Sorting Your Laundry – The Bamboo Edition
Short answer: Sort your laundry by colour and material, not by colour alone. Bamboo clothing is best washed together with other soft garments at 30-40 degrees, kept apart from denim, rough terry towels and anything with zips and hook-and-loop fastenings, which wear on the smooth fibres.
First step: the colours
Divide the laundry into white, light and dark, as you usually would. New, strongly coloured garments should be washed separately the first couple of times so they do not bleed. White bamboo items such as a bamboo undershirt for men stay looking their best when washed only with other whites.
Second step: the materials
This is where the bamboo edition differs from the classic sorting. Bamboo viscose is smooth and fairly delicate, so wash it together with similar soft materials: underwear, T-shirts, nightwear. Keep it away from denim, workwear and terry towels, which act like sandpaper in the drum. Delicate items such as bras without underwire and tights go in a laundry bag.
Third step: temperature and programme
Once the piles are sorted, choosing the programme is easy: 30-40 degrees and a gentle spin for everything in bamboo. Close zips, turn the garments inside out, and fill the machine only three quarters full. The rest of the routine is set out in the complete washing guide for bamboo clothing, and you will find the range under bamboo clothing for men and bamboo clothing for women.
Frequently asked questions
Can bamboo clothing be washed together with cotton?
Yes, if the cotton is soft, for example T-shirts and jersey. Avoid washing bamboo with denim, terry towelling and clothes with hard fastenings.
Does bamboo underwear have to be washed on its own?
Not necessarily. Wash it with other soft garments in similar colours at 40 degrees. Delicate items should go in a laundry bag, though.
Why should bamboo not be washed with towels?
Terry towelling and hook-and-loop fastenings wear on the smooth surface of bamboo and can cause pilling and pulled threads. Wash towels separately.
