Written by contributing writer, and my client, Samantha (full name withheld out of respect)
By now I trust that you have a fully stocked laundry room full of all the products and tools suggested in the Spring Newsletter, but hold on to your knickers because the washing is actually the fun part! I focus here on the clothes I wash the most, and I believe you’re ok on your own with gym clothes, pajamas, and lingerie.
Knits
Knits – t-shirts, turtlenecks, and the like – are a really important part of my wardrobe: I am constantly wearing them under blazers and cardigans, or just on their own. Until Katie came along, I always struggled to find knits that looked good on me, and now that I spend more than $10 on these items (!) and know they can disappear from clothing lines (!!), I want them to last as long as possible.
Here is how I wash my knits:
1. Turn them inside out, and put each one in a laundry bag (you can double up for smaller items).
2. Wash with cold water on the delicate cycle (or the hand wash cycle, if you have a fancy machine like that), using the delicate detergent.
3. When the cycle finishes, turn the knits right side out and dry on a flat dry rack.
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Wool Sweaters
I always thought that you had to dry clean sweaters, especially cashmere, but I’ve learned that this can be quite bad for them! So, I now make sure to wear these sweaters with a camisole or a sweat protective garment underneath, and I only wash them every 5-7 wears, as follows:
1. Fill a large bowl, basin, or bucket with cold water and no-rinse detergent (per instructions on packaging).
2. Turn sweater inside out and soak as required (again, per instructions on detergent).
3. Remove from water, squeeze gently, and then lay the garment flat on a clean towel.
4. Roll the garment up in the towel to remove excess water.
5. Lay flat to dry on flat dry rack.
6. Once it’s dry, steam to remove any wrinkles. I also recommend steaming your wool sweaters after you wear them and spraying them from time to time with cashmere-wool spray. If a sweater is dry, you can remove any pills with a sweater comb or fabric shaver and this will keep your sweaters looking smooth and fresh as the day you bought them.
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White Blouses
I’m always terrified that these spectacular blouses Katie found for me from Hugo Boss and Rag and Bone will go extinct, so I treat them with great care.
1. Before washing (or, right after wearing), take a basic Shout Stick to the inside of the collar, under the arms, and the cuffs. The longer this absorbs, the better!
2. Wash with cold water on the delicate cycle (or the hand wash cycle, if you have a fancy machine like that), using the delicate detergent.
3. When it’s finished, shake out any wrinkles and then hang them to dry on a hanger.
4. Steam out any wrinkles from the dry item before wearing.
5. Once a year (as Katie informed me!), soak in an oxygen whitener or take these to the dry cleaner for a good deep clean and PRESS, as sometimes they may yellow from hanging in the closet and a professional press will keep them looking crisp.
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Jeans and Non-Dress Pants
With the exception of pants made of special fabrics that I dry-clean once per year (wool, leather, wax coated, etc), I am pretty low-maintenance about my pants.
1. Turn inside out.
2. Wash on cold, in the regular cycle with the suggested detergent sheets.
3. Hang to dry on the flat dry rack.
I know that all of you reading this letter have a lot of things to do, and laundry may not be your favorite thing among these. However, if you want to “get better” at laundry and protect your garments, it may be helpful to re-frame how you think about this repetitive, thankless task. As Katie reminded me during my (not so slight) panic attack at the Bloomingdale’s cash register recently, your clothes are an investment in yourself.
Think of laundry as a ritual that protects your investment!
