergent that is dye-free to avoid stains and mineral deposits. Some people prefer to use distilled water on white or light colored fabrics to avoid deposits and discolorations. If possible, use a detergent that is meant for delicate fabrics or a small amount of baby shampoo. Very gently move the fabric around to loosen stains. Drain the tub and then refill several times to wash away detergents. Never squeeze or wring out delicate fabrics. You could cause it to shrink or break the delicate fibers causing runs.

When the water is drained, soak up as much water as you can with towels. If possible, hang the linens outside to dry. If this isn’t possible, you may be able to put your linens in the dryer on a low setting. Try to take them out before they are completely dry. Hang them over the shower rod if you don’t have somewhere outdoors to hang them.

Ironing your linens is best done when they are slightly damp. Real linen has to be ironed on a high setting, but it will also burn easily. Steam helps to avoid burning. Starching your linens will help them to repel liquids and other stains, while decreasing the need to be ironed. You can use liquid starch in the rinse water, or a spray starch when ironing.

To store your linens, make sure that you let them get some air. You can install a hanging rod high up in your linen closet and hang them on specialty linen hangers, large pants hangers, blanket hangers, or comforter hangers. A non-slip bar is preferred. If you fold your linens, store them in a pillowcase or other breathable bag. Never store linen in an airtight container or plastic.

With proper care, your linens will last for years and years to come.

About the Author: Sam Morton is on the staff of USA Hanger, a leading online resource for wood hangers, coat hangers and all types of clothes hangers. They are known for the excellent quality and value of their hangers. For more information, please visit http://www.usahanger.com/.

Can I Wash My Drapes?

admin — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 05:27:40 +0000

Are your drapes looking dingy and dirty? Are stains and dust making you consider replacing them? Never fear, most drapes can be cleaned and returned to their original beauty. Valances and fabric shades or blinds can actually prove to be the most challenging, but they’re still not incredibly hard to clean. Use this guide to clean your window dressings and get your home back to looking like it did when you first decorated it.

The good news is that almost all sheer curtains are machine washable. Most can even be put in the dryer. Check each panel of sheers in your home for tags. If you can find a tag, there should be fabric care instructions there. If they are cotton, polyester, or nylon, then they should be machine washable. If you’re not sure, clean them in cool water with a little bit of clear laundry detergent or baby shampoo. Dyes can sometimes stain fabrics, so I choose to use a detergent without dyes.

Gently move the curtains around in the water every few minutes while you soak them for about an hour. Drain the tub, refill it, and then move them around again. Repeat this process a couple of times to rinse out any remaining soap residues. When they are clean, press the water out of them with a towel. You may want to fold them in half and roll them up in a towel to get remaining water out. Hang them to dry or put them in the dryer on a low heat setting.

Valances can be difficult because sometimes they are attached to the wall in a way that you can’t get them down. They may also be wrapped around wood that should not be submerged, or even cardboard. The best way to clean a valance is with a vacuum. Brush the fabric gently with a soft bristled brush while you vacuum it if the fabric is sturdy enough to handle it. I gently pat the fabric with my hand to release settled dust while I do this. You can also use steam from your iron or a steam cleaner to perk-up those dull fabrics.

Drapes are a little trickier and most have to be dry cleaned. Check for tags to see if your drapes could be machine washable. If not, just hang them over hangers and take them to the dry cleaners. They are generally inexpensive to clean and will come back pressed and free of dust and stains.

Safely Store Wool Long-Term

admin — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 05:25:46 +0000

It’s warming up outside and it is feeling like it’s time to store away those heavy winter clothes and blankets. Before you seal your wool items away in a plastic space bag or container, you should read this. Wool, alpaca, mohair, and angora are actually animal hair. This is why they are so susceptible to becoming the feeding grounds for insect larvae. Properly preparing and storing these items will save you money, time, frustration and can even help you to avoid health problems.

