Table of Contents:
The
durability and versatility of cotton make it a prime choice for many garments as well as other fabric items found in the house. It’s also very easy to care for.
Caring for Cotton Items:
- Cotton is a durable fabric that can generally tolerate the agitation of being machine washed and dried with no ill effects. Any items with special decorations like sequins or screen printing will require special care though.
- For best results, machine wash cotton items in cold or warm water. Do not use hot water as it may shrink the cotton.
- Use a normal wash cycle and regular detergent (with color safe bleach if desired).
- Tumble dry on a low setting, then promptly remove the item from the dryer to avoid wrinkles.
- Use an iron to remove wrinkles. Adding a spray starch will revive the crispness of cotton fabrics.
Cleaning Cotton Towels
- When washing cotton towels, to help keep them soft and fluffy, use half the amount of recommended detergent and run them through an extra rinse cycle (detergent residue can diminish softness).
- When washing and drying cotton towels, never use a silicone-based fabric softener (either liquid or sheet); they act as a water repellants and will diminish the absorbency of the towels.
Additional Tips and Advice
- Avoid using bleach if a finish has been applied to the garment. Also avoid using more than the recommended amount of bleach because it can damage the fibers.
- It may be safe to wash cotton whites with bleach on a hot water setting. Check the label for recommendations.
- Cotton items can shrink and wrinkle easily so they are often combined with other fibers. Check the care instructions on the inside tag for any special exceptions.
It was helpful, but I wanted to know how to spot clean cotton. If you are wearing the item and want to get out a stain, what is the best way to do it?
Alicia,
When you’re wearing an item and get a food stain on it, there are two main options available usually: 1) using a powder (like table salt or sugar) or 2) using soda water (or plain water if necessary). First, always wipe off as much as possible of course, then blot up (repeatedly dab to soak up) as much as possible as well. The easiest thing to do usually is to blot with club soda or seltzer. Club soda is preferred because of the salt content in it, however the bubbles are what really helps to lift the stain out of the fabric, which is why soda water is preferred to plain water. Order some club soda or soda water from the bar and use it to blot the stain. Some stains like french fry grease and red wine will not likely be fully removed with club soda though; for those, you really need a powder. Press a napkin against your body just below the stain and sprinkle the stain generously with salt. As the salt gatheres on the napkin, being moving the pressure up the napkin until you’ve covered the whole stain and are holding the salt against it. Hold it for as long as you can; several minutes may suffice, and if not, you can repeat the process. The salt soaks up the stain, so use a lot if needed, and switch it out for new salt if needed as well. Sugar can also be used, but salt is preferred because sugar can mix with the moisture and get into the fabric, causing a stain itself later if the item is left unwashed (sugar stains take a while to oxidize/develop), such as with dry clean only fabrics. If neither of those is available, two more options are saliva (it contains enzymes that can break down stains) or vodka (again, the item must be washed as soon as possible or the vodka itself may stain). Saliva and vodka are the best choices for ink and makeup stains, though some food stains will respond well to them as well. However, keep in mind that alcohol can have a bleaching effect on some fabric dyes, so test it on a small hidden area (like an inside hem) if you can. Good luck!
Thanks. This was helpful.
We have a three cushioned sofa covered in a THIN cotton mix material. One of our “acquaintances” from work sometimes stops by and leaves a rather disgusting odor on our sofa. How can we rid the odor AND actually clean it?
We are trying to find the right time to tell him we are busy to avoid further episodes of this.