Bamboo clothing – a sustainable clothing at its peak and a health-conscious girl’s BFF, serves you all year round (this is possible with its insulator characteristics; keeping you cool in the summer and warm in the winter) and lasts a lifetime still in great condition where you treat and care for her well!
Bamboo clothing in recent times have become increasingly popular due to its eco-friendly nature, sustainability, comfort, style, coziness, luxurious and soft texture, and several other features, hence important to highlight how to care and treat your BFF, thus sustaining that great friendship even longer.
Highlighted below, we recommend ways (under 7 major headlines) to care for and maintain your bamboo clothing thus improving its lifetime status and sustainability features:
- Washing
- Hand wash or machine wash your bamboo clothing, either one is fine (preferred eco-friendly option where possible is hand wash though).
- Use a gentle and short cycle for machine wash with similar colours. For hand wash, use cool or warm water. Avoid extremely hot water in both instances as it could be damaging to the fabric and cause shrinkage. Cool or warm water is sufficient, as bamboo clothing fabric is naturally resistant to odors.
- It is very key to rinse your bamboo clothing well to get rid of all the soap.
- Removing Stains
- Stains can be removed from bamboo clothing fairly easily, as long as you wash it off immediately, and not let it set.
- Another quick way is to use the paper tissue remedy. Soak out the staining liquid with a paper tissue, followed by wiping the area with a wet tissue.
- Pre-soaking is also good too. On heavily soiled bamboo clothing, pre-soak them in warm water to loosen the stains before washing.
- Stain removers are okay too, as long as they are free from chlorine / bleach.
- Drying
- Turn bamboo clothing inside out before drying.
- Outdoor / sun drying (where weather permits) is the best for your bamboo clothing, on a clothesline /folding rack/ flat surface. Do note that due to the natural moisture wicking and absorption features of bamboo clothing, it can take some extra time to dry. Thus, best to start the drying process early in the day.
- Be careful when sun drying. Bamboo clothing should never be dried in direct, STRONG sunlight, as this can cause permanent damage.
- However, as outdoor / sun drying is not an option for a lot of us, one could tumble dry on low /mild heat, quick cycle setting in the dryer. At high temperatures and longer settings, the bamboo clothing could shrink and lose shape in the dryer.
- Remove the bamboo clothing as soon as the cycle is done and set on hangers to prevent wrinkles.
- As an extra caution, for heavier bamboo clothing, best to dry them on a flat surface to prevent stretch.
- Products
- Always use an eco-friendly / mild detergent and in minimal amounts on bamboo clothing. This is not only better for the environment, but gentle for the bamboo fabric too and keeps everything as fresh and clean as possible.
- Do not use softeners on bamboo clothing as they can decrease its natural moisture wicking abilities thus significantly reducing the lifespan.
- Do not use bleach containing products on bamboo clothing as they can damage the natural fibres and cause yellowing.
- Chlorine free stain removers are fine. General stains can be treated with a home remedy (bit of vinegar, baking soda and water) and oily stains with an enzyme-based stain remover.
- Ironing
- Bamboo clothing are generally quite wash-and-wear so long as you dry them properly and wear (most of these fabrics lose their creases just by wearing them, due to body heat) or set on hangers immediately, this should prevent wrinkles and hence no need for ironing.
- However, where you still do need to iron your bamboo clothing, set to the lowest heat setting as high temperatures can scorch the bamboo fibres and cause yellowing on the fabric. In fact, any setting higher than synthetics is damaging
- It is also best to turn your bamboo clothing inside out before ironing.
- Storage
Storing your bamboo clothing should be easy peezy. Store them as you would your other clothing. However, be aware and pay attention to any heat sources around your storage area that can damage the bamboo fibres such as a closet that is close to a heat vent, radiator, or water heater. Your closet / wardrobe or storage area should be in a cool area.
- Things to Avoid
To ensure the sustainability and longevity of your bamboo clothing, there are some recommended things you should avoid:
- Bleach and other chemical agents (chlorine, hydrogen peroxide, etc) – Do not use bleach at any time. These chemicals can damage bamboo fibers, fade and ruin your bamboo clothing. Consider using other options like baking soda, vinegar, etc to remove stains and brighten your
• Dryer sheets – These are not required either as bamboo clothing fabrics are naturally anti-static.
Bamboo clothing for the most part is easy to maintain and care for. One should not have to change his/her entire clothing care routine; maybe just tweak it a little bit to include more care thus improving its lifetime state. As most bamboo clothing is a blend of other materials (usually eco-friendly still), it is best to always read the care instructions on every bamboo clothing you purchase to be certain.
Want to sustain your bamboo clothing pieces looking stylish and feeling comfortable for a lifetime? Treat and care for them well, and they will not only last you a lifetime but do so, still in great condition!
For more information on how to treat and care for your bamboo clothing, see here
Do you know of more certified ways / recommendations to care for and treat bamboo clothing? Please educate us in the comment section below.