Fabric care field guides.

Ten practical fabric-specific references. Each guide explains what to check before washing, how drying can affect the material, and why the finished garment label always wins.

MATERIAL / WOOL How to wash wool without losing its shapeWool can felt or change shape when moisture, friction and heat combine. Some finished wool garments are machine-washable, while others are hand-wash or professional-care only.MATERIAL / CASHMERE How to care for a cashmere sweaterCashmere is a fine animal fibre, and the garment construction can be more vulnerable than its soft feel suggests. A fibre label does not replace the finished garment’s wash instruction.MATERIAL / SILK How to wash silk clothing without guessingSilk garments may include delicate dyes, surface finishes, lining and trims. Two pure-silk pieces can have very different safe-care labels.MATERIAL / LINEN How to wash linen and manage creasingLinen fibres can withstand many common domestic processes, but a finished linen piece may have restrictive dyes, tailoring, lining or shrinkage-sensitive finishes.MATERIAL / COTTON How to wash cotton without damaging the garmentCotton is common in everyday clothing, but dye, print, shrinkage control, elastic trims and fabric construction determine the care instructions of the finished item.MATERIAL / DENIM How to wash jeans and denim piecesJeans are often cotton-rich, but dyes, stretch fibres, abrasions and special finishes change how a finished pair should be cleaned.MATERIAL / ACTIVEWEAR How to wash leggings and technical activewearStretch knits, bonded seams, elastic fibres and special performance finishes can respond differently to heat, friction, detergent and softeners.MATERIAL / POLYESTER How to care for polyester and nylon blendsPolyester and nylon are synthetic fibres used in many garments, but surface finishes, insulation, bonded seams and decorative elements determine the finished-item instructions.MATERIAL / VISCOSE How to wash viscose and rayon garmentsViscose and rayon can have reduced dimensional stability while wet, depending on yarn construction, finishing and blends. Not every rayon article is machine washable.MATERIAL / BLENDS How to read the label on blended and lined clothesA finished garment may combine multiple fibres, stretch bands, lining, adhesives, buttons and decorated surfaces. Its care label represents the whole article rather than the main fabric alone.