Garment Care and Repair

By consciously caring for your garments you are not only extending their longevity but also reducing your environmental impact by using less water and energy. 

 

Always wash your treasures by hand using a natural gentle detergent. Add the recommended amount of detergent to cold water allowing it to dissolve before immersing your garment. Soak and gently squeeze the soapy water a few times taking care not to wring or twist. Rinse with cold clean water using the same method. To conserve water wash whites first and reuse the same water for darks. Dry flat in the shade and not in direct sunlight. Never use a tumble dryer as this will damage the fibres in the fabric. 

We recommend only washing garments when necessary by spot cleaning. Treat stains immediately by gently massaging natural detergent into the stain and rising with cold water. For tougher stains refer to our natural stain removal suggestions.

Air clothes after wearing before storing by hanging on a wooden hanger before folding neatly.

Be careful when wearing sharp jewellery as it may catch and pull.

 

 

Cold hand wash with mild natural detergent. Submerge and gently agitate the water before soaking. Do not wring or twist to avoid damaging the delicate fibres. Rinse with cold water before drying naturally in the shade.

 

Always rinse your swimwear after wear to remove salt and chlorine which may damage the fibres.

Cold hand wash in mild natural detergent. Do not wring, twist or soak.

Dry naturally in the shade.

 

Always wash your treasures by hand using a natural gentle detergent. Add the recommended amount of detergent to cold water allowing it to dissolve before immersing your garment. Soak and gently squeeze the soapy water a few times taking care not to wring or twist. Rinse with cold clean water using the same method. Dry flat in the shade and not in direct sunlight. Never use a tumble dryer as this will damage the fibres in the fabric. 

We recommend only washing garments when necessary by spot cleaning. Treat stains immediately by gently massaging natural detergent into the stain and rising with cold water.

Air clothes after wearing before storing by either handing on a wooden hanger or folding neatly.

 

Wash your cords inside out, buttons and zips closed. Cold machine wash minimising the load to avoid abrasion and loss of pile. Use mild natural detergent. 

Avoid washing with items that produce lint (textile fibres) such as towels or fleece as it will attach to the corduroy.

To remove lint build up use a clothes brush, brush in the direction of the pile.

Reshape whilst damp smoothing and crinkles before drying naturally in the shade. Avoid using pegs as they may leave an imprint.

Hang to store to avoid creases.

 

Wash sparingly. A great tip to minimise washing is to leave your denim in the fridge overnight, this helps to remove odours.

Cold machine wash with like colours as indigo can be colour fast. Use mild natural detergent.

Wash inside out, buttons and zips closed. Reshape whilst damp smoothing and crinkles before drying naturally in the shade.

Fold to store.

 

Made from natural fibres such as wool and cotton knitwear is breathable and can easily be aired to remove any odours. 

Minimise washing to prolong the life of your knitwear.

Cold hand wash with a mild natural detergent. Be gentle, avoiding stretching and twisting as this can damage the fibres and cause pilling.

Do not soak your knitwear especially wool as this may cause shrinkage.

After rinsing, place on a flat clean towel and roll to release excess water before drying flat, naturally in the shade.

Store knitwear clean for the summer months as bacteria may attract months. Moths can be deterred with lavender or cedar.

Always fold knitwear as hanging will distort the shape of your garments.

Be mindful of sharp edges as delicate knits may catch & pull. 

 

Separate into like colours washing the lighter colours first so that the soapy water can be reused for the darker garments reducing water usage. 

We recommend only using natural detergents that are gentle on your clothes and the environment. The chemicals used in traditional laundry detergents can weaken fibres and fabrics, natural alternatives prolong the longevity of your clothes. 

Traditional laundry detergents contain chemicals such as synthetic surfactants and phosphates that can be harmful to aquatic life and surrounding ecosystems. These chemicals can also cause skin irritation.

Plant based and natural ingredients breakdown in the environment without harm. 

 

 

Natural detergents 

Natural stain removal  

Knitwear repair 

Pulls are easy to repair.

Find the two ends of yarn that have pulled. Or if the pull’s still in a loop, carefully cut the looped yarn so you have two ends to tie.

Gently but firmly tie the ends in a single knot, then tie a double knot on top.

Carefully trim the ends off your knot so it’s nice & neat.

By gently ironing your knit, it will be as good as new again.

