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Washing symbols, most suitable fabrics, sustainability and how to preserve your work uniform

Make your choice of professional clothing more positive and better. Want to know how to wash your uniform? How to decipher the washing symbols? What’s the best way to remove stubborn stains?

Discover our tips, tricks and cleaning hints and learn how to take the best care of the professional clothing you wear every day in the course of your work!

  • Basic rules

Don’t let clothes get too dirty. Don’t store wet clothes or leave them on the floor. Separate them properly according to the conservation symbols.

Fabrics that are heavily soiled should be washed immediately. Fresh stains are easier to remove than dry ones.

  • Machine washing

Empty pockets, turn shirtsleeves inside out, undo buttons, raise collars and zip up before washing to avoid damaging the rest of the garment. Wash the most delicate items in a mesh bag.

Always separate accessories that are susceptible to rust, such as buckles, buttons, etc.

Remove rust stains with a suitable stain remover before washing. Follow the instructions for use and dosage of soap or detergent. Do not overfill the washing machine. Never reach the maximum temperature indicated and always pay close attention to the washing symbols on the garment’s label.

  • Hand washing

Before washing your work clothes, check that no items have been left inside the pockets.

This wash is recommended for garments with multiple colors, prints and embroidery that deserve delicate treatment. Always use cold water without soaking. It is important that the soap or detergent dissolves completely before you start washing.

Don’t rub the garment, gently squeeze it. Leave to dry thoroughly.

“Don’t keep your work clothes in bags. These retain moisture, which ends up turning the garments yellow and sometimes moldy.”

  • Drying

Fold heavy clothes so that they don’t become deformed. Do not expose your professional clothes to the sun or strong wind, especially if they are colored. If you dry them on an indoor balcony, make sure there are air currents. For knitted items, leave them to dry on a surface without hanging or exposing them to the sun or radiator. Clothes prone to deformation should be stretched out to dry so that they recover their shape. Here it is also very important to check the washing and drying symbols on the garment’s label.

  • How to iron

Separate the garments according to the symbols on the label and start ironing at the lowest temperature.

Remove any residue with a damp cloth. Beware of metal coatings on ironing boards.

“Never mix white and black garments in the wash, or light and dark garments.

Always follow the manufacturer’s instructions – these are on the garments and contain very important information about the specifics of each type of fabric.”

Professional uniforms are increasingly seen not just as a way of standardizing employees, but as a company’s business card, responsible for building a stronger corporate identity.

For many companies, professional clothing is a constant concern, as it also has a very direct link to the well-being of their employees, as well as inspiring confidence in those who come into contact with that same organization or brand.

Because of all this importance, you should take care with your professional clothing, both in the process of choosing the right garments and in the maintenance that helps them last.

  • Care to take

High temperatures are always bad for fabrics

When it comes to stains that are more difficult to remove, look for a more professional wash

Use neutral detergents for delicate fabrics

Dissolve the detergent well so as not to cause stains on your professional clothing

Jeans: They discolor naturally, so wash them separately or with similarly colored garments. Always turn the garment inside out when washing, do not use stain removers or dry clean. Prefer bleach to bleach; bleach wears down the fibers of professional clothing fabrics.

Always dry clean garments with linings and interlinings

Always pay close attention to the washing symbols on the labels of each garment

“Synthetic fabrics (100% polyester, nylon, lycra) are highly sensitive to heat, so they should be washed in cold water, ironed at low temperatures and without steam.
Always check the label with the composition of the fabric.”

Fabrics and their characteristics – Washing symbols

Through our professional experience and all our knowledge in the production of professional clothing, we leave you with a short description of some of the compositions of our garments. Our focus is on being able to offer you an excellent quality product capable of providing you with all the comfort, protection and elegance you need.

Cotton

A natural product of vegetable origin. The main advantages of cotton fabric are:

  • being a fabric with a good absorption rate, which makes it more pleasant; the more cotton the garment has, the more comfortable it will be.
  • It allows the body to breathe better and has the advantage of being able to withstand higher washing temperatures without being damaged.
  • has good chemical stability, which makes it more resistant to contact with water and light.

Polyester

Today, polyester is a very popular fabric. With the discovery of microfibers, which allow polyester to have a softer touch, this fabric is very well established on the market.

  • Among the advantages of polyester is its great durability. If you need to buy a garment that is going to get a lot of wear and tear (such as professional clothing) it is worth investing in garments that have a high percentage of polyester.
  • Other characteristics of this type of fabric are that it is more resistant to wrinkles and therefore easier to iron. It also dries quickly and is resistant to abrasion.

Cotton and polyester blend

Polyester has been combined with cotton fabrics to solve some of the problems people would have wearing 100% cotton garments.

