Tips to Maintain Cotton

We all love cotton and the way it feels against our skin. Day in and day out, we reach out to it in a million different ways. However, to keep it that way, cotton needs looking after too. Nothing exhaustive, but keeping in mind a few simple cotton-care tips will go a long way in pampering it and keeping your favourite cotton things looking fresh and feeling soft.

1. More detergent does not mean cleaner clothes. In fact, excess soap can even damage cotton garments beyond repair, at the very least provide sites for dirt to attach itself to the fabric. Make it a point to follow your detergent manufacturer’s instructions for recommended amounts to use when laundering.
2. Please, for your favourite T-shirt’s sake, follow care-label directions for washing and drying temperatures. Always avoid using extremely hot temperatures - this will help you reduce shrinkage.
3. Wash your clothes inside out to prevent the colour from fading.
4. Try not to use bleach as it can weaken the cotton fibres. If, you must, use sparingly.
5. Do not use silicon based fabric softeners. Silicon is a water repellent and will leave a waxy film on your clothes during the drying process.

1. Wash whites and coloured clothes separately. Let your whites stay white.
2. Avoid using bleach when washing. And bleach does not always make whites whiter. If you are unlucky, a white shirt may even turn a dirty yellow or grey. Make sure you read the wash instructions on the labels of your clothes. They are your best guides.
3. Yellow stains may form on your clothes due to constant usage of antiperspirants. Apply fresh lemon juice to the stains, soak for 30 minutes and then rinse with cool water. Wash with a mild detergent and chlorine bleach. In case of stubborn yellowing, pre-soak for several hours in water with bleach.

1. Avoid washing towels with items that have zippers, hooks or buttons. These can pull the loops out of the terry cloth.
2. Hang towels fully extended on the clothes line for ventilation and quick drying between uses. This will mean fewer washes and a longer life for your towels.
3. Many a time we dump moist towels in the laundry basket to wash later. This is a very bad idea because this spreads mould and bacteria.
4. If you want to keep your towels soft, use half the recommended amount of detergent and never pour the detergent directly on your towels. And always make sure that you have fully rinsed out the soap after each wash. 

Stain Removal

1. Treat a stain when it is fresh with a liquid detergent or a stain product. This will help break up the stain and allow it to be removed in the wash.
2. Before putting the stained garment to dry, make sure you have washed the area properly. Drying sets a stain into the fibres, making it more or less impossible to remove. If the stain is still visible after a single wash, treat it and wash it again.
3. An easy way to treat hard-to-remove stains is to put water or an ice cube to them before further treating them..
4. Stains from sugary beverages are usually visible after the spot dries. Treat these spots immediately - don’t wait to launder!
5. While using a stain removal product, test it first on a hidden area of the garment. This will ensure that the colour of your garments stays vibrant.