Welcome To Soak School
Cotton
Caring for this natural fibre favourite.
Image & dress above: Karyn Valino
It's in cotton's nature to shrink and fade. But washing with Soak and air drying can help your cotton clothes stay pretty.
Tips for gentle washing
Read the label
Machine-washing cotton on the delicate cycle is fine, though hand-washing is gentler on fabrics and can help your garment last longer.
Keep the water cool
Choose your water temperature based on colour (heat can make dyes bleed, so the more colour, the lower the temp should be). If you're not sure, err on the side of cool.
Wash clothes inside out
It helps the outside look newer longer.
Whiten whites
Cotton can stand up to chlorine bleach, so if you need to punch up your whites, go for it.
Air-drying is best
Heat is what makes cotton shrink, so air-dry your items in a place that doesn't get direct sun (sun can fade colour). Tumble drying on low heat is generally okay too, especially if the cotton is preshrunk.
Reduce wrinkles
Iron or steam with Flatter. When pressing your garment, Flatter helps get wrinkles out. You can also use a few spritzes to release wrinkles on a dry garment
