A Cleaner World Blog
Caring for Summer Fabrics
There are so many things I love about summer – longer days, a more laidback feel, happy kids out of school, garden vegetables, vacation time, and most of all, I love that it’s hot. Hot weather lends itself to the kind of clothes I like most – flip flops, shorts, tanks, and cute summer dresses. While I tend to carry a sweater with me wherever I go, because of air conditioning, even I can get warm in the extreme summer heat. So, what are my go-to fabrics to help stay cool in the summer heat? And more importantly, how do I care for those fabrics? Here they are:
- Cotton. Cotton is soft, lightweight, and breathable. It also soaks up sweat and, with Ben Franklin’s hypothesis on the evaporation of sweat helping you feel cool, allows heat to escape from your body. Most cotton garments are easy to care for; simply separate colors before washing, because some colors could bleed, and launder according to the care label’s directions. Cottons do tend to wrinkle, so again check the care label’s directions before ironing. Most cottons should be ironed on the right side unless the garment is embossed or embroidered, and then it should be ironed face down on a padded cloth.
- Linen, which is also cool, airy, and absorbent, has a downside, which is that it tends to wrinkle easily. When caring for linen, check the care label first. If it says machine washable, use caution as it can shrink if it has not been pre-shrunk by the manufacturer. Always separate colors as linens tend to bleed, and dry on a clothing rack instead of placing in the dryer. When ironing, use a higher temperature with steam.
- Rayon. Rayon is a fantastic option for hot weather as it is semi-synthetically manufactured with a feel of silk but with properties of cotton and linen. Most importantly, it doesn’t trap in body heat, and it readily absorbs moisture. When caring for rayon garments, always check the care label first, but if there is little or no information available, then we recommend dry cleaning or hand washing in cold water then allowing it to air dry on a drying rack.
As always, our certified master dry cleaners are here to help with all your garment care needs. Please call or drop by one of our locations if you need help with your hot weather garments.
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