Thoughtful ways to care for your clothes

Here at Braintree we're dedicated to crafting beautiful, quality pieces for you to treasure and wear time and time again. We've spent years developing our durable, easy-to-care-for fabrics to keep laundering as simple and kind to the environment as possible. So I thought I'd share some top tips for garment care, to help keep your clothes looking as good as the day you bought them.  

Thoughtful Clothing Care Tips

Restoring whites

Brightening up your dull or discoloured whites needn't call for ecologically harmful bleach. For a more natural approach, simply follow these steps: 1. Mix one cup of lemon juice with a tub of warm water to create a powerful pre-wash soak. Leave laundry to soak for 30 to 60 minutes before washing as normal. 2. Add a quarter of a cup of baking soda to your rinsing cycle to safely lighten, soften and deoderise whites. 3. Sunlight is a chemical-free bleaching agent, which also helps to kill bacteria. Simply hang laundry outdoors in the sun to dry for whiter whites, with added freshness.  

Prolonging colour & print

Keep colours vivid and prints defined by taking a little extra care when laundering: 1. Soak new garments in one teaspoon of Espom salts dissolved in a tub of cool water to prevent colours from running in the first wash. 2. Turn garments inside out before laundering to reduce fading. 3. Always dry prints and darks inside out and in the shade to prevent the lightening effects of the sun.  

Knits: Gently does it

Knitted garments can often be the most difficult to care for. Follow these easy instructions to show your knitwear the love it deserves: 1. Handwash garments in cool water using a mild, eco-friendly detergent. 2. A salad spinner makes for an excellent, gentle way to remove excess water and speed up the drying process. 3. Always dry knitwear on a flat surface to help preseve garment shape. 4. Pilling can be easily removed using a sweater stone or a recycled razor.  

Store Smartly

We could all do with a little more room in our wardrobes and spring is the perfect time to de-clutter by storing away winter essentials. Ensure they’re kept in prime condition with these handy tips: 1. Use vacuum bags to save on space and keep garments free from dust. Just be sure all garments are completely dry before packing away. 2. We love natural fibres, but they can be a target for damaging pests, such as moths. Keep them at bay naturally by making our DIY moth repeller - instructions here! 3. If you find your garments smelling a little musty after storage, use a mixture of one part vodka and one part water in a spray bottle and lightly mist each garment. The alcohol in the vodka will kill any odour-producing bacteria and will evaporate without a trace (always do a patch-test in an inconspicuous area first).   How do you care for your clothes? I'd love to hear about any thoughtful clothing care tips you have. Feel free to comment below or over on our Twitter and Facebook pages. Rhiannon x