Caring for and storing clothes: The ultimate guide to long‑lasting garments

The essentials at a glance

• Care labels tell you everything you need to know about washing temperature, programme and drying.

• Materials such as wool and silk are best washed by hand if you’re unsure. Cotton, TENCEL™ and most synthetic fabrics can usually be washed at 40°C.

• Drying, ironing and storing clothes are often underestimated — yet they are essential for protecting fibres, maintaining shape and extending the lifespan of your garments.

Why proper clothing care matters

If you invest in high‑quality clothing, you want it to stay beautiful for as long as possible. But without the right approach to washing and storing your garments, even premium pieces can quickly lose their shape, fade, stretch out or become rough. Caring for your clothes isn’t an optional extra — it’s the natural result of a conscious and sustainable approach to buying.

Proper care makes an especially big difference with natural materials such as cotton, wool or silk. With the right handling, your favourite pyjamas can feel just as soft and vibrant after fifty washes as they did on the first day.

There’s another benefit: when you clean and care for natural fibres gently, you wash them less often overall — and their unique properties last longer. This saves energy, water and detergent, while keeping your garments in excellent condition. And the best part? Clothing care isn’t complicated; it simply requires a little attention.

How to read care labels: What the symbols really mean

Before washing a garment for the first time, it’s worth taking a look at the label. Care labels use standardised symbols that show you how a piece should be washed and maintained. These symbols fall into five main categories:

• The wash tub symbol indicates the maximum washing temperature and the appropriate programme. A line beneath the tub means “gentle cycle”, while a hand in the tub stands for “hand wash only”.

• The square with a circle represents tumble drying. If it’s crossed out, the item should not go in the dryer. A single dot means you should choose a low temperature.

• A triangle refers to bleaching. If it’s crossed out, avoid bleach entirely.

• The iron symbol shows the maximum ironing temperature. The number of dots indicates how hot the iron may be (more dots = higher heat).

• The circle symbol refers to professional cleaning. “P” and “F” indicate dry cleaning, while “W” stands for wet cleaning.

A practical tip: Don’t cut out the label straight away if it feels scratchy. Instead, take a photo of it first or fold and secure it carefully. The information on the label is simply too valuable to lose.

Washing by material: How to care for cotton, silk, TENCEL™ & more

Because every fibre reacts differently to water, temperature and detergent, not every garment can handle the same washing programme. Here’s what to look out for when caring for the most common textiles.

Cotton: Natural care for a durable fabric

Cotton is considered one of the easiest materials to care for. It tolerates higher temperatures and can usually be washed in the machine without any issues. Still, there are a few things worth keeping in mind:

• Wash light and dark colours separately to prevent colour transfer.

• For cotton loungewear and nightwear, choose a programme at 30–40°C to protect the fibres and prevent shrinkage.

• Heavily soiled items or underwear can usually be washed at 60°C.

Tip: A mild detergent is key to keeping cotton soft and reducing pilling. Avoid fabric softener, as it can affect the absorbency of this natural fibre. Jeans should be treated gently, as their structure can suffer otherwise.

Wool: Gentle washing to maintain its shape

Wool is far more delicate than cotton — unsurprising given its unique properties. Wool has remarkable temperature‑regulating and even self‑cleaning abilities. With the right care, a wool garment can retain its shape and quality for many years. Here are a few tips:

• The biggest risk for wool is heat. It causes felting and makes garments shrink.

• Fine knits or particularly delicate wool pieces should always be washed by hand using a special wool detergent.

• If you use the machine, choose only the wool cycle at a maximum of 30°C and 600 rpm.

• To dry wool, lay the garment flat on a clean towel. This helps it keep its shape. Never wring wool — it damages the fibres.

Tip: You can create a wonderful care bath using one litre of hot water, a teaspoon of lanolin and a little wool detergent. Once cooled, soak your garments for about an hour to make stressed wool fibres softer and more resilient.

Silk: This luxurious fibre needs the most delicate care

Silk is one of the most beautiful fibres of all, but it reacts very sensitively to friction, heat and detergent. A gentle hand wash is therefore always recommended for silk garments. Here’s how to do it:

• Fill the sink with cold water and add a few drops of delicate detergent.

• Move the garment gently through the water for a few minutes. Do not rub or scrub.

• Never put silk in the tumble dryer and avoid drying it in direct sunlight.

• For ironing, choose the lowest temperature setting and iron the garment inside out, ideally while it is still slightly damp.

Just like with cotton and wool, you should avoid fabric softener when caring for silk. It can damage the fibre and reduce its natural smoothness.

