COTTON

DRY CLEANING OR NORMAL MACHINE WASH?

URBANARA’s cotton products can be cleaned easily and effectively in home washing machines. We recommend using a detergent which will allow you to wash your laundry at a lower temperature and minimise your impact on the environment.

SHRINKAGE

Like all natural fibres, cotton is prone to shrinking when washed in water. Depending on the material and washing temperature, cotton fabrics can shrink by between 3% and 10%. URBANARA has already taken this shrinkage into account, and added the necessary allowances on the product dimensions in advance. Bed linen will reach its final shrinkage size after the first wash. The principle is: the colder wash, the smaller the strain on the fabric and the environment.

Protect your clothes from staining and fibre damage. Sort your laundry by fabric type (cotton, linen), colour (light, dark, colour) and purpose (linen, towels, tablecloths).

INSTRUCTIONS FOR MACHINE WASHING

In order to preserve the fine embroidery on selected URBANARA bed linen, we recommend that it be washed separately from your clothes. To minimise wrinkles it is best to remove laundry from the machine as soon as possible, pull it smooth and hang on a line. The machine should always be well filled, but never overly filled as this will prevent the spin and detergent from working effectively.

TEMPERATURES

Always select the lowest possible water temperature. White laundry should not exceed 60 ° C and coloureds should not be washed at more than 40 ° C. To increase the washing performance, you should soak the fabrics well before washing, in warmer water.

DETERGENT

If possible, use a liquid, biodegradable detergent. Washing powder is also fine but it should be noted that it must be dissolved before it comes into contact with the fabric so is sometimes less effective. In addition, regular use of optical brighteners and /or bleach can lead to some changes in colour and is not environmentally friendly.

SPIN

During the spin of a machine wash, fabric is put under a lot of strain so it is best to not have this setting too high. We recommend choosing a spinning speed of 400-600 revolutions per minute.

DRYING

Do not dry for any longer than necessary. Avoid high temperatures. If you have a tumble dryer, we recommend the dryer settings "half dry" or "iron dry".

Use a good (steam) iron and select the correct temperature level according to the label. Always iron the linen whilst it is still slightly wet. Embroidery should be ironed from the inside if possible.

STORAGE

Store your dry bed linen at room temperature and away from direct sunlight as cotton may yellow with occasional heat and UV radiation. A dry spot in a cupboard or storage box is ideal.

WOOL AND SILK

DRY CLEANING OR NORMAL MACHINE WASH?

In theory, wool and silk should only washed by hand or professionally cleaned. If you see a symbol on the label of a hand in a washing tub, then this product must be washed by hand, although a wash in the washing machine on the ‘delicates’ setting should not be harmful. There should be a number inside the symbol indicating at what temperature to wash the product. If no number is present then you should use only cold water. If the number 30 is on the label, the water should not be warm to the touch. If the wash tub is crossed out, the garment must not be washed with water. Garments like this must only be chemically cleaned.

DETERGENT

For some types of fabric you can buy special detergents which are mild and adapted to the specificities of the fibre. You should only use wool detergent for wool. For silk, it is best not to use special detergent for delicates but a mild detergent or soap.

HAND-WASHING INSTRUCTIONS

Fill a bowl or a hand wash basin with water at the right temperature and read the instructions on the use of washing powder. There is usually a notice to let you know how much detergent should be used for hand washing.

Always avoid using too much detergent. Allow for washing powder to dissolve completely in water. It’s best to mix the liquid detergent or powder around the water a little before you put your laundry in. Make sure your laundry is covered with water as completely as possible and let it soak for several minutes.

Gently move it around the water and squeeze it softly; it must not be crushed or rubbed. This is especially true for silk!

Take the fabric out of the bowl or basin, drain the soapy water, and get the water out of your laundry by squeezing very gently. Again, take care not to ‘wring’ the material. Put the laundry to one side, and refill your basin with lukewarm water - any hotter and you could ruin the fabric. This water is used solely for rinsing off any soapy residue, so do not add any more detergent. Repeat this stage until the water you are pushing out of the fabric becomes clear and has no soap in it.

Please do not use fabric softener, but instead add a shot of vinegar to the final rinse water. Vinegar makes the water soft and will leave the laundry smelling nice and fresh. The vinegar smell dissipates as it dries.

It is a good idea to use this gentle washing method on your delicates, and any fine wool or silk underwear garments you may have.

DRYING

Do not dry wool and silk with heat; air it at room temperature. The fibres tend to become baggy when wet and are prone to being misshapen. They should not be hanged, but dried indoors, flat on smooth surfaces.