Care tips
Care tips for fabrics from A to Z
Fabric is not just fabric!! Every material needs the right care so it stays beautiful and keeps its shape for a long time. Here you’ll find lots of useful tips and information on general fabric care.
Care of acetate
Fabrics with a high acetate content lose shape and shine when washed. As an alternative, dry cleaning is recommended, which these fabrics usually tolerate very well. The maximum ironing temperature should not exceed 120°C, as this can cause irreversible damage to the fabric. Please always pay attention to the care symbols.
Care of cotton
Garments and home textiles made of cotton with highly fast colours are generally boil-proof. However, especially in the area of outerwear, there are also qualities that are not suitable for washing because they would shrink too much. Please pay attention to the care symbols and ask your local dry cleaner if you are unsure.
Cotton fabrics that have not been specially treated (e.g. waxed cotton jackets) can be ironed at temperatures of up to 200°C.
Care of cupro
Please be careful when washing fabrics containing cupro and follow the care instructions. The maximum ironing temperature for fabrics with cupro is 150°C.
Care of faux fur
With faux fur fabrics, you need to pay close attention to the washing instructions, as they can vary greatly from fabric to fabric. Some faux fur fabrics should always be cared for by a professional cleaner. However, you’ll also find faux fur by the metre with us that can be washed at 30°C in the washing machine.
Care of faux leather and leather imitations
Products made from smooth leather imitations or suede imitations can often be washed on a delicate cycle at 30°C. Please follow the care instructions and ask a professional cleaner if you are unsure. Under no circumstances should these textiles be spin-dried, as this can cause creasing. Only iron faux leather on the wrong side and at a low temperature.
Care of leather
As a rule, you should not clean leather yourself, but instead take leather items to a cleaner that specialises in leather care.
However, there are a few basic rules that make leather care easier:
- To protect against water stains, you can treat your leather textiles with a waterproofing spray before using them. You can buy waterproofing products in any textile store.
- Grease stains can be wiped off with a cloth made of textile fibres that you have previously dampened with warm water. If this does not work, further treatment is not recommended. Over time, the grease will be absorbed into the leather.
- Dry dirt can usually be removed with a damp cloth.
- Wet stains should never be rubbed dry. Instead, try to blot up the liquid with a cloth made of absorbent material.
Care of linen
The care of linen products depends on their intended use. For high-quality garments (e.g. suits or tailored outfits), you should take them to a professional dry cleaner. Everyday clothing and home textiles can generally be washed as normal and ironed at temperatures of up to 200°C. Please also observe the care instructions here.
Care of microfiber fabrics
If you want to wash textiles made from microfibre at home, you should only wash them on a delicate cycle and at low temperatures. We recommend letting microfibre textiles air dry after washing to help prevent creasing. Ironing and steaming should be done at low temperatures and on the wrong side. To maintain the quality of microfibre textiles, it’s a good idea to renew the waterproofing on a regular basis.
Care of nylon
Since nylon is made from polyamide fibres, the same care principles apply. When washing garments or home textiles made of nylon, you should make sure not to use high temperatures, as the items may otherwise shrink or crease. Textiles made from nylon are generally very sensitive to heat, which is why they should only be ironed at low temperatures.
Care of polyacrylic
Products made from polyacrylic or with a polyacrylic content can generally be washed, but you should keep the temperature as low as possible and follow the care instructions. Tumble drying and steaming should be avoided.
Care of polyamide
When washing garments or home textiles made from polyamide, you should make sure not to use high temperatures, as otherwise these items may shrink or crease. Textiles made from polyamide are generally very sensitive to heat, so ironing should only be done at low temperatures.
Care of polyester
Textiles made from polyester are washable and can also be dry-cleaned. However, you should make sure not to wash these items at high temperatures. For ironing, the maximum temperature is 150°C.
Care of polyethylene / polypropylene
Textiles containing polyethylene or polypropylene can be wet-cleaned at low temperatures. These textiles should not be ironed.
Care of virgin wool
Products containing virgin wool should only be washed by hand (lukewarm water and a special wool detergent). It’s important that the fabric is not rubbed during washing. For drying, it’s best to lay the items flat, as products made from virgin wool can otherwise stretch out of shape. To remove the first excess moisture, you can wrap the fabric in terry cloth and gently press it out (do not wring!). Please iron products with virgin wool content only at a medium heat (setting 2). Steam or a damp cloth will help prevent the formation of shiny patches.
Care of silk
You should follow these guidelines when cleaning silk fabric:
- Do not use bleach
- Avoid direct and intense sunlight on silk
- Do not use water when ironing
- Do not spray silk with perfume or deodorant
- Do not use water to remove stains
- Do not wring silk
- Always iron silk from the wrong side
Silk does not only have to be dry-cleaned – you can also wash your silk items by hand. Here is a short guide for hand-washing silk:
- Use a special silk detergent or a mild soap.
- Soak the silk in lukewarm water for about 3–5 minutes. (For dark or printed silk, wash only briefly in a COLD hand bath, do not soak!)
- Gently move the fabric back and forth in the water. (Do not wring!) Once the silk is wet, handle it more carefully, as the fabric is more delicate when wet.
- After a maximum of 5 minutes, remove the silk from the bath and rinse it with cold water, adding a teaspoon of white wine vinegar to remove all soap residues.
- Then roll the silk in a dry towel to remove the remaining moisture. (For dark or printed silk, use the towel in several layers.)
- Afterwards, unroll it flat and gently pull it into shape at the corners.
- Always iron silk from the wrong side. The silk should still be slightly damp when ironing. Pay attention to the settings on your iron – silk must never be ironed at too high a temperature!
Care of viscose
You should be careful when washing viscose items and always follow the care instructions. Textiles made from viscose should be ironed at a maximum temperature of 150°C.
