L.A SPACE ONLINE CARE GUIDE
At L.A-Space, our dedication lies in crafting top-notch clothing that's designed to last. Much like all things in life, the longevity of our products can be extended through care. We’re here to share our knowledge on how to take care of your favourite pieces and offer insightful tips and useful tricks that will help maintain the pristine condition of your treasured wardrobe staples.
GENERAL GARMENT CARE TIPS AND GUIDELINES
WEAR MORE, WASH LESS
Often, washing clothes after each use is more habit than hygiene necessity. Washing less can preserve your garments' colour and longevity. Simply airing and shaking many clothing items can prepare them for another wear, while spot treating can handle stains. This approach is not only hygienic but also lightens laundry loads and saves money.
STEAMING & IRONING
Certain fabric types may exhibit a tendency towards creasing, depending on their construction. When tackling these creases, it is suggested to use a steamer as it proves to be a more delicate method for fabric fibres compared to ironing.
Before steaming
After steaming
If ironing is your preferred method, we recommend using a damp function or use the steam setting on the iron for cotton and linen items. Applying a small amount of moisture to cotton or linen prior to ironing aids in smoothing the fibres. This practice results in a more efficient ironing process, as the garment flattens more rapidly.
Shop our favourite tried and tested steamers here:
TREAT STAINS IMMEDIATELY
If you get a stain on your garment, it is recommended that you spot treat it immediately. Cotton, linen, and wool are natural materials recognised for their exceptional absorption properties, this means that the longer you wait to treat a stain, the harder it is to remove it.
PACKING FOR TRAVEL
Packing for a trip can be a real hassle, and I’m sure we’ve all been guilty of over-packing in the past. Try streamlining your travel packing with a minimalistic, versatile wardrobe. It's easy to overpack, so be sure question if you'll actually wear each item. Overstuffing luggage results in unnecessary weight and contributes to creased clothes.
To avoid this, we recommend folding any delicate items, and placing them in our L.A-Space dust bags to keep them protected. You can also roll any crease-resistant garments such as knitwear before placing them into your suitcase for optimal space utilisation.
CARING FOR WOOL
Woollen garments are known for their low-maintenance nature, due to the inherent properties of wool. These characteristics allow the garment to primarily self-maintain. However, when it comes to washing the entire piece, a bit more care is required. Fortunately, we’re sharing our top tips to guide you through this process.
WASH INSIDE OUT
When washing knitted items, it is advised to turn them inside out. Incorporating a fabric conditioner into your routine is also beneficial and will keep the fibres in the garment soft.
For those opting for machine wash, select the wool or delicate setting and ensure a slow spin speed to safeguard the garment's fibres.
SPOT TREAT STAINS
When a stain appears on your clothing, immediately apply the suggested solution for that particular type of stain and allow it to air dry. This method not only conserves energy but also prolongs the lifespan of the fabric by preventing unnecessary washing for just a single stain.
PILLING ON WOOL GARMENTS
Wool products are known to naturally pill initially due to the fibre length variation during yarn spinning process. Shorter fibres will often surface on the garment, especially in high-friction areas during wear.
Use a de-bobbler or razor to gently remove pills from fabric, avoiding hard rubbing to prevent damage. We also recommend use a clothing brush for dust and dirt removal, instead of a lint roller as the sticky sheets can cause more pilling on wool.
Here's a few of our favourite's below:
CARING FOR COTTON
Cotton is the world's most favoured natural fabric, with many types of cottons available, and many uses for it.
Being a natural fibre, cotton inherently possesses the tendency to shrink. To counteract this characteristic, we implement a prewashing process on all our cotton fabrics. However, it's important to note that this method decreases, but does not completely eliminate, the possibility of further shrinkage.
Here we share tips and tricks to help you improve the longevity and look of your cotton clothing through correct maintenance and care.
DRY NATURALLY
You may often see the instruction to ‘reshape while damp’ on your garment care labels -while drying your clothes, it's advisable to gently stretch or shake the garments as soon as they exit the washing machine to restore their original shape.
When dealing with stretchier cotton items, such as t-shirts and sweaters, you should be cautious not to distort the neckline or shoulder points.
For more rigid cotton apparel like shirts and trousers, giving them a good shake and stretching them along the seams can help maintain their shape. This method ensures that your cotton garments keep their form and last longer.
Cotton naturally shrinks, mainly during drying. Prevent this by air-drying flat rather than tumble drying and keep out of direct sunlight. To avoid creases, hang shirts and trousers to dry.
UNDERSTANDING YOUR WASH CARE SYMBOLS
With countless wash care symbols to decipher, it can get complex to distinguish or identify the correct symbol for each fabric type. To simplify things, we've compiled a guide just for you that will hopefully paint a clearer picture and help improve your knowledge when it comes to washing your garments.
