Care Instructions.
We generally recommend hand washing or dry cleaning our more delicate items such as wools and silks. As for our linen and cotton items, a gentle machine wash and air dry is best.
For a better understanding of general clothing care, here are some considerations below to consider thanks to Stella McCartney’s clevercare system.
To extend the life of your garments, we recommend you consider the 5 areas of clothing care. Washing, temperature, drying, ironing and dry cleaning. With these factors in mind you will be able to extend the life of your precious garments.
Five easy ways to adopt a sustainable laundry routine.
An estimated 350,000 tonnes of used clothing go to landfill in the UK every year. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the average American throws out 70 pounds of garments every year – with 85% of it ending up in landfill. On top of this, laundry accounts for approximately one quarter of the carbon footprint of clothing.
Think twice about washing.
Wondering how often should you wash your clothes? Washing them regularly uses an incredible amount of water; often, methods such as airing and brushing your pieces are enough to keep them clean. Consider spot cleaning for any small stains.
Keep it cool.
Wash care labels indicate the highest temperature allowed for cleaning specific items without compromising their quality. A simple way to extend the life of your clothes is to wash them at a lower temperature and hang instead of tumble dry. Studies recommend washing at 30°C rather than 40°C, as this small change in temperature reduces electricity consumption by approximately 40% and provides better care for your clothing.
Take it outside.
Tumble drying accounts for 60% of the energy used during laundering. We recommend hanging your clothes up to dry whenever possible – it’s better for the environment and for your pieces. Washing cotton garments at lower temperatures and then air-drying them reduces the total lifecycle energy consumption by two times.
Crease free, the easy way.
Think of ironing only when really necessary. Often, you can avoid creases and folds by taking hang dried laundry in the bathroom while showering. The steam will naturally remove creases, saving effort and energy from ironing.
Go green when you dry clean.
When it comes to dry cleaning, the best option is to look for an eco or green dry cleaner. The chemicals used by most dry cleaners can harm air quality, the health of employees and your own wellbeing. To avoid dry cleaning altogether, remember that cashmere, silks, cotton and most wools are easily hand-washed in the sink or on a delicate cycle.