Caring for school uniforms washing and stain removal tips

SCHOOL uniforms are an annual expense for those who have school-aged children. They are worn regularly and, as such, need to be able to withstand the physical and environmental stresses placed on them. In many cases, parents even find themselves having to purchase new items during the school term.

As uniforms require regular laundering, the fabric should be strong, having an appropriate fabric weight and thread count; resist dimensional changes; be durable; colorfast to washing and rubbing; and be resistant to abrasion.

In addition to the right fabric, proper care of the uniforms can extend their lifetime.

When caring for any garment, effort must be made to adhere to the requirements of the Wash and Care labels attached, since they guide in maintenance and provide a safe method of caring for a garment, prolonging fit, life and appearance.

Below are some guidelines on the care of a few uniform items, based on their fibre content, extracted from the Textile and Apparel Newsletter 5- Southern University Agricultural Research and Extension Centre.

JUMPERS / SKIRTS / SHORTS

Polyester

Turn inside out and machine or hand wash in cold or warm water (gentle setting for machine wash). Wash only with other 100 percent polyester garments to reduce formation of pills (small balls) on clothing. Line dry or tumble dry on low-medium setting; remove promptly. Use a warm iron only if needed. Do not use spray starch or bleach. Dry-cleaning or professional pressing is recommended on pleated items two to three times a school year to sharpen the pleats.

Polyester / Wool only

Turn inside out and machine or hand wash in cold or warm water (gentle setting for machine wash). Line drying recommended. May tumble dry on low setting; use a warm iron if needed. Do not use spray starch or bleach.

Polyester / Cotton and Polyester / Rayon

Turn inside out and machine or hand wash in cold or warm water (gentle setting for machine wash). Wash dark and red colors separately. Line dry or tumble dry on low-medium setting; remove promptly. Use a warm iron if needed. Do not bleach. This item may have a small percentage of shrinkage. Dry-cleaning is recommended to sharpen pleats.

BLOUSES / SHIRTS

Peter Pan Piped Blouses

Turn inside out and machine wash in cold water (colour piping will run in warm/hot water). If bleeding should occur, wash again in cold water and this will pull colour back out of white blouse. Tumble dry on low setting; remove promptly. Use a low iron if necessary. Use non-chlorine bleach only if needed.

Polyester / Cotton

Machine or hand wash in warm or cold water. Tumble dry on low or medium setting; remove promptly. Use a warm iron if necessary. Use non-chlorine bleach only if needed.

Oxford

Turn inside out and machine wash in warm water. Tumble dry on medium setting; remove promptly. Use warm iron if necessary. Use non-chlorine bleach only if needed. Do not use fabric softeners.

FOR BEST RESULTS

- Turn everything inside out.

- Sort loads by similar colours.

- Be sure to pre-treat any stains on items before washing.

(Machine washing and drying without pre-treating may set stains permanently)

- Use non-chlorine bleach. Use non-chlorine bleach for whites and light colors ONLY. Do not use on dark colors.

- Fabric softeners should be used according to manufacturer’s instructions. To prevent spotting, dilute liquid softener in water before adding it to the laundry.

- Note that dryer sheets may cause oily spots on some fabrics.

- Use a quality detergent

- Zippers, hooks, snaps and buttons should be fastened before washing to prevent snags.

- Do not iron silk-screened logos

- Treat stains early. Fresh stains are easier to remove than old ones. Check that stains are gone before machine drying or ironing. Heat can set some stains permanently.

It is also important to know what the symbols used on the care labels mean. The American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) Guide below explains the most common symbols.

SOME COMMON STAIN REMOVAL TIPS

(Source: Iowa State University- PM-858)

Ink — Apply rubbing alcohol and using a soft brush, rub vigorously. Place a paper towel or piece of cotton to absorb alcohol on underside of stain. Repeat as necessary. Launder with detergent using warm water.

Chewing Gum — Apply ice to harden gum. Crack or scrape off excess. Spray with pretreatment aerosol product. Rub with heavy-duty liquid detergent. Rinse with hot water. Repeat if necessary. Launder.

Protein-based Stains — eg Blood, Cheese sauce, Milk, Ice cream, Mud, White glue, Vomit - If stains are fresh, soak and rub stain in cold water before washing.

If stains are dried or old, scrape or brush off crusted matter (if any), then soak in cold water using a liquid detergent. After treating the stain, launder in warm (not hot) water with detergent, rinse and inspect. If stain remains, soak an additional half-hour, and then rewash.

Oil-based Stains — eg Bacon fat, Butter, Mayonnaise — Apply heavy-duty liquid detergent or powdered detergent mixed with water to make a runny paste on the stain.

Work the detergent into the stain. Wash the garment in hot water (if safe for fabric) using the recommended amount of detergent for a regular laundry load. Rinse and inspect before drying. Repeat if necessary, until removal is complete.

Tannin Stains — eg Berries, Tea, Coffee, Fruit Juice, Soft drinks, Felt-tip watercolour pen or washable ink, Tomato juice — Wash in hot water with detergent. Fresh tannin stains can usually be removed by laundering the fabric using detergent (not soap) in hot water (if safe for the fabric) without any special treatment.

Dye Stains — eg Kool Aid, Mustard, Grass, Colour bleeding in wash (dye transfer) — Dye stains are difficult to remove.

First pretreat the stain with a heavy-duty liquid detergent, then rinse thoroughly. Soak the stained garment in a dilute solution of all-fabric powdered bleach.

If the stain persists, and the garment is white or colorfast, soak in a dilute solution of liquid chlorine bleach and water. Be sure your bleach is fresh. Bleach damage to coloured garments is irreversible. If the stain is not removed in 15 minutes, it cannot be removed with bleach.

To Test Colourfastness

To test a fabric’s colourfastness to liquid chlorine bleach, mix one tablespoon of bleach with ? cup of water. Use an eyedropper or a cotton-tipped swab to put a drop of this solution on a hidden seam or pocket edge inside the garment.

Let the garment stand two minutes, then blot dry. If no colour change occurs, it is safe to use bleach on the garment.

NB — Since bleaches can alter the colour of a fabric as well as the stain, bleach the whole garment; do not try to bleach just the stain.

All the best for the new school term to both parents and students!

(You may contact the Fibre Products Laboratory for additional information at 662-8827 Ext 209 or 223).