Storing wool and other clothing in plastic doesn’t allow them to breathe properly. If there is any moisture or humidity at all then the clothes will grow mold and mildew that can be hazardous to your health. This is why clothes that are sealed up smell musty when you take them out of storage. Storing clothing in breathable cotton or paper will allow air to circulate around them. Storing wool items in pillow cases or paper bags will also create a barrier that bugs and insects will not penetrate.

Insects are attracted to wool and other animal hair clothing. They lay their eggs there and then the larvae hatch and eat away at the fabric, ruining your wardrobe and blankets. People used to use moth balls to repel insects while their clothing was in storage, but we now know of the terrible side effects that moth ball vapors can have on human beings and pets. Using natural deterrents is far safer and just as effective.

One way to keep pests from being attracted to your clothing is to have it cleaned before you store it. Wool items should be dry cleaned to remove any body oils that may have come in contact with them. Human body oils are irresistible to moths and other insects. Wearing your suits or sweaters and then storing them will only attract more pests to your closet or storage areas.

Cedar is the simplest, safest way to repel pests away from your clothing. Using cedar clothes hangers for suits, coats and even blankets is enough to confuse and deter them. Cedar also absorbs moisture from the air, turning your closets into ideal places for storage. The fresh scent has been loved for hundreds of years and cedar actually deodorizes the area where it is kept. Using cedar products in your drawers and storage containers is an inexpensive way to keep everything safe.

Get Ready for Summer Storage

admin — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 05:24:42 +0000

Hangers come in a huge variety of styles, qualities, and types. Knowing which hangers are designed for the specific need that you have will help you to protect your clothing. They can also help you to save time, energy and space. They can even save you money by keeping everything in order. No more buying extra clothing because you can’t find that shirt that you know you used to have.

1) Using cedar wooden hangers is an easy way to protect coats and suits while adding style and sophistication to your closet. Cedar offers many benefits that many people have enjoyed in their closets for centuries. Cedar has a beautiful wood grain that is unlike any other wood. The scent of the cedar is fresh and keeps mustiness away. It doesn’t just mask odors, but it actually absorbs odor causing moisture from the air. Cedar repels many common pests that can invade your closets. It’s not just about moths, but cockroaches, silverfish and spiders as well. Choosing multiple sizes and curvatures of your hangers will help your closet to look fantastic while keeping your expensive clothing safe as well.

2) Bamboo hangers are great for the environmentally conscious consumer. They are very lightweight, but have a fiber tensile strength as strong as steel. Bamboo is the fastest growing plant on Earth. It reproduces very quickly because it is actually a grass, not a tree. It can be harvested and return to its full-grown state in about five years. This renewable natural resource is becoming increasingly popular with the eco-conscious consumer. There are no toxic stains or lacquers used in the process of making bamboo hangers. They are actually heated to cause the sugars in the bamboo to caramelize, giving them a beautiful wood grain that is perfect for any closet style.

3) Plastic hangers are a great choice for people looking for an economical way to stock their closets. Today’s polymers and acrylics are very strong. If you find a good quality plastic hanger that you like, be sure to invest in a lot of different styles so that all of your clothes have a perfect place to hang. Notches, hooks, and clips should have smooth, snag-free surfaces. Check around a little before you buy and you can find some really good prices on some high quality plastic hangers.

When you find what works best for you, your closet and wardrobe will stay protected, organized and stylish.

Treating Ink Stains

admin — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 04:14:31 +0000

Don’t panic if you just noticed that you washed your clothes with a pen or a marker. There are a few things you can do to try to remove the ink. However, your success may depend on what type of ink you are dealing with. Vegetable based inks, water based inks, and normal “kids’ markers” are generally easy to remove. Pen ink can be a little harder to deal with, but still generally responds to treatment or multiple treatments. Permanent ink from permanent markers is a lot harder to remove.

For water and vegetable based inks, the key is to keep the area wet. As soon as you notice the mark or stain, wet it, preferably with hot water. Check the fabric tag to make sure that hot water is okay to use on the fabric before you do this. Wet the area with hot water and blot it with another clean cloth. I find that paper towels do really well here, because they’re so absorbent. Blot away as much of the ink as you can, being careful to use a clean section of the blotting material each time you press down. This will ensure that you don’t remove ink, and then press it back into the fabric that you’re trying to clean. You can also put paper towels or another clothe beneath the area you are treating to absorb from the opposite side.

