Polyester and polyester blends care guide
Resilient and built to last, polyester is a man-made synthetic fibre, which, along with polyester blends, can be washed at 30 degrees, which is more planet friendly. Keep your polyester clothing looking its best with the following washing tips from OB’s Garment Technologist, Breda Conlon.
How to wash polyester
1. Select the synthetic cycle on your washing machine and a temperature of 30 degrees.
2. Turn your garment inside out.
3. Put your item into a mesh washing bag if you have one – this will help to prevent snags and damage to the item.
4. Wash your garment with similar colours and don’t overload the machine as this will cause more creasing in your clothing.
5. Add suitable detergent to your machine according to the load size. You can also add fabric softener as this will help to reduce any static and will allow the fibres to relax, which will reduce creases.
6. Once the wash cycle is complete, remove your garment and place on a hanger to allow it to dry naturally.
7. Once dry, you can use a warm iron on the reverse of the item, or using a pressing cloth, if required.
Can you iron polyester?
Yes, you can. Here are Breda’s tips for how to remove wrinkles from polyester.
1. Make sure you have a padded ironing board, a steam iron with a clean baseplate, a spray water bottle and a thin tea towel to use as a pressing cloth.
2. Select the Polyester temperature setting on the iron or set it to medium (around 110 to 150C), or lower if it’s a lightweight fabric.
3. Spritz the fabric to dampen and steam-iron in long, slow strokes, using the pressing cloth to avoid adding shiny marks to the fabric.
4. Air-dry your garment on a coat hanger while it’s still slightly damp.