Sweaters are most versatile and easy for anyone to pull off. Whether you wear them as an inner layer or as outerwear, they’re equally fashionable and simple to match! However, many of us struggle to upkeep our favourite sweaters, especially when they lose their shape easily, becoming overly large or long with every wash. Identify with this? Keep your sweaters for a long time with our tips below!
1. How do I wash and upkeep my sweater?
Before washing your sweater, lightly dust your sweater and soak it in cold water for 10-20 minutes. Then, gently squeeze out the water from your sweater and immerse in soapy water, rinsing carefully with another round of water. To maintain your sweater colour, you may also add 2% acetic acid (vinegar) to neutralize the residual soap. After washing, squeeze dry (but do not wring) and put in a netted bag. Hang the netted bag in a highly ventilated place to dry, avoiding direct sun exposure.
2. How do I prevent my sweater from shrinking?
Wash below 30°C with neutral pH soap. During the last wash, add vinegar to maintain the sweater’s elasticity and luster, as well as to neutralize any residual soap.
3. How do I shrink oversized sweaters?
When a sweater is worn over a long time, it is bound to become looser. Restore it to its original shape by placing the sweater in hot water between 70 and 80°C. Do note that if the water is overly hot, the sweater may shrink to become too small. For loose sleeves or hems, immerse these areas in hot water between 40 to 50°C and leave to dry for 1-2 hours to restore elasticity.
4. What do I do if my sweater is accidentally hooked and thread comes out?
Turn the sweater over and pull the loose thread, tying a knot to secure it. Cut off the excess thread.
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How do I maintain the integrity of my knitwear? Don’t worry, YISHION is here to help with some helpful tips!
1. Method One: Immerse in Acetic Acid
Before washing your knit sweater, lightly dust your sweater and soak it in cold water for 10-20 minutes. Then, gently squeeze out the water from your sweater and immerse in soapy water, rinsing carefully with another round of water. To maintain your sweater colour, you may also add 2% acetic acid (vinegar) to neutralise the residual soap.
2. Method Two: Soak in Tea (not recommended for white knitwear)
Soaking in tea not only removes dust and cleans thoroughly, but also preserves the colour and helps your sweater last longer. Add tea leaves to a pot of boiling water and soak to make tea. Filter out the tea leaves and soak the sweater in tea for 15 minutes, gently rinsing it in tea water for about 15 minutes before rinsing it out with normal water.
3. Method Three: Freeze Sweater
White knitwear will gradually darken over time. To revert to original colour, wash the sweater and place in refrigerator for 1 hour, then take it out to dry naturally. If a dark coloured knitwear is dusty, use a damp sponge to gently wipe the dust off.
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Ever bought a sweater, only to find it too big or small? Worn a T-shirt only a few times before its colour fades? Or developed rashes after wearing a new blouse? We buy clothes to look good, but often miss out on important information hidden within the product labels. While many of us only look at prices, it is equally important to pay attention to the information on product tags so you can understand and stay comfortable in your purchased apparel!
1. Look for precautions stated on the labels.
- Sort A: Clothing can be worn by infants and young children under 2 years of age.
- Sort B: Products are safe for direct skin contact.
- Sort C: Products should not be in direct skin contact. Be careful when buying Category C products.
An example of the content on authentic YISHION labels is shown below
2. Look at the size
Sizes should be displayed on all YISHION product tags. A manufacturer that cares about producing quality products would ensure such standards are met. A label that is compliant to such standards would use a number such as “180/84A”. The 2 numbers indicate the height and chest circumference, with the English letters at the end indicating the body type. A lean body type is represented by “Y”, while “A”, “B”, “C” represent normal, borderline overweight and overweight respectively.
3. Look at product care label
Product care instructions will always come with washing information first, before drying information is communicated. Quality manufacturers will always meet such a standard. The following product care signs are commonly used:
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Clothing can fade in colour, loose its shape or become damaged when trying unsuitable drying methods found online. Let us help you determine the right methods with the following drying tips! The main principle for drying clothes is to adopt different methods according to different fabrics and colours so that clothes will maintain their shape and colour.