All kinds of clothes would wrinkle very easily due to the absorption of all the natural fibers.

  • Polyester helps to keep its shape and color, and can be cleaned easily due to the different types of treatment applied to the fabric during the manufacturing process.
  • Blends of polyester and cotton are known for their durability and versatility.

“Cotton is a natural fiber of plant origin.
The composition is essentially cellulose and the average fiber length varies from two to four centimeters. The longer the cotton fibers, the better their quality.”

Viscose

Shine: As desired, from highly lustrous to deeply opaque.

Heat retention: Satisfactory

The soft touch offers a “skin on skin” feeling. Even after many washes, Modal remains as soft as on the first day.

Modal* absorbs 50% more moisture than cotton. So the skin stays dry and can breathe.

*Modal is a generic name for rayon, a fiber manufactured by the viscose process, which has high tenacity and a high modulus of elasticity to moisture.

The best blend:

  • With polyester: High wearing comfort, high durability
  • With polyamide: High wearing comfort, soft touch
  • With cotton: More attractive look of the products, silkier shine, soft and fresh

Meaning of the washing symbols

Each clothing label must state the composition of the fabric and include the washing symbols. Below you can find out the meaning of the various washing symbols that can be displayed on your garments.

Blog article on washing symbols

The garment can be washed by hand or in the washing machine

Article on washing symbols

The straight line below the container indicates that the garment can be washed in the washing machine, but with a more delicate wash. You will need to use gentler washing programs with shorter spin times.

Uniform washing symbols

Whenever this symbol appears, it means that the garment should only be washed by hand.

4

Maximum temperature of 95 °C. Washed with normal mechanical action and normal spinning. Normal process

5

Maximum temperature of 60 °C. Washed with normal mechanical action and normal spinning. Solid colored cotton items: work clothes, shirts, etc.

6

Maximum temperature of 40 °C. Washed with normal mechanical action and gentle spinning. Cotton and polyester items, solid colored cotton, polyamide (nylon) items.

7

Maximum temperature of 40 °C. Wash with reduced mechanical action and gentle spinning. Colored synthetic fiber articles, knitted garments and wool garments with anti-shrinkage treatment

Nurse and Nurse dressed in white pants and a blue tunic with a white contrast to be used as a work uniform manufactured by Unifardas

9

Do not wash

10

The garment can be treated with chlorine additives and also bleach based on active oxygen

11

Chlorine bleaching allowed

12

Bleach prohibited

13

The dots on the inside of the iron indicate the maximum ironing temperature

14

Low temperature: maximum 110 °C. Natural silk, acrylic acetate, lycra

15

Medium temperature: maximum 150 °C. Wool, polyester blend

16

High temperature: maximum 200 °C. Cotton, linen

17

No ironing

“Behave sustainably when ironing your clothes. Avoid leaving the iron on when you’re not using it.”

18

The letters inside the circle indicate the different solvents used in dry cleaning

19

Cleaning with all common solvents

20

Dry cleaning with perchlorethylene

21

Hydrocarbon dry cleaning

22

Do not dry clean

“Drying clothes in a natural way is an excellent way to ensure good environmental sustainability.
Sunlight is naturally antibacterial, eliminating bacteria that can survive washing, including those that cause clothes to smell bad and those that can have an impact on health.”

23

Machine-dryable at low temperatures

24

Machine-dryable at normal temperature

Do you know how to remove stubborn stains?

In the course of your work activities there is a high probability that you will stain your Professional Clothing with various products or substances. So here’s a guide on how to remove these stains quickly and effectively.

  • Removing adhesive stains – Apply nail polish remover to the professional garment (except for synthetic fabrics such as nylon and polyester), then wash with a good detergent according to the label with the washing symbols.
  • Removing glue from your work uniform – Removing glue from clothes can be a real nightmare and can easily damage a piece of clothing. In many industries this is a very common occurrence. Glue stains tend to get deep into the fibers of fabrics, destroying your work clothes. To prevent this from happening, here are some solutions to help you combat this problem.
  • Remove the glue – Make sure the glue is dry. Using a dull knife, scrape away the glue to remove as much as possible.
  • Soakin water – Next, soak the piece in warm water for 2 hours. This process will soften the glue residue and help remove the stain completely.
  • Apply detergent – Remove the garment from the water and apply a little detergent to the stain. For better product absorption, massage the stain area in small circles. After removing the stain, wash the garment, always paying attention to the washing symbols. If the glue stain persists, you can use vinegar as an alternative. Dampen a cloth with water and wipe over the stain in a circular motion. Put a little vinegar on the stain and rub it over the affected area. Then wash the garment according to the washing instructions.
  • Removing Ink Stains – Including ballpoint pen and felt tip. Soak the Workwear garment overnight in cold water containing a little washing detergent, then put it through the washing process with the most suitable detergent, always respecting the washing symbols. Rinse the oldest stains with nail polish remover (not suitable for synthetic fabrics) and wash as normal.
  • Remove rust stains – Brush off excess rust stains. For normal fabrics, rinse in cold water to dilute the stain, before soaking in a container of water mixed with 3 tablespoons of baking powder for 30 minutes. Then wash according to the washing symbols using a liquid detergent.

