Island Style
Taking care of fabrics
| • | Fashion Calendar |
By Paula Rath
Advertiser Staff Writer
During an economic downturn, it makes sense to take the best care possible of the clothes already in our closets.
Island Style consulted with experts and just folks to devise general guidelines for care of clothing made with three popular fabrics: rayon, silk and the new microfibers.
Rayon
Rayon is a man-made fiber created from recyclable materials such as wood pulps, lint and short cotton fibers, regenerated into a useful fabric.
It has less elasticity and resiliency than a natural fiber like pure cotton and can shrink appreciably.
Renee Ane of Makiki calls rayon "the Spam of fabrics." She loves it and wears it nearly every day. She used to wash her rayon dresses by hand until they unraveled at the seams, one after another. Now she reluctantly takes them to the dry cleaner.
Joy Nagaue, who heads the fashion technology program at Honolulu Community College, says it's best to dry-clean rayons. However, for a $39 dress, it may not make sense to pay $10 to have it cleaned.
Although home washing may reduce the life of the garment, it may be OK to wash some rayon garments in cold water on a gentle cycle, she says.
Jill Cullinan of Princess Kaiulani Fashions recently introduced a line of feminine, flirty rayon dresses. She washes hers by hand or in a machine on gentle cycle in cold water. For a small load, she sets the machine on medium so there's plenty of room for the garment to move.
Rayons can differ in texture and durability. If you're considering washing rayon, it's a good idea to test first. Silkier rayons, especially, can shred and shrink if washed in water. Dip the inside of a hem or a seam selvage into cold water. If it wrinkles badly and changes texture, feeling rough and papery, do not wash with water. Have the garment dry-cleaned.
After it's hung up to dry, a rayon garment can be ironed inside out, Cullinan said.
Silk
Jeff Widener • The Honolulu Advertiser
While silk used to be an expensive fabric, it is now found in everything from men's shirts and pants to women's tropical dresses and even cold-weather underwear. And while in the past dry-cleaning was nearly always recommended for silks, washable silks have changed the rules.
Silk fabrics vary. Some are washable, others must be dry-cleaned. You can remove some spots and stains by hand.
The Silk Institute makes the following recommendations for care of silk garments:
• Some dyes used on silk are susceptible to bleeding. Check by wetting a small, inconspicuous spot and blotting the damp area between paper towels, pressing hard. If color appears on the towel, the fabric is not colorfast and should be dry-cleaned.
• Certain silks generally require dry-cleaning: chiffon, georgette, taffeta, silk satin and charmeuse. Dry-cleaning also is advisable for dark solids or bright prints.
• Among the silks that can be hand washed: China silk, India silk, crepe de chine, shantung and doupioni.
When washing silk items by hand, use a mild detergent in lukewarm water. Do not wring or scrub. Rinse garments thoroughly and roll in a clean bath towel to absorb excess moisture.
If the label says to machine wash, use a gentle, two-minute wash cycle with lukewarm water and mild detergent. Do not tumble-dry unless the care label says to, as the surface may be abraded or the fabric may shrink. To dry, place on a plastic hanger.
It's important to remove stains on silk as soon as possible, preferably when they're still wet.
Big Island designer Joan Black-shear has worked with hand-painted silks for more than 25 years. Her advice: To clean an oil-based stain from silk, sprinkle with talcum powder and rub gently into the stain, leaving talcum on fabric for at least five minutes. With a white cloth or towel, brush off excess, being careful not to press or wipe or rub the stain.The stain should lift up and out. If it persists, repeat the procedure.
For nongreasy stains, such as dirt or pencil, Blackshear recommends Shout, a spot remover sold in most drugstores and supermarkets. Place the silk on top of a paper towel. Put a few drops of Shout on a plate and use a cotton swab to dab the stain remover into the spot until soil is lifted off.
Microfibers
Jeff Widener • The Honolulu Advertiser
These high-tech fabrics — among them Supplex, Tactel, Fortrel and Charisma — are lightweight, soft and, although they are man-made, they breathe. They have fine pores and dense surfaces, enabling them to drape as well as they wear.
Microfiber fabrics can be machine-washed in cold water. But fabric softener sheets may stain them.
Honolulu designer Jeanie Chun of Jean Michel USA created a line of women's sportswear and golf wear in microfibers with UV protection of 15 to 30. She recommends machine washing in cold water on the gentle cycle.
Tumble dry, and if microfiber garments are taken out of the dryer right away, they seldom require ironing.
To spot clean, Chun said a little plain water will usually work. If not, add a drop of soap or stain remover.
Do not use fabric softener sheets with microfibers. They can leave oily spots.
Barbara Harger, associate professor of apparel product design and merchandising at the University of Hawai'i, Manoa, offers this advice on cleaning microfibers: "If a microfiber garment says to dry-clean and you can't afford to risk ruining it, then dry-clean you must. However if cleaning is too expensive for the garment, try washing it in cold water." Harger said the problem in predicting how a microfiber will launder is that the fabrics are made with all manner of different ingredients.