When you’ve removed as much as you can by blotting with hot water, put a dab of laundry pre-treatment or laundry detergent on the spot. Gently rub it in until it is coming through the other side of the fabric. Leave the detergent or spot treatment to set for three to five minutes, but be careful not to let the spot dry. Add bits of water as needed so that the stain does not set in. Rinse the fabric and blot again. If any ink remains, repeat the process.

Pen ink is a little harder to remove, but not as hard as permanent ink. Use the same treatment process for pen ink. If the ink stain remains, you may need to move on to something stronger. Rubbing alcohol can be used to remove pen ink or permanent ink. You will definitely need to test an inconspicuous area before you do this. If all else fails and the garment is pretty much ruined anyway, you may want to try nail polish remover or acetone. Acetone will melt synthetic fabrics, so make sure that you do this as a last resort and test inside of a seam or somewhere before you begin.

If the garment is really important to you, it may be best to go directly to a professional cleaner. They have different types of detergents and chemicals that may be able to more safely remove ink stains from your clothing.

Do I Really Need to Separate my Laundry?

admin — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 22:17:20 +0000

One of the most basic rules of laundry is to separate. Separating keeps like colors and like fabrics together. The main purpose of this is to ensure that each fabric type receives the care that it needs. It also helps to keep colors from fading or bleeding, and to prevent shrinkage or damage.

Keeping whites separate from colors is a good rule of thumb. If you only have white clothes in a load, then you can generally use bleach. Just be sure to check tags for a “do not bleach” warning that may be on certain fabrics or embellishments. Whites can also be washed in hot water unless the tag says otherwise. Since stains show up the worst on whites, bleaching and washing in hot water is usually preferred.

Colors need to be washed alone and with cold water the first time you wash them. Dyes may not be colorfast until they’ve been laundered once. Once something has been washed, you can put it with your other colors. Colors should be washed in cold water, just to make sure that nothing bleeds. This also helps to keep dark colors dark and bright colors bright.

If you have enough laundry to consider it, try doing just a red load with cold water. My family makes enough red clothes to always keep them separate. Red dye is notorious for bleeding and staining your whole load red. One time I just threw a wet red sock into the dryer with some lighter clothes and it made pink prints on everything. Washing reds separately will ensure that your whites don’t come out pink.

Another reason, besides color, to separate is weight. You need to have approximately the same weight of clothing on each side of the washer to keep it balanced. If you don’t, you may notice your washing machine walking across the laundry room. Delicates need to be washed on the gentle cycle, whereas jeans and towels may take extra agitation to get clean.

Separating by weight also helps out in the dryer. If you have something heavy in with everything else light, the dryer will keep drying until the moisture sensor doesn’t find any more moisture in the load. That means that all of your thin t-shirts and underwear are shrinking more and more while that heavy pair of jeans dries.

If you really don’t want to separate, at least wash your loads in cool water on a normal or gentle cycle. Dry on medium heat and check for dry items often. If some heavier clothing is still wet in the end, hang them on clothes hangers and pants hangers to dry until you’re ready to put them away.

Can I Steam This?

admin — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 21:11:27 +0000

Steaming clothing instead of ironing it is all the rage. Steamers are becoming more and more affordable and available to the public. Steaming is safe for almost every type of fabric. However, you should read this before you get rid of your conventional iron and ironing board.

1) Steaming is an effective way to remove wrinkles from many garments. Cotton, rayon, and other fabrics that don’t require high heat can be steamed while hanging on a hanger. However, heavier garments made of thicker or more stubborn material may require heavy ironing to get the wrinkles out. My drapes have a thermal insulating layer on them and steam does nothing to the creases! Anything that requires high heat for ironing may not be suitable for steaming.