Remove oil stains in 3 steps

1 – Place a little talcum powder directly on the stain and press gently so that it absorbs the oil grease. Then remove the excess talcum powder.

2 – Apply a little detergent to the stain and rub it in well. Leave it on for 5 minutes so that the fabric absorbs the detergent.

3 – Wash your garment as usual, always paying attention to the washing symbols.

Removing chewing gum from your work clothes – Remove the gum when it is hard, then place the garment in a small plastic bag in the freezer or put ice on the gum (keep this process going for at least 30 minutes). Once hardened, it will break easily. Then wash the garment, paying attention to the washing symbols.

Tips to help you make your workwear washing more sustainable

Although it may seem like an insignificant task, washing clothes has a bigger impact on the planet than you might think. Between 75% and 80% of the life cycle impact of our clothes comes from washing and drying, as it takes a lot of energy to heat the wash water and run the drying cycle. Therefore, there is enormous potential to reduce your use of energy and water consumption, i.e. your environmental footprint.

A nurse dressed in a gray tunic and pants and a nurse dressed in a navy blue tunic and pants for a healthcare work uniform.

7 tips to help make your washing process more sustainable

  • Don’t wash so often – There are some items of clothing such as socks, underwear and even sportswear that need to be washed after use. But for the majority of clothing, including professional clothing, washing less often can be a very acceptable behavior and a good solution.

First of all, washing your clothes less often helps their durability even more. Each wash wears down the fiber of the garment, making it more “fragile”. And secondly, you save water and energy between washes.

  • Use full loads – Each washload consumes an abundance of water and electricity, even the smallest loads of laundry. In order to make the wash cycle more efficient, it is recommended to use a larger amount of laundry in each of these cycles. However, this doesn’t mean that you should overfill your washing machine, as overfilling can make it difficult to clean the work clothes. For top-loading machines, a good rule of thumb is to fill the drum no more than two-thirds full.

Washing with full loads not only saves water and energy, but can also help you save time.

  • Opt for HE (high efficiency) equipment when possibleHigh efficiency washing machines are specially designed to use fewer resources with an average of 25% less energy and 30% less water compared to so-called traditional washing machines.

These same washing machines are also designed to use less detergent, which helps to further reduce their carbon footprint. Always pay close attention to the washing symbols.

  • Use cold water in the washing process – When starting the washing process for a load of laundry, you can save energy by selecting the program setting for cold. First of all, around 75% of the energy used on laundry goes into heating the water. Therefore, by using a cold wash, you can reduce the amount of energy you use for each load. Secondly, washing clothes in cold water helps their durability. Warm or hot water can shrink or even fade garments. As cold water is gentler on fabrics, your garments are better protected during washing.

“Choose an eco-friendly detergent – When it comes to washing powder, there are countless options on the market. Unfortunately, most of them are anything but sustainable. Many conventional detergents use aggressive chemicals that can pollute waterways and irritate sensitive skin.
Fortunately, there are eco-friendly detergents that help you enjoy clean, fresh clothes without a negative impact on the planet. One option is waste-free washing capsules. These capsules are made from gentle but effective ingredients, with sustainable packaging and no plastic waste!”

  • Dry your work clothesoutdoors – Drying clothes outdoors in the sun and wind is the most sustainable way to do it. As well as saving money and being more sustainable, the sun and the air have an antibacterial effect, ridding clothes of dust mites and bad smells and also helping to whiten white clothes.
  • Use the dryer wisely – If you can’t dry your work clothes outdoors, make intelligent use of your dryer as follows (always pay attention to the washing and drying symbols):
    Use a full load, but don’t overfill the dryer. That way your clothes have room to dry well and more quickly
    Separate lighter and heavier garments into separate drying rooms. Lightweight fabrics like shirts or t-shirts dry faster than heavier fabrics. Separating them helps prevent lighter fabrics from over-drying
    Clean the filter after each drying. This allows the air to flow so that your dryer works more efficiently
    If possible, do one drying after the other, this allows you to use the heat from a previous drying. This way your washer won’t need as much energy to heat up.

Using these tips will help you save energy and enjoy clean, soft work clothes.

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