Fabric Care and Benefits

Spring’s a great time to examine how your winter wardrobe held up and address any

issues resulting from wear—stains, stretching and other ills. Overall, natural fabrics

transition seasons easily, but the evolution in synthetics makes them mimic natural

fabrics minus the wrinkling.

For sweaters, pilling is common and addressed with a sweater shaver or razor. If

mishappened, a tailor can make alterations. Handwashing wool sweaters in cool water

with fabric soap is best, lying them flat to dry. Spot treat stains with white bar soap or

uncolored dish soap before trying stronger stain fighters. Store sweaters, folded, in a

plastic sleeve or tissue, to avoid stretching.

Cotton’s durable and launders well, though wrinkles. When tackling wrinkles, throw a

damp washcloth into the drier with your garment, if your drier doesn’t steam. When

pulling out your white summer cottons, you may notice they’ve discolored in storage, a

normal occurrence. Just soak them with lemon juice and hot water, hanging the

garment in the sun, allowing nature to return its vibrancy.

Synthetics keep their shape, are durable, and wrinkle less. Stains are tricky, though,

because stain fighters can change the fiber’s color, which is why many garments require

“non-chlorine” bleach to protect the underlying dye. If it’s changed the fiber’s color,

consider dying the garment darker.

Finally, when buying garments, fabric blends assist functionality, depending on your use:

Linen + silk: reduces the amount of wrinkling

Wool + nylon: helps retain the shape of the wool

Spandex + cotton: maintains breathability and ease of movement

Tammy’s Truism: For dry cleaning expensive/specialty garments, call a luxury boutique for a referral. Any garment above $300 should be cleaned by specialty dry cleaners that stuffs the sleeves, resews buttons, and calls to discuss any stains or repairs needed—a worthwhile investment.