Fabric Care
Different fibres need different handling. This hub gathers our guides to reading care labels and looking after specific fabrics — wool, silk, denim, synthetics and technical textiles.
Key takeaways
- Read the care label first: the symbols set the safe temperature, drying and ironing limits.
- Sort by colour and fabric to prevent bleeding and heat damage.
- Air or flat dry knits and delicates; the dryer is for robust cottons and linens.
Use this hub as a decision path
Start with the page that matches the fabric, stain, product or machine problem in front of you. Then use the neighbouring guides to adjust temperature, detergent, drying method and damage limits before you wash.
- If a care label conflicts with a general method, the care label wins.
- If a guide names a downside, treat it as a stop condition, not fine print.
- If a page includes products, read the method first and treat the product as optional.
In this guide
How To Wash
- How-to How to Clean a Smelly Washing Machine (and Stop It Returning) Washers smell from residue and trapped moisture. Run a clean cycle, clean the seal, drawer and filter, keep the door ajar — and never mix cleaners.
- How-to How to Keep Towels Soft and Fluffy Towels go rough from too much softener and limescale, not too little. Wash hot with minimal softener, rinse well, and tumble-dry to lift the loops.
- How-to How to Wash a Bra Without Ruining It Hand wash bras cold with a mild detergent, or machine wash on delicate in a mesh bag with hooks fastened. Avoid the dryer: heat degrades elastane.
- How-to How to Wash a Down Jacket Without Flattening It A down jacket goes flat because the filling clumps when wet. Wash gentle and cold, dry low with dryer balls, and dry it fully — the loft comes back.
- How-to How to Wash Gym Clothes Without the Stink Wash activewear cool and inside out, skip the fabric softener, and air-dry it. Here's the sourced routine — and what the science says about the stink.
- How-to Laundry Basics: A Simple Starter Guide Sort, pre-treat, dose, wash, dry, fold — a plain-English starter guide to doing laundry right, with real temperatures, detergent formats and care symbols.
Fabric Care
- How-to How to Get Smell Out of Clothes (Sweat, Musty, Smoke) Get sweat, musty and smoke smells out of clothes with a vinegar or baking-soda soak, the right temperature, oxygen bleach and enzymes — and clean your machine.
- How-to How to Remove Pilling From Clothes (and Stop It Coming Back) Pilling is loose fibres rubbed into balls. Remove pills with a fabric shaver, comb or stone — flat, light strokes — then prevent more with a cool, gentle wash.
- How-to How to Wash a Wool Sweater Without Shrinking It Wool shrinks from heat, agitation and alkalinity. Wash cold on a wool cycle with a mild neutral detergent, low spin, and dry flat.
- How-to How to Wash Cashmere Without Ruining It Hand washing is safest for cashmere: cool water, an enzyme-free wool wash, never wring. Some pieces machine-wash on a cold wool cycle if the label allows.
- How-to How to Wash Cotton Without Shrinking or Fading It Cotton can shrink with heat, moisture and agitation. Wash cool, dry low, sort by colour, and follow the care label to protect size and shade.
- How-to How to Wash Fleece Without Wrecking the Loft Polyester fleece hates two things: high heat and fabric softener. Wash it cold with a mild detergent, skip the softener, and dry low or hang.
- How-to How to Wash Jeans Without Fading Them Wash jeans inside out, cold, on a gentle cycle, then air-dry in the shade. Fading is normal; this source-backed routine slows it down.
- How-to How to Wash Linen Without Shrinking It Linen is stronger than cotton and softens with every wash. Wash it cool and gentle, skip the softener, air-dry, and iron it damp.
- How-to How to Wash Polyester Without Damaging It Polyester is durable but heat-sensitive and odour-prone. Wash cool, skip softener on performance synthetics, dry low or air-dry.
- How-to How to Wash Silk Without Ruining It Wash silk only when the label allows it: cold water, silk-safe detergent, no wringing, and flat shade drying. Skip risky pieces.
- How-to How to Wash Spandex Without Wrecking the Stretch Wash spandex cool, skip the dryer and the hot iron, and never chlorine-bleach it. It's almost always a blend, so the care label governs. Heat is the enemy.
- How-to How to Wash Viscose Without Shrinking or Distorting It Hand wash viscose in cool water, never wring, then dry it flat. It weakens when wet, so machine wash only if the label allows. The label always wins.