Dress-conscious individuals have a knack for looking chic and fashionable, regardless of whether they are wearing the trendiest, most expensive clothes or not. For some, dressing up is an extension of one’s self—a visual representation of their style, taste, and sometimes their status in life.
While some update their wardrobe according to trends, others would stick to their preferences of comfort, genre, colour, and durability. When one loves a particular article of clothing, they tend to wear it all the time.
If you’re one of them, we bet that your favourite clothes are put on heavy rotation. It explains why besides choosing clothes based on style, you should also consider investing in clothes that will last several washes without fading. After all, the goal is to have them for a long. This also emphasizes the value of proper washing or getting the best dry cleaning services in Singapore.
How to Care for Your Coloured Clothes
Clothes bleed and fade as dyes seep out from their fibres, and the reasons for that could be rooted in manufacturing: the clothes are overdyed to look attractive in the store or a wrong type of dye is used on the fabric.
Some dyes may also transfer colour when rubbed against another surface. But, probably the most frustrating of all is when the colour transfers to other clothes when the fabric gets wet. The good news is that there are some ways to keep the colours of your clothes last longer. Worry less and wash with peace of mind with the following tips to help reduce fading and bleeding.
• Washing
Read the label. Different fabrics require different ways of washing. Read the care and washing instructions—they are there for a reason and it’s better to follow them than regret not doing so. The kind of fabric used can often be read from the tags. Familiarise yourself with the different fabrics and research on their proper care too.
Sort accordingly. Separate delicate fabrics from non-delicates. Having multiple loads to the washing machine is better than having your delicates torn due to heavy washing. Heavy fabrics like linen, corduroy, denim and the likes should be separated from silks, satin, lace, cotton or those embroidered and decorated.
Wash with cool water. Use cooler water to avoid the fading of both the fabric and printed colours. Delicate, dark and colourful fabrics do best in cold water. Hot water tends to shrink, fade and wrinkle certain fabrics. Meanwhile, cool water can help slow the fading and shrinking of fabrics, thus helping your clothes to last longer.
Turn the clothes inside out. When coloured clothes are loaded into the washing machine, they should be turned inside out. This is to minimise the strains confronted by the coloured or printed part of the clothes during washing. By doing so, you can avoid the risk of fading your clothes and making them look worn out.
Avoid harsh cleaning detergents and fabric conditioners. Strong detergents that promise superb cleaning actions and fabric conditioners are widely available in the market. While they do the job of cleaning your clothes and making them smell good, they can also alter the colour and texture of their fabrics. Frequent washes using harsh cleaning ingredients can shorten the life and colour of your cherished clothes. Use mild soap instead, particularly with your delicates. They are safe enough to clean without damaging your fabrics.
• Storage
Clothes should be clean and dry before storage. It’s a universal rule to ensure that no existing stains will set while your clothes are stored for the long haul. They may look visually clean to you but in time, dirt and sweat can cause hard-to-remove yellow stains while in storage for months.
Store in a cool, dry, and well-ventilated space. The best place to keep your storage cabinets is in an area that’s cool, dry, and well-ventilated. Otherwise, direct sunlight and moisture can both cause damage to your fabrics that prove difficult to revert—fading your colours and causing mould and mildew growth, respectively.
Invest in quality hangers. Most laundry and dry cleaning professionals advise against using wire hangers—they’re not sturdy enough to support your clothes. Use wooden hangers instead, they are better at retaining the proper shape of your clothes.
Identify which clothes are better folded. Materials that are heavy enough to bend a hanger or cause the clothes to sag in odd places are better folded; and for clothes that you prefer to be folded, invest in good storage that will keep them safe and looking their best.
• Professional Laundry Services
Preserving your coloured clothes for long years of use is a goal for almost everyone. This is particularly true when you invest a good sum of money to acquire them and hope that they will serve their purpose of dressing you up on several occasions.
These days, minimising your cost per wear also means spending a few more on maintaining your clothes. Nowadays, laundry services offer all kinds of solutions to all your washing needs. These include dry cleaning services that are mostly recommended for preserving delicate fabrics.
Dry cleaning is generally less abrasive on your clothes than regular home washing and drying. While not all clothes require dry cleaning and can get away with the old-fashioned home washing, it’s a great way to maintain their look and prolong their lifespan. Add that to the fact that your fabrics will be handled by a team of laundry professionals, then you can be confident that your clothes are in good hands.
With these kinds of services, you can rest easy knowing that your coloured clothes will look as vibrant as they are when you bought them—at least for as long as possible. Clean Care is a cleaning professional that offers laundry and dry cleaning services in Singapore.
They take pride in their full, premium service that handles your clothes from sorting, treating stains, folding, and ironing so you don’t have to. All you have to do is to store your clothes back in place, cleaner than ever.
For more information or to schedule a laundry pickup, visit Clean Care today.
