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Getting The Most From Your School Uniform
4th February 2021 / Posted by Impressions
So, how can I make my uniform last longer?
Have you ever had that sinking feeling when you pull a much loved jumper out of the washing machine to find it will now only fit the cat or when your crisp white (best) shirt now has steaks of pink running through it?
To save you that stress we have put together a guide on how to wash your uniform to keep it looking fresher for longer….and save you money in the long term! Winner winner chicken dinner (unless the chicken dinner is down the front of a school shirt of course)
Washing powder
In general, we don’t recommend washing powder. It is often full of non-soluble ‘fillers’ that can stiffen and/or damage your garments. If you don’t believe me try putting a teaspoon of your washing powder in a glass of water and mix it. Leave it half an hour… if it is clear then great. However, if not, whatever is left is what ends up as residue on both your clothes and your washing machine. This is often what causes the smelly black build up in the drawer of your washing machine.
The only powder we have found that doesn’t do this is Norwex powder – it’s not cheap but you only need a teaspoonful in every wash so a 1KG bag last for months (even in my house which contains runners, cyclists, horse riders and a 9 year old boy!!!)
If you prefer a liquid, I’ve used both Smol and Splosh (these are sent by post and are very eco-friendly). I have also used Ecover, which you can buy at most large supermarkets – none of these seem to require fabric softener which means you save in the long run!
You can find this liquid here: https://smolproducts.com/
Don’t use fabric softener.
Yes, I hear you!… ‘But it makes it smell lovely’. Yes, I know but it also does more harm than good to your uniform. We only recommend fabric softener on sheets and shirts. I don’t actually use it on anything – ever. I’ve saved a fortune!! If I want the clothes to smell nicer, I use a scent when I’m ironing. When I say I’m ironing… I mean the 3 times a year I actually iron!!
Absolutely never wash acrylic with fabric softener. Fabric softener loosens the fibres of all knitted garments causing bobbling and tiny holes (see you don’t have moths after all – it’s the pesky conditioner!).
Separate your colours.
Make sure you wash light and dark colours in different washes. This might sound obvious, but since we have begun to re-purpose pre-worn uniform, it has become clear that many people simply bung everything in together at the end of the week – without a thought of separation. Different types of fabric are often best washed in different ways!
Blazers
We asked one of our blazer manufactures for their top tips on how to wash your blazer:
- Ensure that all the blazer pockets are empty. You don’t want a rogue tissue ruining the fabric or a pen lid blocking up your washing machine!
- Prepare for your wash by always reading the label of your school blazer first.
- We recommend washing our blazers at 40 degrees and avoiding strong fabric conditioners to help reduce the stress on the fabric, keep the colour looking fresh and prolong the garment’s life span. Our school blazers can also be professionally dry cleaned, if preferred.
- For best results, do not tumble dry. Simply hang up to dry.
- In general, if you have hung out your school blazer to dry it shouldn’t need ironing and will maintain it’s lasting shape. However, if you want to achieve an even smarter finish, place a damp cloth between the blazer and the iron. Never iron directly onto the fabric.
You can read the full article here: https://davidluke.com/blog/5-step-guide-how-to-wash-a-school-blazer
Sweatshirts and cardigans
We recommend you wash at 30 or 40. Don’t wash towels or fluffy things with them, as their loose fibres will then interlace with the fibres of the sweatshirt and cause bobbling – washing with Velcro or other abrasive items will cause the same.
Pleats – Wash em’, Hang em’, Dry em’ and Wear em’!
Ah yes don’t we all love a pleated skirt?? First rule of thumb – wash em’ and hang em’! Do not tumble dry them – ever. Shake them out or pull at the bottom where the crease is to straighten. If you need to iron, a light steam usually does the trick – particularly on polyester skirts. If you do have to iron them, then it would be best done under a damp cloth to protect the fabric.
Boys trousers
My tip would be if you want a crease a the front of his trousers and you don’t want regular tramlines or wonky lines then head to Johnsons, and get a permanent crease put in! – Alternatively, the damp cloth trick works a treat!
If you’d rather do the Sunday night battle with a crease, then you can watch this dad with his trouser ironing tips. It might not be the best demonstration but it’s a Dad so it had to go in!!!
Watch here for a laugh: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lce8jOW2S2Q
OR
Watch here to find the solution: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lhuhb2KNqVM
Have you got any extra tips and tricks on how you keep your child’s school uniform lasting longer? Get in touch and let us know!
