WASHING INSTRUCTIONS

WE WASH OUR CLOTHES TOO OFTEN!
Do you mindlessly toss your clothes into the laundry basket after just 1-2 times of wear? Well, you are not the only one! But this is not necessary at all, on the contrary, the clothes are exposed to unnecessary wear and tear by washing too often. I many cases, airing your clothes is enough and will get rid of odours without needing to wash them. The easiest way to do so is to hang clothes up as soon as they’ve been taken off. Letting the air circulate around the fibres of the fabric helps keep things fresh. 

Natural fibers such as cotton and wool generally develop less odor than synthetic materials. In addition, they (especially wool) have great self-cleaning properties that you can take advantage of. The properties are activated especially when the materials are exposed to a change in temperature and humidity. For example, you can hang your clothes close to an open window or outside. Yes, in fact, a trip in the freezer will work too!

If you have a stain on your garment, it is also not certain that the washing machine is the first and best solution. On the contrary, most stains can be removed with clear dishwashing detergent - if it is applied right after the damage has been done.


WE WASH OUR CLOTHES WRONG & TOO HIGH OF A TEMPERATURE
Protect your clothes and the environment. The water temperature many of us wash at, date come from a time when detergents and washing machines had far from the same properties as today. Now there are a plethora of detergents that effectively clean your clothes at 15-30 degrees. Thus, when the care label, attached to your clothes, recommend 40 degrees, it should be understood as the maximum temperature.

In addition to the temperature, the dosage of the detergent is quite crucial. Here it is important to follow the dosing recommendations on the packaging. 

When washing wool (and silk) we also recommend that you only use a detergent that is specifically intended for these materials, as you may otherwise risk that your detergent contains the enzyme protease, which breaks down the proteins that make up the materials. And when washing synthetic materials we recommend, in addition to a Guppyfriend washing bag, that you avoid any fabric softener, as it will make it harder for the synthetic materials to get the odor out of your clothes. 


GUBBYFRIEND - THE FIGHT AGAINST MICROPLASTICS IN LAUNDRY
When you wash synthetic clothes made in nylon, polyester, and acrylic, microfibers will inevitably be released. The microplastics in which the fibers are made of are difficult to break down, and although we do not know the specific environmental consequences of the release of microplastics, they are suspected of causing extensive damage. 

For this reason, we love Guppyfriend - a laundry bag, produced by the non-profit organization STOP! Micro Waste. The laundry bag prevents (Up to 86%) microplastic fibres from entering rivers and oceans through the washing of synthetic textiles. 


ARE YOU IN DOUBT ABOUT WHAT THE WASHING SYMBOL MEANS?

Wash
When you see the symbol for machine washable garments (depicted as a bucket filled) it is important to note that the numbers inside the bucket symbol, represent the recommended maximum temperature. If the bucket symbol is crossed out by two lines it should not be machine washed. If you find the hand wash symbol on a care label, wash the item by hand. In case you see one line drawn underneath the bucket, it means that your piece of clothing should be washed on a synthetic cycle, while two lines represent the gentle or wool wash cycle.  

Bleaching
If you see an empty triangle, that means you can safely use bleach on your piece of clothing when necessary. Diagonal lines inside the triangle refer to the use of non-chlorine bleach, however in the case when the triangle is crossed out by two lines, you shouldn’t use bleach at all. 

DRYING GUIDELINES
A square with a circle inside means that the item can be safely tumble dried, while the number of dots inside the tumble dry symbol indicates what temperature setting to use: one dot stands for low heat, two dots for medium, and three for high heat setting. No dot means that you can tumble dry your clothes on any heat. If you see a bar below the dryer symbol, then use the ‘Permanent Press’ setting, while two bars mean that you have to use the ‘Delicate’ setting. If the symbol is crossed over, do not tumble dry your garment, but let it dry naturally instead. A square with three vertical lines inside represents drip drying, a single horizontal line in the middle indicates flat drying, and a drooping line means hang to dry.

IRONING SYMBOLS
Ironing symbols depict an iron with dots inside representing the maximum temperature that you should use to iron the garment. If the iron doesn’t have any dots, it means that you can iron your piece of clothing at any temperature. Usually, you’ll find the one-dot ironing symbol on delicate items and the three-dot symbol on linen and cotton clothing. If you see a cross over the symbol, it means that the garment isn’t suitable for ironing, while the image of two lines shooting out from the bottom of the iron with a cross over it stands for ‘steaming is not allowed’.