A big part of the clothes that is discarded either ends up in a landfill or gets burned, and a lot of the clothes that is donated to thrift shops, is in such poor condition that it cannot be resold. By changing little things in the way, you take care of our clothes, you can extend the lifetime of your clothes remarkably. Now the question is how do you take the best possible care of our clothes, so that it can have the longest possible life? Our suggestion is that you repair your clothes if it breaks and always take good care of it.
Repair
Repairs can be necessary to extend the lifespan of the clothes. For example, if the zipper in your most beloved fleece breaks and you don’t have the skills to fix it yourself, but you don’t want to throw it out just to by a new one, then take it to a tailor - they will always be able to help you. When you repair your clothes, you can extend its lifetime remarkably and in doing so also the joy of wearing the clothes. Which is why you always should try and repair your clothes before throwing it away. Your local tailor will be able to help you with repairing close to everything.
Care
The better we take care of our clothes the longer it will last. This includes minimum washing, storing your clothes so that it can breathe, folding your clothes whenever possible so it doesn’t strain from hanging and most importantly care equally for all your clothes no matter the price tag.
Washing instructions
When washing your clothes always follow the instructions on the care label. Here you will find all the manufacturers recommendations for how you should care the specific piece of clothing. By following the recommendations, it will help your clothes keep its shape and colour. If the care label is cut off or hard to read, you should be as gentle to it as possible as you don’t necessarily know the material composition of the clothes.
When it is time to wash the clothes use the assigned program on your washing machine, if you are washing a dark wash, choose the program dedicated to it. You should always separate and wash your clothes with similar colours, this will help the clothes keep its colour for longer.
When drying your clothes, air dry your clothes whenever you can and preferably outside when and if possible. If it is not possible to dry the clothes outside then make sure, the room you are drying it in has good ventilation, to avoid humidity and indirect damage to the clothes. Avoid tumble drying at all times as it can change the structure of your clothes.
But before you decide to wash your clothes, look at it and asses if it is necessary to wash it or hanging it outside in the fresh air can do the job. If there are no visible stains and there is no strong smell, hanging it outside in the fresh air might be enough to get rid of any light smells.
Down jackets
All down jackets should be washed on a maximum of 30-degrees. Down jackets should be washed as little as possible and not more than once a year. If there are stains on the jacket they can and should be spot cleaned.
If you need to wash your down jacket, do it as gentle as possible as. This by washing it as cold as you can and on a low speed cycle. After having washed your down jacket, it is important to dry it as quickly as possible. The down jacket therefor must be tumble dried. This should be done on low heat and maximum 30-degrees with dryer balls. The dryer balls help to distribute the down evenly within the jacket. But to get the optimal result you should take the jacket out once every 1-2 hours and shake it, this will contribute to distribute the down evenly. It takes a long time to dry a down jacket so be patient and don’t stop the process until the jacket is completely dry.
Never dry clean, iron or bleach your down jacket.
Cotton
When washing your cotton clothes do not wash it warmer than 40-degrees. If the clothes are not very dirty and do not have a strong smell 30-degrees will do the job just as well. The colder you can wash your clothes the better. The cold wash will make it easier to maintain the colour of the clothes for a longer time.
When drying your cotton clothes, it is best to air dry it. Avoid putting your clothes on a hanger if its heavy, as this can stretch it out. Avoid tumble drying your cotton clothes as there is a risk of shrinkage.
Never bleach or dry clean cotton clothes.
Fleece
Your fleece should be washed at maximum 40-degrees. If your fleece is not very dirty and does not have a strong smell a 30-degree wash is sufficient. If your fleece is not dirty at all but only smells a little hanging it outside in fresh air will be enough to get rid of light odour.
Never dry clean, bleach, iron or tumble dry your fleece.
Pile
All our pile styles should only be handwashed. Handwashing helps to keep the structure of the pile and the colour will stay bright for longer. After handwashing your pile jacket hang it to dry outside or in a room with good ventilation.
Never bleach, tumble dry or iron your pile.
Rainwear
If necessary, rainwear can be machine washed at maximum 30 degrees. If your rainwear is not very dirty, spot cleaning with a washcloth is sufficient. Rainwear should always be airdried either outside or in a room with good ventilation.
Never bleach, tumble dry, dry clean or iron your rainwear.
Our products are made to be used repeatedly. Help us make sure this is possible by washing as little and as cold as possible, airdry and repair your clothes whenever you can. That way you are not only doing yourself a favour, but also us, your clothes, and the environment.
If you have a good idea as to how we together can take even better care of the environment, then you are more than welcome to contact us on contact@h2o-sportswear.com.