2) Things that need to be dry cleaned can sometimes be steamed to be freshened up, but not always. The reason that something is “dry clean only” will determine whether or not you want to steam it. Some fabrics, even some rayons, do not have a waterproof dye. Colors can run if the steam is too intense or applied for too long. Embellishments can also be damaged by steam. Some sequins and beads can melt or lose their finish if steamed. Some decorative pearls are actually a type of Styrofoam inside and they can flatten if they get hot. Lace often has sizing that can be steamed out, changing the texture or color of the material around it. Ivory colored lace is often dyed with a dye that will run off if it is steamed.

3) Be careful if you’re steaming suits or other tailored items that are marked “dry clean only”. This is because the liners used to stiffen shoulders, cuffs and collars are not always waterproof. Sometimes steam can quickly melt these materials. They are also usually glued into place. Stitching them would ruin the look of the garment, so glue is used instead and a “dry clean only” tag attached. Steaming the glue can cause it to soften, run, seep through fabric, and permanently ruin your garment.

Despite these drawbacks, steaming is still a very safe, quick and efficient way to care for most of your clothing. Most of the scenarios mentioned above only occur if you over-steam or hold the steamer in one spot for too long. To steam garments, simply hang them from your clothes hangers over a door or on the hanging bar. Use pants hangers or hangers with clips to securely hold clothing in place while you steam.

Do I Need Heirloom Sealing?

admin — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 21:20:20 +0000

Proper care and storage of heirloom items, such as wedding gowns and christening gowns, can help you to minimize the chances of loss or damage while the items are stored. Taking precautions when having your special items cleaned or stored is necessary, but having them professionally cleaned and stored may not be.

If you want to store an heirloom item yourself, then there are a few things that you should know. You can use cotton sheets to line the box that you are storing in. The box itself must be “acid free”. Look for photo storage or scrapbooking materials that say “acid free” on the label. If you are storing a large item, such as a wedding dress, you may have to order a special box online. The box should have plenty of room so that you don’t have to crease or tightly pack the garment. Creases can become permanent over time.

You can also use acid free tissue paper to line the box, but make sure you get white. Colors can bleed over time. Cotton sheets, as well as the fabrics of the garment, can create their own acids over time. This is why you should take your garment out about once a year and clean it, as well as replace or clean the liners. Acid can damage fabrics and cause them to deteriorate.

Store your heirloomed item in a cool, dry place. Don’t store items, especially rayon, in anything near cedar. Cedar can produce acids that can build up in fabrics over time and cause damage to them. Cedar is great for storing most items for less than one year. You want to choose a place like a closet near the interior of the house so that there is air circulation, but no extreme temperature changes, light, or moisture.

Before storing an item, you should have it properly cleaned. If you know that you are going to heirloom an item beforehand, you can choose one that is made from materials that can be properly cleaned. Glue oxidizes, changes color, and is often damaged in cleaning or storage. Lace almost always has sizing present, which can oxidize and turn yellow as well. Some laces are dyed to give a “natural” or “off white” color. This dye can turn white during dry cleaning. Sequins, beads, fake pearls, and other decoration can melt, peel, dissolve, turn dull, or lose color even when professionally cleaned. Avoid these problems by choosing items to be heirloomed, wisely.

Caring for Alpaca Garments

admin — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 19:55:50 +0000

Alpaca fleece is the fiber harvested from an alpaca, which looks like a small llama. Many people that can’t wear wool because of skin that is sensitive to lanolin or the prickly feel. Alpaca fiber is a great alternative to wool. It is hypoallergenic, warmer than wool for the weight, and is silky soft. Some alpaca yarn is elastic, water repellent, and flame resistant. It can be light and cool or thick and warm, depending on how it is spun. Alpaca products are usually luxurious and expensive, so knowing how to properly care for them is important.

