If you've read the column on laundering dress shirts at home, you already have an inkling of what's to come, but as a refresher: Don't bother fooling with those inscrutable fabric care runes that show up on care tags. Do, however, take the time to seek out one piece of information that can be found within: the fabric content.
Once you have that information, you can cross-reference this cheat sheet on the nature of different textiles vis-à-vis laundering.
- Cotton is a highly washable fabric but, because it's prone to shrinking, shouldn't be exposed to hot water or high-heat drying. Machine or hand wash using cold water, and air dry your fine cottons.
- Linen, like cotton, is highly washable but also quite prone to shrinking. Machine or hand wash linen using cold water, and air dry or press immediately after washing. Because linen also tends to wrinkle, do consider pressing linen garments straight out of the wash, in the way we talked about with your dress shirts.
- Nylonis also entirely machine washable. It is, however, likely to become quite staticky. Hanging nylon garments to air dry, however, will take care of that, since static tends to develop in the dryer.
- Polyesteris totally machine washable. You'd have to work to foul up your polyester duds. Air drying, however, is always a smashing idea.
- Rayon and viscoseare like mogwai, in that you should avoid exposing both types of fabric to water. Always dry clean your rayon and viscose clothes.
- Silkis beautiful and temperamental, highly prone to color loss, and susceptible to water staining. I wouldn't blame you one bit if you outsourced its care. But if you would like to take matters into your own hands, silk can be hand washed in cool water, using a silk detergent like Le Blanc Silk & Lingerie Wash. The important thing to know about silk is that it doesn't love prolonged exposure to water, so your hand washing operation ought to be a quick one, no more than five minutes from start to finish.
- Spandex is machine washable, but it hates chlorine bleach.
- Wool (inc. cashmere, angora, mohair, etc.) fibers are likely to felt—that is, become matted and shrink—when washed. There are two primary reasons that felting occurs: agitation and exposure to fluctuating water temperatures.
