Keeping it longer
We build things to last and then most of them are destroyed in a utility room. Nothing we do at the mill matters as much as what happens in your house every week.
The four things that matter
- Wash cold, and wash less. Thirty degrees handles ordinary wear. Hot water is what shrinks cotton and fades dye. A hoodie worn over a tee can go weeks; airing it overnight does most of the work.
- Turn it inside out. Pilling is caused by abrasion in the drum, and it happens on whichever face is outward. Inside out means the pilling happens where nobody sees it.
- Skip the tumble dryer. The lint you empty out is your clothes. Line drying costs a few hours of patience and adds years.
- Use half the detergent. The dose on the cap is set by people who sell detergent. Excess does not rinse out; it builds up in the fibres and that residue is what makes old cotton feel stiff and grey.
Skip fabric softener entirely on anything with elastane. It coats the fibres and kills the stretch recovery.
By garment
| Garment | Wash | Dry | Iron |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tees and polo | 30°, inside out | Line dry | Medium, damp |
| Sweatshirt and hoodie | 30°, inside out, no softener | Flat if possible | Not on the ribbing |
| Overshirt | 30° | Hang damp | Medium |
| Chore Jacket | Cold, alone, first three washes | Line dry | Inside out only |
| Beanie | Hand wash cool | Dry flat, reshape | Never |
Send it back to be mended
Split seams, worn cuffs, small holes and lost buttons we will fix free of charge, whatever the age of the garment and whether or not you can find the receipt. Post it to us, include a note saying what is wrong, and we will send it back mended.
Repairs take about two weeks in normal months and longer in January, which is when everybody discovers what the winter did.
We will also tell you honestly when something is finished. A tee that has gone thin across the shoulders cannot be brought back, and we would rather say so than take your postage and send it home no better.
Or fix it yourself
Most of it is a twenty-minute job with a needle and matching thread. We wrote up the three repairs worth learning: split seams, darning a hole, and a slack cuff.