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Silk
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Silk is an amazing fibre. It is natural, light-weight and souple, isolating enough to be warm when
it's cold and ventilating enough to be cool when it's warm. Silk feels very comfortable on the skin. However, silk is also a very
delicate fibre and should be handled with special care.
Washing
Silk should always be washed separately by hand, as the excessive tumbling of a washing machine may destroy the article. Just soak
the silk article in a bucket with luke warm water of 30°C (86°F), using mild soap, such as ox-gall soap. Gently move the silk
around in the water.
To rinse, do not wrench the silk, but rather squeeze the water out. Do not use a spinning machine, or only at the lowest speed
for a short time. If you use a spinner, place the silk spaceous and loosely in the spinner, so the material does not get 'pulled' by the circling
power of the spinner.
Drying
Do not use a drying machine, not even at low temperatures. Let the silk dry by air, away from the sun, preferably on a horizontal rack.
Ironing
Avoid ironing. If the silk is dried the right way, ironing will hardly be necessary. If you do iron, use an iron with thermostate,
set to the proper low temperature. The correct temperature is usually indicated on the iron.
Storing
Always store the silk washed clean and folded neatly.
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Cotton
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Cotton is a natural fibre, strong and durable. Together with its absorbing and ventilating properties,
cotton is very suitable for clothing.
Washing
Purely cotton articles can be washed in a washing machine at 40°C (104°F) using regular soap. If the article has additional
decoration, washing in a washing machine may be discouraged. This is for example the case with the tapestries with decoration of
small plastic gold-coloured disks, attached with thin threads. Wash these kind of articles by hand.
Colours
The dye used with cotton articles made in India is stronger and less preserved. Therefore, new coloured articles should be washed
separately for the first few couple of times, until the dye doesn't colour the water anymore. This is especially the case with
t-shirts with bright and saturated colours.
Shrinking
Cotton will shrink when washed and the shrink increases strongly with a higher washing temperature. T-shirts made in India are usually not
pre-shrunk and will shrink more than expected. To minimize shrinking, wash at 30°C (86°F).
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Quote of the day |
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| You have never really lived until you have done something for someone who can never repay you.
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