TENCEL™: Easy to care for, low‑maintenance and long‑lasting

TENCEL™ is a modern fibre made from wood cellulose, known for its softness and breathability. Many CALIDA pieces use this material because it feels wonderfully smooth and fluid against the skin. And the good news: compared to other natural fibres, TENCEL™ is very easy to care for and dries quickly — perfect for sportswear and yoga clothing.

You can wash TENCEL™ garments at 30–40°C without worry. However, they should not go in the tumble dryer, as the fibre can shrink slightly when exposed to heat. Instead, let your garments air‑dry. Ironing at a low temperature is possible, though often unnecessary, as TENCEL™ hardly creases.

Synthetic fabrics: How to care for elastane, polyester & more

Even though synthetic fibres such as polyester, polyamide or elastane are not as breathable or skin‑friendly as natural materials, they do have one advantage: they are generally very resilient. Unlike wool or silk, they can tolerate the occasional wrong washing programme. Still, there are a few things worth keeping in mind:

• You can usually wash synthetic fabrics at 40°C. Turn garments inside out before washing to reduce friction and keep the outer surface looking good for longer.

• Synthetic fibres require significantly less detergent than natural fibres.

• Avoid fabric softener, as it can build up on the fibres and reduce breathability.

When it comes to drying: polyester and polyamide can tolerate the tumble dryer at a low temperature. Garments with a high elastane content, however, should always be air‑dried, as heat can cause them to lose their shape.

Drying laundry properly: What you should always keep in mind

Many garments survive the washing cycle without any issues, but can easily be damaged during drying. The simplest way to check whether an item can go in the tumble dryer is to look at the care label. A crossed‑out square means: no tumble drying.

As a general rule, wool, silk and TENCEL™ should always be air‑dried. Cotton and synthetic fibres usually tolerate the dryer, but should still be dried at a low temperature to prevent distortion.

If you dry clothes on a rack, avoid hanging heavy tops on narrow hangers — this can stretch out the shoulder area. Instead, lay your laundry flat on a drying rack. Also avoid hanging items too close together, as poor air circulation will leave them damp and musty.

How to choose the right ironing temperature

When it comes to ironing, the rule of thumb is simple: the more delicate the material, the lower the temperature. While robust cotton pieces can tolerate more heat, silk and TENCEL™ should only be ironed on the lowest setting, ideally with a cloth placed between the iron and the fabric.

Synthetic materials should also be ironed on a low setting — or not at all — as the fibres can melt and change their structure when exposed to high heat.

Storing clothes gently: How to keep your wardrobe organised

Proper storage plays a major role in the longevity of your clothing. If textiles are stored incorrectly, you risk misshaping them, attracting moths or developing unpleasant odours — even if the garments were freshly washed. Thoughtful clothing storage helps protect fibres, maintain structure and keep your wardrobe fresh.

Fresh, dry air against unpleasant odours, moths & mould

The first and most important rule: your clothes need space. When garments are packed too tightly, you not only create creases — you also restrict air circulation. This encourages moisture, which can lead to unpleasant odours or even mould.

Give your clothes enough room to maintain their shape and freshness. Make sure your wardrobe stays dry and well‑ventilated. Open it regularly and air out the room several times a day to keep humidity low and fibres protected.

Storing clothes correctly: Extra care for wool

Wool and other natural fibres are often stored away seasonally. Before doing so, make sure to clean each piece thoroughly so that dirt and sweat don’t attract moths. Lavender sachets or cedar wood also help keep clothes moths at bay without stressing the fibres.

For particularly delicate items, it’s best to store them in breathable garment bags, which protect against dust without trapping moisture. This prevents unpleasant odours and mould and keeps your wool pieces in excellent condition.

Sorting by material: How to protect delicate pieces

Sorting your clothes by material not only helps you stay organised — it also prevents sturdier garments from damaging more delicate ones. For fine blouses or silk nightdresses, proper storage is especially important: these pieces should be loosely folded or hung on soft, wide hangers. Narrow wire hangers, on the other hand, can leave marks and distort the shoulder area.

Conclusion: When it comes to laundry care, less is often more

If you care for your clothing properly, you’ll enjoy it for much longer. All it takes is a little knowledge about washing, drying, ironing and storing to significantly extend the lifespan of your garments — whether it’s robust cotton underwear, a delicate silk pyjama or a cosy wool cardigan.

A quick look at the care label tells you everything you need to know about the right washing programme and how to handle sensitive fibres. And here, less is often more: lower washing and ironing temperatures, avoiding harsh detergents and keeping a wardrobe with enough space for air to circulate already make a noticeable difference.

CALIDA’s high‑quality loungewear is designed for exactly this kind of gentle care — whether you choose cotton, TENCEL™, wool or silk. When you wash your garments carefully, dry them properly and store them thoughtfully, you’ll soon notice that investing in premium essentials truly pays off in the long run.