How to look after your VND apparel
WEAR MORE, WASH LESS
Washing your clothes after each use is often more about habit than hygiene, and quite frankly not always necessary. Instead, think twice before throwing a perfectly fresh garment in the washer. Many garments just need to be aired out properly to be good for another wear. And many stains can be spot treated. It’s not unhygienic, it’s responsible and saves you both time and money – washing less is tearing less and your garments will last longer the gentler you treat them.
WASHING (LESS)
Follow the care label symbols and instructions carefully, they’ve been designed to keep your clothes in great shape while not pressuring the environment too heavily. While you can find the specific wash instructions for each garment below there are a few general tips and tricks that can be good to keep in mind.
Detailed washing instructions:
Go for lower temperatures when possible – Thanks to modern day washing machines you no longer need to boil your laundry, a lower temperature still gets the job done, while putting less stress on your clothing.
Wash inside out to preserve color
Use green laundry detergents – Choose an environmentally friendly laundry detergent free from phosphates and optical whiteners. Don’t use too much laundry detergent, since overdosing won’t have any effect on making your clothes cleaner.
Wash with similar colors to prevent color bleeding
Give the garment a careful shake after wash.
Skip the dryer – Line drying or air drying is always the better option. Skipping the dryer is probably the most significant choice both in terms of doing the environment a favor and keeping your garments in good shape.
PRO CARE TIPS
Store your t-shirts folded and lying flat in your wardrobe. Hangers can stretch out the fibers and cause hanger-bumps. If you insist on hanging your t-shirts, use a wide hanger that supports the shoulders and avoid hanging it by the neck label.
Don’t forget to insert the hangers from the bottom of the t-shirts to avoid unnecessary stretching of the collar.
To avoid stains in the armpit, go easy on the deodorant and make sure that you use aluminum-free or low-aluminum deodorant or antiperspirant.
STORE CORRECTLY
It may sound strange but a lot of the wear and tear of garments can actually occur while you’re not even wearing them. Fabrics that easily stretch should not be hanging but rather folded and stacked in your wardrobe. Avoid over stacking as the garments will wrinkle. If you insist on hanging your t-shirts, use a wide hanger that supports the shoulders and avoid hanging it by the neck label.
You can hang sturdier fabrics (like hoodies) on hangers, but use nice and thick ones and stay away from wire hangers as they can leave permanent pucker marks on the shoulders.
Never hang your garments from the neck label.
DONATE OR RECYCLE
Don’t just throw your old favorites away, there’s way too much clothing in landfills all over the world as it is. Donate it or hand them in for recycling so that they don’t go to waste. One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.