CARE GUIDE
How to Care for Cotton
So It Lasts for Years
The honest guide to washing, drying and rescuing your favourite cotton — and the reason behind every rule.
- Wash cold, around 30°C, inside out
- Skip the bleach
- Air-dry — the dryer is what shrinks it
- Iron inside out, low, while slightly damp
- Store cool, dry and out of the sun
- On a stain: act fast, blot, never rub
There’s a fair chance you’re quietly wearing out your favourite T-shirt — and it isn’t happening on your back. It’s happening in the wash. The good news: cotton is tough, forgiving and built to go the distance. It just has a few simple rules, and most of us were never taught them. Here they are, with the why behind each, so the tee you love stays the tee you love.
What is cotton?
Cotton is a natural fibre that grows around the seeds of the cotton plant. It’s soft, breathable, light and surprisingly durable; it absorbs moisture, and it’s gentle enough for sensitive skin. That mix is why it’s the everyday workhorse of almost every wardrobe — and why a little care pays off for years.
How to wash cotton (without shrinking it)
Wash cold, around 30°C. Heat is what relaxes and shrinks cotton fibres — and it sets stains rather than lifting them. Cold water keeps the fit and the colour you actually bought.
Use a mild detergent, and skip the bleach. Bleach and harsh additives break down the fibres and strip the dye. Over time, that’s exactly how a good tee goes thin, pale and holey.
Turn it inside out. The outer face takes all the friction in the drum. Turn it in, and the rubbing — plus any print — is protected.
Don’t overstuff the machine. Clothes need room and water to actually rinse clean. A packed drum grinds garments against each other (that’s where bobbling comes from) and leaves detergent behind in the weave.
How to dry cotton (the step that actually shrinks it)
Air-dry whenever you can. Here’s the bit most people miss: it’s usually the dryer, not the wash, that shrinks a tee and warps the collar. Line-dry or lay it flat and it holds its shape.
Keep it out of direct sun. Strong UV fades colour — darks especially. Dry in the shade or indoors.
If you must tumble, keep it low. High heat is the enemy of cotton. Low or moderate only, and get it out while it’s barely dry.
How to iron cotton
Inside out, low-to-medium heat. High heat can scorch or glaze cotton and melt a print flat.
Iron it slightly damp — or give it a light spritz of water if it’s bone dry. A little moisture lets the fibres relax and the creases fall out, so you never need to crank the heat.
How to store cotton
Fold or hang in a cool, dry spot, out of direct sunlight. Damp and heat invite mildew; daylight slowly bleaches the colour. Heavy knits prefer folding — a hanger will stretch the shoulders over time.
How to remove stains from cotton
Act fast. The longer a stain sits, the more it bonds with the fibres. Speed is most of the battle.
Blot, don’t rub. Rubbing drives the stain deeper into the weave and frays the surface. Press gently from the outside in.
Pre-treat, then wash. Work in a little stain remover, washing-up liquid (brilliant on grease and oil) or detergent before a normal wash, and most things lift.
For grease, reach for Terre de Sommières — a natural clay powder that draws the oil out of the fabric before you wash it.
| What you did | What it cost you |
|---|---|
| Hot wash | Shrinkage, and the stain set instead of lifting |
| Bleach | Thinner fabric, faded dye |
| Tumble dry on high | Shrinkage, warped collar |
| Overfilled drum | Bobbling, detergent left in the weave |
| Dried in direct sun | Faded colour, darks worst |
- Wash: cold/30°C · inside out · mild detergent · no bleach · don’t overfill
- Dry: air-dry, out of the sun · tumble low only if you must
- Iron: inside out · low–medium · slightly damp
- Store: cool, dry, dark · fold heavy knits
- Stains: fast · blot (never rub) · pre-treat
The questions we get
Does cotton shrink in the wash or the dryer?
Mostly the dryer. High heat is what shrinks cotton — washing cold and air-drying keeps the size.
How do I stop cotton fading?
Wash cold and inside out, skip the bleach, and dry out of direct sunlight. UV and heat are what pull the colour.
Can I wash cotton in hot water?
Best not to. Hot water relaxes the fibres (shrinkage) and can set stains. Cold or 30°C is safer and works fine with a good detergent.
How do I get a grease stain out of a cotton T-shirt?
Act fast, blot don’t rub, work in washing-up liquid or a clay powder like Terre de Sommières, then wash as normal.
Is cotton hard to look after?
No — it’s one of the easiest fibres going.Cold wash, air-dry, store dry. That’s most of it.
A good cotton tee isn’t disposable. Looked after, it softens, holds its shape and gets better with the wearing — the kind of thing worth keeping. Which is rather the point of what we make.
A good cotton tee isn't disposable. Looked after, it softens, holds its shape and gets better with the wearing — the kind of thing worth keeping. Which is rather the point of what we make.
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