YOUR GARMENT
CARE GUIDE
We want you to have a long and happy relationship with your new Falling Leaf Clothing. To that end we've gathered together our top tips for caring for each item so you can keep it looking its best.
YOUR HOODIES
Wash inside out - this will protect the print during the washing process.
Wash at 30°C (80°F) maximum - this temperature still provides an effective clean, is more sustainable, and makes your clothes last longer.
Iron at 110°C (230°F) maximum - this temperature will smooth the hoodie without any risk of damage. Try not to iron over the print or stretch it.
Do not tumble dry - this will increase wear and tear on the hoodie and uses a lot of energy.
Do not dry clean - this could damage the recycled polyester content of the hoodie and affect the print.
Shaking the hoodie out after washing will help maintain its shape.
You may notice some fibre transfer from the fluffy inside of your hoodie - we'd recommend wearing a light coloured garment underneath before its first wash. The fibres can easily be removed with a lint roller.
The photographic imagery on the front of the hoodies is printed using a special 'Direct To Garment' process with solvent-free, water-based inks. The pre-treatment for this process may result in a faint 'halo' surrounding the images. Washing will remove this effect.
YOUR T-SHIRTS
Wash inside out - this will protect the print during the washing process.
Wash at 30°C (80°F) maximum - this temperature still provides an effective clean, is more sustainable, and makes your clothes last longer.
Iron at 110°C (230°F) maximum - this temperature will smooth the t-shirt without any risk of damage. Try not to iron over the print or stretch it.
Do not tumble dry - this will increase wear and tear on the t-shirt and uses a lot of energy.
Do not dry clean - this could affect the print.
Shaking the t-shirt out after washing will help maintain its shape.
The photographic imagery on the front of our iconic t-shirts is printed using a special 'Direct To Garment' process with solvent-free, water-based inks. The pre-treatment for this process may result in a faint 'halo' surrounding the images. Washing will remove this effect.
YOUR ACCESSORIES
The official recommendation from the manufacturer of our beanies and caps is to sponge/wipe clean only. We'd definitely stick with this advice for the caps, but we chucked a beanie into a 30°C wash after accidentally dropping one in a muddy puddle and it doesn't seem any worse for the experience - just press the embroidered area to flatten and avoid puckering. Let us know how you get on!
A FEW MORE TIPS
Just a few more things we've learned over the years that we wanted to share:
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BIO OR NON-BIO, THAT IS THE QUESTION...
We'd recommend against the use of biological washing powders where possible. While they often work well at lower temperatures and are generally better at removing stains, the enzymes in them are damaging to the environment, harsher on your skin, and can shorten the lifespan of clothing and any print, so for everyday washing we would recommend using non-bio.
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ADDED TOXINS
Similarly, most fabric softeners, dryer sheets and scent beads contain toxins that are damaging to the environment, the clothing, and your health (both through your skin and released into the air as the clothes dry), so we would recommend against the use of these, or the use of natural alternatives. We'll add some recommendations shortly.
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MICRO PLASTICS
We are keenly aware of the current issue of microplastics getting into our waterways and oceans. While our t-shirts are 100% organic cotton, our hoodies do contain a proportion of recycled polyester which can shed during the washing cycle. We've been working on this in the background and are currently researching the different options to try to filter these out of the waste water, since washing machines are not yet able to do this for us (though a bill has been started in the UK House of Commons seeking to require manufacturers to fit microplastic-catching filters to new washing machines). There are a few different products out there to choose from, and over the next few months we'll be looking to test these and update you with the results.
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The NY Times' Wirecutter has a great article if you'd like to read more in the meantime, but if you're tight for time, the main takeaways are:
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Wash less, and do full loads
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Avoid the delicates setting (as this uses more water, which tends to cause more shedding)
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Line dry your clothes
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Add a filter to your machine or your washes
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When buying a new machine, opt for front-loading, and ideally one with a microplastic filter already fitted
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WHAT ABOUT YOU?
Do you have any garment care top tips you'd like to share with us?
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Head over to our socials to post:
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Or drop us a mail at info@fallingleafclothing.com to share your ideas.
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