Summer sees us out in warm weather more often, able to enjoy things like trips to the beach. That means our brighter, lighter clothing comes out of the wardrobe, along with our beachwear and towels.And with that comes the need to take care of these items at laundry time. After all, giving them the care they need will make them last into next season and beyond.
Here is some advice for washing the kind of clothing we're more likely to wear in summer, and our swimwear. If you have tips of your own, do share them by leaving a comment.
Colourful clothing
It's a well known tip, but sorting bright clothes from light and washing them separately is a good thing to do to stop unwanted dyeing of the lighter items. And to keep the vividness of bright clothing for longer, it can help to dry them away from stronger sunlight, turn them insight out before they're washed, and use the cold water setting on your machine.
More delicate materials
Checking the manufacturer's label on the clothing is the best first step to take care of any garment, but this is particularly important for clothing with a higher chance of being damaged when washed. Some of the fabrics we might wear more to keep cool in summer include silk, cotton and linen.
You can choose to hand wash silk or use a setting for delicates on your washing machine. We also recommend a gentler detergent when washing this natural fibre, such as our Wool and Delicates Wash, which can be used whether hand or machine washing.
Gentler wash cycles and detergents are also a good option when washing linens, another natural fibre. It's also best washed in cold water. And like other delicate items, try to wash like with like and leave your heavier items for a separate wash. And we know linen is prone to wrinkling, so gentle drying is another key consideration. Some suggest lying linens flat or hanging them up to dry, while ironing on a cool setting is another option.
Cotton clothing is another summer staple and is comparatively easy to care for using a normal washing machine cycle. But it's also good to avoid washing cotton clothing with heavier fabrics.
Beach towels
Shaking out our beach towel is as common in summer as a barbecue or a bach holiday, and it's really necessary if we want to keep our towels in good shape. Trapped sand can give your beach towels a rough feeling after a few uses. So drying them completely makes it easier to shake off all the sand, which means there won't be leftover grains to damage the towel during washing. Some even suggest giving your beach towel a vacuum or swirling it in water to make sure all sand is removed. Beach towels are often brightly coloured, and are larger and thinner than other towels, so it pays to separate them from other laundry items and to wash them on a delicate cycle with other beach towels.
Swimwear
Because swimsuits are exposed to chlorine if you're at the pool, or salt, body oils and sunscreen if you're at the beach, rinsing or submerging in cold water is good advice - try to do this as soon after use as possible so these things don't dry into the fabric. Because swimwear is made from stretchy materials like lycra, handwashing them is commonly recommended. Some also suggest having a second pair so the other doesn't wear out as quickly - it can also be worn if you're visiting a spa or hot water pool, or frequently swimming in a chlorinated pool, which will wear the suit out more quickly.
Browse ecostore's laundry products range here, including Extra Clean, which offers 25% more cleaning power.