How to care for your clothing made with natural fibers?

Washing facts

The carbon footprint of a load of laundry is ...

• 0.6 kg CO2e washed at 30°C, dried on the line
• 0.7 kg CO2e washed at 40°C, dried on the line
• 2.4 kg CO2e washed at 40°C, tumble-dried in a vented dryer
• 3.3 kg CO2e washed at 60°C, dried in a combined washer-dryer

Washing and drying a load every two days creates around 440kg of CO2 each year. That is the same amount of flying 4 times from Paris to London return in economy class.

Why we love clothing made of natural fibers?

Natural fabrics tend to have a lower environmental impact than synthetic fabrics (the exception is cotton). They take less energy to produce and can more easily be reused cyclically. Natural fiber clothing also tends to feel better against the skin, breathe more efficiently, and is less likely to cause allergic reactions.

Examples of natural fibers

Avoid those common challenges

Avoiding shrinkage

The best way to avoid shrinkage is to wash items in cold water and the delicate cycle of your washing machine. Ideally, your clothes that are made of natural fibers should never see the inside of your dryer.

Avoiding wrinkles

Clothes should be separated not only by color but also by fabric content and weight. Having your laundry sorted correctly, will reduce wrinkles. When drying the items, lay them flat on a surface so that the fibers relax to their original shape.

Step 1: prep' your items

A better approach to an average detergent is to wash your garments with a neutral pH detergent to avoid the alkaline wash.

•  Stain-remove with soda bicarbonate mix with lemon water.
•  Add half a cup of vinegar to your whitewash to keep your items sparkling without using bleach.
•  Use laundry nuts on sturdier cotton fabrics in place of a detergent.

Step 2: washing machine

Ideally, wash on a 30°C* max program. Wash your clothing separately from bed linen underwear, or other household products.

Handwash when the care label requires it! You'll be on the safest side for Silk & Wool by doing so.

Step 3: drying your items

Avoid dryers, they are energy monsters and can cause some serious damage to your clothing.

•  When washing is over, gently carry items into a bucket to hang. Never wring out or scrub the item.
•  Place the garment on a dry towel and reshape it into its original shape
•  Once dry, store flat, and never hang a knitted garment.

MORE TIPS

 Natural fibers like wool or the others don't have to be washed as often as you think as this fiber has self-cleaning properties. Rather hang outside in the air to remove the smell.

  Either use a steamer (easier than an iron) or hang your garment up in the shower room while you wash. The steam will naturally shake out creases and naturally freshen up your garment.

General disclaimer

Always read the tags of each specific garment for proper care and as an environmental rule of thumb, cold-wash always uses less energy!

Sources :

Stats from @traid

The Guardian

Carbonfootprint

Thespruce