How to care for Organic cotton Clothes?

Organic cotton is better for the environment and better for your health, with a lot of care taken in every step needed to make organic cotton clothing.

It all starts with the organic cotton farmers, who work differently to conventional cotton farmers. Organic cotton farms are free of harsh chemicals and pesticides used in conventional farming methods, so farmers spend more time on the ground caring for the cotton to make sure crops are healthy and sustainable.

We offers general tips to care for organic cotton clothing when you are washing or drying it. While every piece of clothing has variations, keeping these things in mind means you can make sure your organic cotton has both an ethical and economic value for you.

Washing

Read the label instructions. This is the basic. Conventional cotton Clothes are generally treated with chemicals to reduce the shrinkage effects of heat. Organic cotton is not treated, so in high heat it is possible for the cotton to shrink more than 10%. Shrinkage is worse for the lengths of the garments and is less noticeable for widths. But don't worry about shrinkage so much, just wash with recommended heat, read the labels. GOTS certified Clothes usually need 30 degrees, not more.

Do not mix and match different colors. Wash all the whites and darks separately, this recommendation usually applies also for regular cotton Clothes. This will prevent that some darker colors will ruin your white ones, especially pure white colors.

When choosing the laundry detergent prefer mild one or detergent specially suitable for organic cotton. These options are delicate for your Clothes and also for your skin.

Win win situation for both, because other powerful detergents are full of abrasive chemicals that are too hard on organic cotton. Also all the printed details (design) will benefit from mild detergent, colors will not fade and stay bright. Turning clothes inside out before washing and drying could also help protect them from fading. We prefer local Mulieres laundry detergent. It is made 99.97% from pure and natural ingredients and is easely purchased from every grocery stores.

Drying & Ironing

Usually we drip dry or Clothes, but some organic cotton Clothes look better after choosing flat drying. Take this extra step and you will be surprised how effective it is.

We also recommend to use outside drying, there is nothing better then Clothes dried in fresh air. But place all the dark colors in shade, it could help keep colors from fading. And of course turn them inside out.

Ironing can make a huge difference to the look and feel of clothes, but for thinner cotton use light heat. Organic cotton is not pretreated and is not suitable for high heats like regular cotton. Always check your irons heat level before ironing. And if the wrinkles are too stubborn a bit water steam is great little trick to use. But do no use old water, change it before every use.

Care for your Washing machine

Even though you constantly run detergent through your washing machine, that doesn’t mean it cleans itself. While chemical cleaning solutions could damage your machine, you can easily make your own cleaning solution with natural ingredients like white vinegar and baking soda. This natural cleaning solution can help get rid of mildew, grime, and built up soap scum. So certainly clean your washing machine too, this helps to maintain your Clothes. There are many great eco-friendly tricks to make this clean safe for your health. Read these tricks from our future posts.

Conclusion

Organic cotton is treated differently to conventional cotton throughout the manufacturing process, which means care instructions can vary significantly between these two types of cotton. The weave, color and cut of organic cotton fabrics also affects how it needs to be cared for, so it’s important to carefully read the labels on your clothes.

In general, organic cotton is more sensitive to heat and more likely to shrink as a result of being washed or dried at higher temperatures, when compared to conventional cotton.

While it’s easy to just throw all your clothes into the washing at once, taking the time to consider the best approach for different items will help you keep your clothes looking fresh and new for longer. That way you can get the most out of every single piece of organic cotton clothing that you buy, making it an even better investment for the environment and for you.

Take a look at our tala original Care Labels.

Elen

Owner & designer