Fabric care guide: how to wash, iron and store your favourite materials
Andy JaouiYou've invested in a beautiful fabric, spent hours sewing your creation... it would be a shame to ruin it on the first wash. This guide gives you all the keys to properly care for each type of fabric.
Golden rule: wash the fabric BEFORE cutting
This is the first rule of sewing and yet the most forgotten. Almost all fabrics shrink on the first wash. If you don't pre-wash, your creation may shrink and no longer fit properly.
Exceptions:
- Fabrics intended for dry cleaning (certain wools, silks)
- Fabrics with special finishes you wish to preserve
- Interfacing (NEVER wash before use)
Our advice: wash your fabric under the same conditions you plan for the finished garment. If you plan to machine wash at 30°C, pre-wash at 30°C.
Care by fabric type
Cotton (poplin, denim, gauze, chambray)
| Pre-wash | Yes, mandatory. Cotton shrinks 3 to 5% |
| Washing | Machine 30-40°C. Normal or delicate cycle |
| Drying | Tumble dryer possible on low heat, but air drying better preserves the fibres |
| Ironing | Hot iron with steam. Cotton handles heat well |
| Storage | Folded or on a hanger, no special precautions needed |
Tip: dark cottons may bleed on the first wash. Wash them alone or with similar colours the first time.
Silk (crêpe de chine, satin, twill, pongee)
| Pre-wash | Optional. If you plan to hand wash, pre-wash by hand. Otherwise, plan for dry cleaning |
| Washing | By hand in cold water with a gentle shampoo or special silk detergent. NEVER machine wash (except on a very delicate silk cycle) |
| Drying | Flat, away from direct sunlight. NEVER tumble dry |
| Ironing | Low heat iron (silk setting), on the wrong side, without steam. Use a press cloth |
| Storage | Padded hanger for garments, rolled (not folded) for fabric by the metre. Avoid contact with perfume and deodorant |
Tip: a water stain on silk? Don't rub! Lightly dampen the entire area to even it out, then let it dry flat.
Wool (cloth, flannel, tweed, cool wool)
| Pre-wash | Not recommended for most wools. Steam press (decatise) instead |
| Washing | Dry cleaning preferred. Otherwise, by hand in cold water with special wool detergent |
| Drying | Flat, NEVER tumble dry (guaranteed felting). Reshape by hand while drying |
| Ironing | Hot iron WITH mandatory press cloth. Steam OK through the press cloth |
| Storage | Folded (no hangers, they cause distortion). Natural moth repellent (lavender, cedar). Breathable garment bag |
Tip: steam pressing (passing steam over the raw fabric) replaces pre-washing for wool. Hang the fabric and pass the iron's steam 5 cm from the fabric, without touching it.
Viscose (crêpe, twill, javanaise)
| Pre-wash | YES, absolutely. Viscose can shrink 5 to 8%! |
| Washing | Machine delicate cycle 30°C or by hand. Gentle detergent |
| Drying | Flat or on a hanger, no tumble dryer |
| Ironing | Medium iron, on the wrong side, slightly damp for best results |
| Storage | On a hanger for garments (viscose wrinkles easily) |
Tip: wet viscose becomes fragile. NEVER wring out wet viscose — gently press in a towel to absorb water.
Linen
| Pre-wash | YES. Linen shrinks 5 to 10% on the first wash |
| Washing | Machine 30-40°C. Linen handles washing well but shrinks at high temperatures |
| Drying | Air dry preferably. Low-heat tumble dryer possible |
| Ironing | Very hot iron with steam, fabric still slightly damp. Linen loves water and heat |
| Storage | Folded or on a hanger. Wrinkling is part of linen's charm! |
Tip: for softer, more supple linen, wash it 2-3 times before cutting. It softens with each wash and that's one of its finest qualities.
Jersey and knits
| Pre-wash | Yes, jersey can shrink and distort |
| Washing | Machine delicate cycle 30°C, in a laundry bag |
| Drying | Flat. NEVER on a hanger (distortion). Delicate tumble dry possible |
| Ironing | Low heat iron, without pressing too hard (risk of flattening ribs/knit) |
| Storage | Always folded, NEVER on a hanger |
Lace and eyelet embroidery
| Pre-wash | By hand gently, or test on a sample |
| Washing | By hand in lukewarm water, gentle detergent. Machine only in a laundry bag, very delicate cycle |
| Drying | Flat on a towel, reshape by hand |
| Ironing | Low heat iron, on the wrong side, with press cloth. Be careful of embroidery relief |
| Storage | Flat or rolled. Avoid folding (permanent crease marks) |
Summary table
| Fabric | Pre-wash | Washing | Tumble dryer | Ironing | Storage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cotton | Yes | Machine 30-40°C | Possible | Hot iron + steam | Folded/hanger |
| Silk | Optional | Hand, cold water | No | Low iron, no steam | Padded hanger |
| Wool | Steam press | Dry clean / hand cold | No | Hot iron + press cloth | Folded + moth repellent |
| Viscose | Yes | Machine delicate 30°C | No | Medium iron, wrong side | Hanger |
| Linen | Yes | Machine 30-40°C | Low heat | Hot iron, damp | Folded/hanger |
| Jersey | Yes | Machine delicate 30°C | Delicate | Low iron | Folded |
| Lace | Test | Hand, lukewarm | No | Low iron + press cloth | Flat |
The most common mistakes
- Forgetting to pre-wash: your viscose dress shrinks a full size
- Tumble drying wool: immediate and irreversible felting
- Hot iron on silk: visible burn mark
- Wringing wet viscose: tearing of weakened fibres
- Hanging wet jersey: permanent distortion
- Storing wool without moth repellent: discovering holes after a few months
Need advice on caring for a specific fabric? Send us a DM on Instagram @sotissus_com — we're here to help!
Like this fabric? Find it here!