Alpaca items are very durable given that they are properly cared for. Alpaca is stronger than cashmere, resistant to pilling, and will not shrink if properly cleaned and stored. Many alpaca items won’t fade because the fiber is available in so many colors, that dying is not always necessary. If your garments are dyed, they could bleed, but it isn’t very likely because alpaca fiber takes dye very well. According to the “Purely Alpaca” web site, alpaca fiber comes naturally in twenty-two different colors. Garments made from alpaca are strong and resilient. Most alpaca items do not need to be dry cleaned and can be hand washed with baby shampoo. They say that there are alpaca garments dating back over 2000 years in Peru that are still in good condition!

Purely Alpaca has some great tips on caring for your alpaca garments. Most are machine washable, but you don’t want to agitate the fibers very much. “The finer the fibers, the less handling it can take before felting.” Agitation and spin cycles can cause the fibers to mat and felt together. Extreme temperatures can also cause alpaca fibers to shrink. They don’t recommend hot or cold water, but lukewarm water or around 100 degrees. Make sure that the wash and rinse water are the same temperature so that you don’t “shock” the garment.

Alpaca fiber is a lot like hair. In fact, it is hair. So, laundry detergents are too harsh for it. Even extremely gentle detergents made for delicates can be too much. Shampoos that don’t contain a lot of dyes or perfumes are great for these garments. Swishing them around in a sink of lukewarm water with some baby shampoo is recommended. Remember not to agitate. Don’t squeeze or stir the garment around too much. Mostly, you want to soak it and don’t touch it too much.

When it’s rinsed, you can gently squeeze out excess water and lay the garment flat on a towel. Gently roll it up being careful not to squeeze. Replace the towel with a dry one every few hours until the garment is dry. Then you can hang most alpaca garments on clothes hangers designed for sweaters. Once dry, alpaca clothing is very strong. It’s more resistant to stretching and puckering on hangers than other types of fibers. Take care of your alpaca garments and you can enjoy them for many, many years.

Sources: http://purelyalpaca.com/index.php

Different Rayons Need Different Care

admin — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 18:34:32 +0000

You may have noticed that your rayon garments call for different care. Some may say “Dry Clean Only” while others say to machine wash. Before you assume that all rayon is machine washable and the maker of the “Dry Clean Only” version was just trying to sound “high end” when they put that tag in, consider what type of rayon you may be caring for.

There are actually four types of rayon that your garment may be made of. Each type can vary in texture and feel. Rayon can feel like silk, wool, cotton, or linen. They are popular because they are absorbent, light, non-insulating, and very comfortable.

The most common rayon is referred to as “regular” rayon or “viscose” rayon. Some garments may even refer to it as “artificial silk” or “art silk”. Rayon is produced from naturally occurring polymers and so it cannot be called a “synthetic” fiber. However, because of the extensive process that it takes to make rayon, it cannot be referred to as a “natural” fiber, either. It is technically a “semi-synthetic” fiber. Regular rayon does not hold its shape very well when wet. It is also very fragile when wet. This is why regular, or viscose, rayon garments are dry clean only. If you wash it, it may come out looking a lot different than when it went in!

Machine washable rayon is called “high wet modulus rayon”, or HWM rayon. This rayon is a lot stronger than regular rayon when wet. It can also be mercerized, which is a process that makes fabrics lustrous, stronger, and easier to dye, like cotton. You may see HWM rayon called “Modal” rayon. Modal rayon is made from the cellulose of beech trees and is colorfast when washed in warm water. It is 50% more absorbent than cotton and is resistant to shrinkage and fading. Even though this type of rayon is strong, you should wash in cold if possible and on a gentle cycle because it is prone to stretching and pilling.

The third kind of rayon is called “high-tenacity” rayon. This type of rayon is almost twice as strong as HWM. It is unlikely that you have any garments made out of high-tenacity rayon, because it is mostly used in tire cord and for other industrial purposes. However, it is occasionally used in upholstery and embellishments. This type of rayon is extremely strong and can be washed however you want to wash it.

The last type of rayon that your garment could be is called “cupramonium rayon”. Care is the same as viscose rayon. This type of rayon is very rare because it is no longer produced in the United States, due to the harmful environmental effects caused by its production.