Fabric care guide

Read the label first

Federal Trade Commission rules require clothing sold in the US to carry a care label that stays readable for the life of the garment. The label has to give one safe way to clean it, covering washing or drycleaning, drying, bleaching and ironing, and it can use symbols in place of words.

That means the label belongs to your exact piece. If anything here disagrees with the label, the label wins.

The five symbols

The ASTM chart the FTC publishes uses five basic shapes. A washtub means washing, and dots inside it mark the water temperature: one dot is the coolest. A hand in the tub means hand wash. A triangle means bleach. A square means drying, and a circle inside the square means the dryer. An iron means ironing, with dots for heat. A plain circle means drycleaning.

An X over any of these means do not. An X over the triangle, for example, is no bleach.

Reading the fabric line

The fabric line lists each fiber by name and its share by weight, largest first. Rayon and viscose name one fiber, and spandex and elastane name another. A fiber under 5 percent can be named when it has a clear job, which is why a small share of elastane shows up on stretchy pieces.

A lining is listed on its own line. On a KIRUNDO product page, you will find the lining under the shell fabric in the details table.

Polyester and viscose blends

Most dresses, blazers and tops in the range are polyester, viscose or a blend of the two, often with elastane. If the label allows a machine wash, a cold, gentle cycle and a low tumble or line dry keep the color and the shape. Viscose creases more than polyester, so hang it while it is damp.

Cotton eyelet and crochet

Cotton breathes, and it can shrink in heat. Wash eyelet and crochet cold, and hang them to dry instead of using the dryer. Turn crochet inside out so the open stitches do not catch on other clothes.

Acrylic and polyamide knits

Most sweaters and cardigans in the range are acrylic, polyester or polyamide blends, and many of them say hand wash only. Use cool water and a mild detergent, press the water out without wringing, and dry the knit flat on a towel. A wet sweater on a hanger stretches at the shoulders.

Any knit can pill where it rubs, under the arms or at the cuffs. A fabric shaver takes the pills off without cutting the yarn.