 

 

Button repair 

 

 

End of life 

Every second one truckload of textile waste is dumped in landfill…

Australia is the second highest consumer of textiles. The Average Australian consumes 27kg of textiles annually, of which 23kg ends up in landfill, that’s a staggering 93%. 

The current linear economic model where resources are extracted, consumed and disposed of generating excessive waste is unsustainable. Impacting ecosystems and

finely balanced geophysical systems. To continue on this path we face ecological breakdown; deforestation, soil depletion, loss of biodiversity and climate collapse.

Not only this but the current model generates inequality and exploitation with devastating impact on human life.

Circularity aims to keep resources in use for as long as possible minimising waste, this can be achieved through caring and repairing for your clothes to extend their life cycle. Here are some suggestions for the end of life to help close the loop on textile waste.

 

Upcycle

 

Read the blog on how to repurpose fabric scraps into scrunchies!

 Login to your Arnhem account now to get access 

A report from the UN food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) estimates that approximately one third of all food purchased for human consumption is discarded ending up in landfill. This not only has environmental implications in terms of methane emissions (methane is 28 times stronger than carbon, and methane from food waste contributes to 8% of greenhouse gas emissions) but the resource depletion associated with the production and transportation is exponential. Almost half of all fruit and vegetables are wasted. 

Shameful statistics when the developing world battles with food security with one in nine people going without globally.

This is why home compositing is so important. We can turn waste into a valuable resource, enriching soils with nutrients and beneficial organisms that promote healthier and more productive plants and ecosystems. 

Compost is made by decomposing organic materials and inorganic compounds and requires two basic ingredients nitrogen (food scraps, coffee grinds, grass clippings) and carbon (brown garden waste such as leaves, balk and even cardboard). 

If you are not already home compositing here are some resources to help you. Compositing is easy and low maintenance, even if you don’t have access to a garden.  

Share waste is a free app that connects people who want to recycle their food waste with people that are already composting in their community. 

 

If you have limited access to space and garden waste for composting worm farms are a great solution. Small and compact they can be placed on a balcony or courtyard. The compost can be used for indoor plants or herb planters. We love the Composta system that integrates a planter:

 

Bokashi bins are another solution for urban composting. A composting accelerator is added to food straps to speed up the process of compositing and fermentation converting them into a liquid that can be applied to indoor plants, planters and garden beds.

 

Tumbling compost systems are another efficient solution if you have limited space. Or alternatively if you have access to a garden here are some resource guides to set up a home compositing system:

 

• Trash Hero Food Waste Is Not Garbage
• Earth Easy - How To Compost
• Lazy Composting
• Compost Bins

Garments must be made from 100% natural fibres, this includes all our Tree and Plant fabrics and fibres. Our Recycled fabric and fibres are unfortunately synthetic and will not breakdown in a compost environment.

Remove all labels including the care label. Our buttons are natural but will take a bit longer to decompose.

Shred the fabric into small pieces or strips before placing in the compost or worm farm. 

Our compostable post satchels and garment bags are made of natural PLA corn starch (renewable and sustainable resource that can be grown and harvested in one season) that breaks down through microbial activity and does not produce any toxic residues making them safe to go straight into your home compost. 

Alternatively, you can dispose of them in green lidded food and garden organics (FOGO) bins. If you dispose of your bags in the red lidded bin destined to landfill they will not breakdown as they need access to oxygen and microbes. You must not dispose of your bags in the recycling bin as the material is not recyclable. They will breakdown in a land-based environment within 90-180 days. 90% or more of the material will convert into carbon dioxide, the remaining material converts into water and biomass. Variables such as moisture and temperature in a home composting system will affect this process.

Made from corn starch PLA (A renewable and sustainable resource as they can grow and be harvested in one season) and other biodegradable materials such as PBAT (a biodegradable thermoplastic). PBAT is currently derived from petroleum-based products as there are no alternatives. The technology today is moving fast and there are those seeking to find a renewable solution. Producing a bag with 100% PLA would be too brittle and difficult to compost.

Ensure you remove courier tickets and adhesive glue strips before compositing your bag.

Bags can be repurposed before compositing. Here are some suggestions to extend the lifecycle of your bag:

·         Turn them inside out and they can be used as a courier bag once more

·         Weed matting

·         Seedling bags

·         Food waste bag