How to extend the life of clothes: cotton in the lead
Jul 3, 2024
Do you want your BUSHMAN clothes to last as long as possible in perfect condition? Get inspired by our tips for caring for different materials such as cotton, linen, bamboo viscose, modal and more. With these useful cleaning and care tricks, you'll keep your favourite BUSHMAN pieces looking like new! Today, we'll reveal the secrets of cotton care.
Cotton. the key material we’ve been working with since our first collection in 1997. This natural gem absorbs moisture perfectly and can handle alkaline substances such as sweat. The natural properties of cotton fibre are reflected in every product.
Here are the key ones that made the world fall in love with cotton:
Of course, there are disadvantages alongside the advantages. It's a common part of any natural material and it's up to the end user to accept and approach these little "buts". Humanly speaking: how you treat cotton is how it will serve you.
Cotton is, in short, a natural fibre and deserves to be treated gently. You need to bear this in mind whenever you wear cotton clothes - or rather, whenever you take them off. Cotton pleases with its breathability, absorbency and versatility. A cotton fibre can make a T-shirt and just as well a pair of trousers, a sweater or a bed sheet. Don't expect from it what it can't offer you, and do everything you can to make it last long and well.
It will maintain its benefits well if you do the following:
See? It's easy! With our simple tips and tricks, your BUSHMAN wardrobe will look like new for many, many seasons. It's simple maths: if you want quality stuff, treat it with respect...
Here are the key ones that made the world fall in love with cotton:
- One of the main advantages of cotton is its resistance to both mechanical and chemical influences.
- It also has incredible tensile and abrasion strength. The strength is further enhanced when the cotton is soaked, by up to 20%.
- Wherever it says it feels "like cotton" it’s undoubtedly referring to its softness. Cotton is pleasant to the touch and so specific that it can be easily recognised by touch.
- A great benefit and one of the main reasons why you also reach for BUSHMAN T-shirts is their high absorbency. Cotton can absorb moisture, it can even absorb up to 25% of water from the environment and it stays dry to the touch!
Of course, there are disadvantages alongside the advantages. It's a common part of any natural material and it's up to the end user to accept and approach these little "buts". Humanly speaking: how you treat cotton is how it will serve you.
- Clothes made of quality cotton can wrinkle easily. As a result, specific small wrinkles start to form over time, but these can be easily and gently removed.
- Cotton does not take well to cold. It does not warm up very much in winter because its thermal insulation is low and decreases further with increasing humidity.
- Nor does it benefit from too much sunlight. Although it will hold you up in the heat and provide precise moisture wicking, it browns (so colours fade faster) and loses strength due to the sun's rays. In other words, it becomes brittle.
Cotton is, in short, a natural fibre and deserves to be treated gently. You need to bear this in mind whenever you wear cotton clothes - or rather, whenever you take them off. Cotton pleases with its breathability, absorbency and versatility. A cotton fibre can make a T-shirt and just as well a pair of trousers, a sweater or a bed sheet. Don't expect from it what it can't offer you, and do everything you can to make it last long and well.
It will maintain its benefits well if you do the following:
COTTON and ORGANIC COTTON
- Wash cotton items at the temperature indicated on the garment label (usually 40°C).. Use mild detergents and avoid fabric softener, which makes the fibres brittle and destroys them.
- Always turn printed cotton items inside out to avoid destroying the print.
- Avoid excessive wringing to maintain the shape of the garment after several washes. Simply reduce the speed of the washing programmes.
- Skirts, pants and pieces that are prone to wrinkling, hang on hangers.
- Cotton clothes can handle the dryer, but if you want to preserve their quality for a long time, dry them flattened on the line (the clothes will keep their shape).
COTTON with ELASTANE
Just a few per cent of elastane can provide great elasticity - so you'll appreciate it especially in trousers or in slightly fitted shirts and T-shirts. If you want your clothes to retain their elasticity for a really long time, forget about intensive washing programmes and fabric softener...- Clothes with elastane do best with a delicate programme.
- It doesn't do well with fabric softeners (try perfumes for laundry or the much-loved outdoor drying) or ironing at higher temperatures. This can significantly compromise the elasticity of the fibres.
COTTON with POLYESTER
This combination is miraculous, as it can make the material stronger overall and hold the colours well. We use its benefits most in sweatshirts and genuine pocket squares, where it is particularly important to achieve strength and less tearing. You'll appreciate the fact that polyester materials are easy to clean.- When washing, choose temperatures between 30 and 40 degrees and iron on a medium/lower setting.
- Turn the clothes inside out before putting them in the washing machine!
- Regular use of fabric softener can - as with the addition of elastane - diminish its positive properties as well as its ability to wick away moisture.
- Try ironing with steam or over a wet towel 😉.
See? It's easy! With our simple tips and tricks, your BUSHMAN wardrobe will look like new for many, many seasons. It's simple maths: if you want quality stuff, treat it with respect...
