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! Here’s how to extend their lifespan.
Preserve the original colors:
Tye & dye is pretty, but only when you want it…
White fabrics: to remain white, they must be protected from light, which yellows them. Do not hesitate to store them in dark boxes or opaque drawers, away from direct light.
Colored fabrics: to give your colored clothes a boost, add white vinegar to the last rinse water. Or use the latter as a fabric softener.
Black fabrics: together and inside out, this is the right way to wash them.
Add white vinegar to the rinse water to set the color and never iron them on the right side to avoid polishing them. To return them to an intense black, bathe your dark clothes in cold spinach cooking water (without the spinach) before washing them.
Respect the shapes:
A woolen sweater or cotton are not destined to become deformed…
Before the first wash: go through the (very) salty bath step. Soak your cotton T-shirts (respecting the colors) in a basin of cold water with 4 handfuls of coarse salt.
For wool sweaters: avoid the machine. Proceed by hand in lukewarm water with flakes of Marseille soap. Bathe them without rubbing or wringing them and rinse them thoroughly, finishing with a rinse with diluted white vinegar. Dry your wool sweaters flat, between two terry towels.
Despite these precautions, he has shrunk?
The only solution: relax the fibers. Not just pulling it out, but first submerging it in a solution of cold water and glycerin (or conditioner) gently stretching the sleeves and edges until your sweater returns to its original size initial. Wring it out in a terry towel and dry it flat, stretching it regularly.
Despite all this, he is subdued?
Soak your sweater for an hour in cold or lukewarm vinegar water.
Fix the colors:
No, the fading will not happen to you!
Will fade, will not fade?
To know this, carry out the test with a damp cotton swab rubbed on the garment. Is it tinted? The color of your clothing may bleed when washed and color everything in its path.
To stop the bleeding: wash your clothing in cold water with vinegar and liquid Marseille soap.
The basics: Sort your clothes color by color to prevent them from mixing. Choose the cold wash program or 30°C maximum. If you choose to wash by hand, proceed piece by piece.
Did it rub off? You can repair the damage using soda crystals. Soak your discolored shirt for a day in 1 liter of hot water with a cup of crystals. If the stain is localized, rub with a paste of baking soda and water, then leave to act before rinsing.
Removing imperfections:
Time passing…
Sweating (the marks): bathe your white cotton T-shirt in a mixture of water and lemon juice. You can also immerse it in a basin filled with cold water and white vinegar (1 glass).
Sweating again (the smell): melt several aspirin tablets in a basin and immerse the clothing in it.
Luster (for black fabric): iron it using a cloth soaked in household vinegar.
Pills: shave them with a razor blade. Or catch them on Scotch.
Yellowing: cook your grayish T-shirt in a mixture of water, Marseille soap flakes and lemon juice.
Five techniques for ironing without iron:
Spraying. Place your laundry on a hanger, spray it with lukewarm water, let it dry. You will see that the creases will disappear.
The shower. Take advantage of the hot water vapor to hang your outfit of the day on a hanger and smooth it out as if by magic.
A damp towel. A wrinkled item of clothing can become uncreased if it is “ironed” using a damp sponge, placed flat on the item of clothing.
Above a saucepan. OK, the trick requires a bit of headroom, but you can place your shirt over a pot of boiling water to benefit from the smoothing effects of the hot water steam.
With a hair dryer. Spray with water and dry it. Be careful not to approach the tip so as not to burn the fabric and use gentle heat.
(Her) grandmother’s tip: Washing in a net
My grandmother, who was very chic, collected cashmere cardigans.
She gave me a few, with some very good advice: before putting the vest in the washing machine, wrap the buttons in aluminum foil very tightly. Wash vests very often because the more you wash them, the softer and more beautiful they are. Wash them only in cold or lukewarm water, or at 30°C. And above all, especially place them in a net, like for lingerie.
Did you know ?
The natural or synthetic fibers of a garment do not shrink when washing, but during drying, when the water evaporates from them.
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