Best washing & drying practices

Cold water all the way
Not only do you use less energy with cold water but you also preserve the colour of your garment, especially if it is naturally dyed.

Gentle cycle will keep your garments from wearing out quickly. Its best to treat stains by hand, scrubbing them out and then washing the rest of the garment in your washer on cold water, gentle cycle. If scrubbing out a stain, be gentle on naturally dyed pieces as the colour may fade in that spot.

Hang to dry. You can dramatically extend the life of a garment by hanging to dry. Not only does this prevent the fabric from shrinking but it also preserves the colour and keeps the fibres from wearing out over time. Hanging to dry also helps keep the shape of a garment as high heat or tumble drying can alter the shape. Make sure your washer is set to spin at a high speed to get most of the water out. Hang to dry in shade if garment isn’t white.

To soften up a crispy air dried garment tumble on low for 5 minutes or use “fluff” setting or just wear the garment and move around to soften up.

If you want to stretch garment length do this by hanging on hanger and pulling on the garment while it is still damp then letting it air dry.

Purposely want your garment to shrink? Then wash in hot water and dry on high heat.

Use sunshine to keep your whites white. Sun naturally whitens fabric so if you want to keep those crisp whites bright, dry your garments in the sun. Hemp is a durable fibre that can withstand a lot of wear and UV exposure. Do not dry dyed fabrics in direct sunlight as this will lighten the colour.

Opt for an oxygen bleach that doesn’t damage or eat away at fibres. Soap Works brand makes a safe bleach that is effective yet gentle and can be found at most natural food stores and online. To use properly oxygen bleach must be used on a hot cycle.

For stains try an all natural stain remover bar, it looks like a stick of soap and can also be found at most health food stores. To use, simply wet the stain (warm water on most stains but if removing blood always use cold water) then rub the stain stick directly on the stain. Let it sit for 10 minutes then grab both sides of the fabric and rub it together, you can also use a bristle brush like an old toothbrush to really get in there. Rinse and then wash with your laundry right away. Please keep in mind that if your garment is naturally dyed and you use a stain stick and rub it vigorously the colour may wash out from that spot along with the stain.