So, how can I make my uniform last longer?
Have you ever had that sinking feeling when you pull a much loved jumper out of the washing machine to find it will now only fit the cat or when your crisp white (best) shirt now has steaks of pink running through it?
To save you that stress we have put together a guide on how to wash your uniform to keep it looking fresher for longer….and save you money in the long term! Winner winner chicken dinner (unless the chicken dinner is down the front of a school shirt of course)
Washing powder
In general, we don’t recommend washing powder. It is often full of non-soluble ‘fillers’ that can stiffen and/or damage your garments. If you don’t believe me try putting a teaspoon of your washing powder in a glass of water and mix it. Leave it half an hour… if it is clear then great. However, if not, whatever is left is what ends up as residue on both your clothes and your washing machine. This is often what causes the smelly black build up in the drawer of your washing machine.
The only powder we have found that doesn’t do this is Norwex powder – it’s not cheap but you only need a teaspoonful in every wash so a 1KG bag last for months (even in my house which contains runners, cyclists, horse riders and a 9 year old boy!!!)
If you prefer a liquid, I’ve used both Smol and Splosh (these are sent by post and are very eco-friendly). I have also used Ecover, which you can buy at most large supermarkets – none of these seem to require fabric softener which means you save in the long run!
You can find this liquid here: https://smolproducts.com/
Don’t use fabric softener.
Yes, I hear you!… ‘But it makes it smell lovely’. Yes, I know but it also does more harm than good to your uniform. We only recommend fabric softener on sheets and shirts. I don’t actually use it on anything – ever. I’ve saved a fortune!! If I want the clothes to smell nicer, I use a scent when I’m ironing. When I say I’m ironing… I mean the 3 times a year I actually iron!!
Absolutely never wash acrylic with fabric softener. Fabric softener loosens the fibres of all knitted garments causing bobbling and tiny holes (see you don’t have moths after all – it’s the pesky conditioner!).
Separate your colours.
Make sure you wash light and dark colours in different washes. This might sound obvious, but since we have begun to re-purpose pre-worn uniform, it has become clear that many people simply bung everything in together at the end of the week – without a thought of separation. Different types of fabric are often best washed in different ways!
Blazers
We asked one of our blazer manufactures for their top tips on how to wash your blazer:
- Ensure that all the blazer pockets are empty. You don’t want a rogue tissue ruining the fabric or a pen lid blocking up your washing machine!
- Prepare for your wash by always reading the label of your school blazer first.
- We recommend washing our blazers at 40 degrees and avoiding strong fabric conditioners to help reduce the stress on the fabric, keep the colour looking fresh and prolong the garment’s life span. Our school blazers can also be professionally dry cleaned, if preferred.
- For best results, do not tumble dry. Simply hang up to dry.
- In general, if you have hung out your school blazer to dry it shouldn’t need ironing and will maintain it’s lasting shape. However, if you want to achieve an even smarter finish, place a damp cloth between the blazer and the iron. Never iron directly onto the fabric.
You can read the full article here: https://davidluke.com/blog/5-step-guide-how-to-wash-a-school-blazer
Sweatshirts and cardigans
We recommend you wash at 30 or 40. Don’t wash towels or fluffy things with them, as their loose fibres will then interlace with the fibres of the sweatshirt and cause bobbling – washing with Velcro or other abrasive items will cause the same.
Pleats – Wash em’, Hang em’, Dry em’ and Wear em’!
Ah yes don’t we all love a pleated skirt?? First rule of thumb – wash em’ and hang em’! Do not tumble dry them – ever. Shake them out or pull at the bottom where the crease is to straighten. If you need to iron, a light steam usually does the trick – particularly on polyester skirts. If you do have to iron them, then it would be best done under a damp cloth to protect the fabric.
Boys trousers
My tip would be if you want a crease a the front of his trousers and you don’t want regular tramlines or wonky lines then head to Johnsons, and get a permanent crease put in! – Alternatively, the damp cloth trick works a treat!
If you’d rather do the Sunday night battle with a crease, then you can watch this dad with his trouser ironing tips. It might not be the best demonstration but it’s a Dad so it had to go in!!!
Watch here for a laugh: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lce8jOW2S2Q
OR
Watch here to find the solution: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lhuhb2KNqVM
Have you got any extra tips and tricks on how you keep your child’s school uniform lasting longer? Get in touch and let us know!