vask
What zips do to other garments in the wash
Short answer: An open zip is a row of small teeth that snag on knitwear. In a wash it can pull threads out of anythin...
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Why the washing machine wears clothes more than wearing them
Short answer: Because a wash is an hour of constant rubbing in water. Wet fabric is weaker than dry, and the drum kee...
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The hand in the tub and what it asks for
Short answer: The symbol with a hand in the tub means the item should be washed by hand. That means lukewarm water, a...
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What the number in the wash tub means
Short answer: The number in the wash tub is the highest temperature the item may be washed at. It is a ceiling and no...
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The care symbols and what they cover
Short answer: A care label has five basic symbols, and each covers its own part of the treatment. The tub is washing,...
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How to read a care label
Short answer: At the top are the fibres and percentages, below them the care symbols, and last the country of product...
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How a fabric is wash tested
Short answer: The sample is washed a fixed number of times at a fixed temperature together with a standardised amount...
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How fabric recovers its shape in the wash
Short answer: Water and warmth make the fibres mobile, so the stitches that have been held stretched can contract aga...
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Why clothing with elastane should be washed cooler
Short answer: Elastane loses strength at high temperature. At sixty degrees the bonds break down noticeably faster th...
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Why red and blue behave differently in the wash
Short answer: Dyes have different molecule sizes and different bonding strength. Red dyes are often smaller and bind ...
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What a colour catcher sheet does
Short answer: The sheet is filled with fibres and a substance that binds loose dye in the water. The colour settles i...
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Why washing inside out protects the colour
Short answer: Wear on the surface removes dyed fibre and makes the fabric dull. If clothes are washed inside out, the...
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