1. Silk Fabric
Silk fabric should be turned inside out (if possible) and placed in a cool, ventilated place to dry naturally. Not suitable for exposure to direct sunlight nor fluorescent lamps because ultraviolet rays make the silk fabric yellow, its colour fade easily as well as increase susceptibility to loss of the silk’s integrity. It should also not be dried in a dryer. Pay close attention to any change in colour for silk fabric after drying to determine if adjustments should be made. Lastly, keep silk fabric away from fire and heat.
2. Man-made fabric
Chemically engineered fibres should not be exposed to direct sunlight after wash, and must be dried in a cool, ventilated place. This is because acrylic fibres easily yellow or change in colour, while nylon, polypropylene and other man-made fibres also experience ageing. The durability of Polyester and Polyvinyl Alcohol (PVA) fibres will also be affected by direct sunlight, which results in photochemical reactions.
3. Wool fabric
Turn inside out to dry naturally in a cool, ventilated place after washing. This is because wool fibre has a scale layer on the surface made of oleylamine film which imparts a soft luster to the fabric. If exposed to sunlight, this oleic acid film will deteriorate due to oxidation at high temperatures and hence affect the appearance and service life of the wool apparel.
4. Cotton and linen fabrics
This category of apparel can be exposed to direct sunlight because of the strength of cotton fibres. However, in order to avoid colour from fading, turn clothes inside out and ensure a flat surface area for drying.
5. Knit fabrics (e.g. sweaters)
In order to prevent clothes from loosing their shape, put into a netted bag after wash and hang in a ventilated place to dry. Alternatively, use 2 hangers/poles when hanging to dry to provide more support/prevent excessive suspension that would make the clothing lose its shape. We hope that you have learnt how to dry your clothes with the right methods shown above!
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Jeans are a staple in any wardrobe but we feel frustrated when their colour change. Is it normal? How do you prevent jeans from fading? Do I simply not wash my pair of jeans? Actually, it is normal for every pair of jeans to fade in colour, whether washed or not. What we can do is to reduce the degree of discolouration and allow it to fade in a natural, yet aesthetic way. Let us share with you some tips and tricks below!
Method 1: Soak in salt water before first wash
Soaking in salt water for 30 minutes before washing for the first time is one of the most effective ways to prevent jeans from fading in colour. If there is still a slight discolouration, you can soak it in lightly salted water for 10 minutes before washing each time round. This method can also be applied to dark coloured clothes to prevent colour loss to a certain extent. To create the salt water, take 2-3 spoons of salt and dissolve in a small amount of hot water, before adding more water to the salt water for soaking of jeans.
Method 2: Soaking in white vinegar before first wash
As new jeans and dyed apparel usually contain a layer of glue, add 2 tablespoons of white vinegar and soak the jeans in a water-filled basin for 30 minutes before washing. This method can also make your jeans softer.
Method 3: Turn inside out when drying
This method is especially effective for dark coloured jeans. By turning your pair of jeans inside out for drying, exposure to direct sunlight on the coloured side of your jeans is avoided and hence, less likely to fade. This applies for many types of clothing. Although direct sunlight can play a role in disinfection, ultraviolet light is unfortunately, one of the main reasons for colour fading. Therefore, when possible, it is best to dry clothes in a cool, ventilated place or using a dryer when possible.
Method 4: Reduce frequency of wash, keep away from hot water and bleach
Most washing powders have bleaching content to a certain extent, so try not to use too much when washing your pair of jeans. You can opt for a mild detergent or other alternatives. Hot water will increase the molecular activity during wash, making it easier for colour to fade. Hence, it is advisable to keep the water temperature below 25°C during wash. Also, jeans do not actually need to be washed that frequently. If you can help it, you can wash them only once a month; after wearing your pair of jeans, simply hang it in a dry, ventilated place to air for next wear.
We hope the above methods help to maintain your jeans in their best condition! However, we must point out that it is only natural that all jeans fade in colour over time, and does not mean it is of poor quality. You can use the tips above to slow down this process, or embrace the fading effect as one personalised to you alone!
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