Textile and Garment Care
Textile and Garment Care
This domain tests care-label reading, fibre-specific washing and ironing, drying and stain removal. Answers should match the method to the fibre rather than give one universal routine.
Care rules
- Read the five-symbol care label: wash tub, triangle, square, iron and circle.
- Cotton usually tolerates hot washing and hot ironing; wool needs cool hand washing, flat drying and low ironing; silk needs mild detergent and no wringing; polyester needs warm washing and low ironing.
- Chlorine bleach damages wool and silk; oxygen bleach is safer for many coloured cotton articles.
- Stain removal: blot, do not rub. Treat protein stains with cold water; grease with an absorbent or solvent; ink with alcohol.
Worked example
A wool sweater is stained with curry. Do not use hot water or chlorine bleach. Blot the excess, pre-treat with a mild surfactant or a wool-safe oxygen bleach, wash in cool water, rinse, and dry flat away from direct sunlight. Reasoning: wool is a protein fibre; hot water and chlorine cause felting and fibre damage, and wringing distorts shape.
Traps
Do not iron polyester at cotton temperature. Do not use chlorine bleach on silk or wool. Do not tumble-dry woollens. Do not rub a stain-it spreads and abrades the fabric.
Key points
- Iron dots indicate temperature: one dot is low, three dots high.
- Wool is washed cool, dried flat and ironed low.
- Chlorine bleach is unsafe for wool and silk.
- Protein stains are treated with cold water, not hot.
- Blotting is safer than rubbing for most stains.