Now that you’ve rocked your vibrant African print garment and received so many compliments, you’re wondering “how do I properly  wash and care for the fabric?”

While it may seem challenging, there are certain steps you can take to ensure your garments remain in the same fabulous condition in which you first received them. Here are some general tips you can follow!

Test the colourfastness

Separate colours from whites. If you would like to mix your African fabrics with others, test the colourfastness of the fabrics. You can try these two easy methods to test the fabrics:

A) Dampen a piece of white cloth, lay it on top of the print fabric and iron them both until dry

B) Apply your cleaning agent to a hidden seam of the garment then dab the area with a clean cotton cloth. If the color removes itself from the garment onto the cloth with any of these methods then you know not to mix it with other garments.

We found this lovely video of some young Tracee Ellis Ross schooling everyone on how to properly hand wash you clothes. Check her out!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KF3O_B-9JUE

ick the Right Temperature & Detergent

The safest and best way to clean your African print fabrics is to hand wash them in cold or lukewarm water. If you have to use a washing machine, wash in cold water on the gentle cycle and skip the spin cycle.

Dry Your garments properly

Hang the garments to dry or lay them down. Wringing or twisting them to dry will only compromise the rich colours of the fabric and cause them to fade quickly.

• Tumble drying is a no no!
• Always iron the garment on the inside.

Set the Iron on the Ideal Heat

Since most African print fabrics are made of cotton, the setting for cotton on your iron is appropriate. However, look out for attachments made of linen and other more delicate fabrics which may require a lower setting.

Hand Washing vs Dry Cleaning

Stains are unfortunately unavoidable. When removing stains while hand washing, never use bleach or anything as harsh. Instead try using something gentler on fabrics like baking soda.

If you are going to get your garments professionally cleaned then make sure the establishment has experience with African print fabrics. Which ever method you choose, hand washing or dry cleaning, we hope these tips will help keep your pieces vibrant!