Laundry is a simple, right?, a straightforward task for most people you’d think. Although, have you actually thought about the kinds of chemicals contained in most laundry detergents? Most of this stuff doesn’t wash out in the rinse like you might think and can be absorbed into your uniform.
Knowing what chemicals we are putting in our clothes washes, can be incredibly important for protecting the workwear making it last longer and look better.
So, your company has just purchased a batch of workwear for the workforce. Regardless of the size of your team, due to economies of scale the investment makes an impact to the company’s bottom line. You are handed a set of crisp new clothing to represent your company in a really professional manner which helps with their brand awareness and best of all brings you all closer as part of a team.
You get it home after a long day and throw it in the wash as you would with your other clothes and when it comes out… uh oh, it’s been dyed a totally different colour, or you’ve tumble dried it and it’s shrunk because the temperature settings were too high. Now you have to go back your boss and ask for another set (not exactly a great impression).
Washing Uniform
The main thing that people often forget or fail to realise is that your work uniform is often made from a totally different fabric than what you would normally wear at home and for good reason. Workwear is often manufactured to requirement and as such will have very different behaviours to a normal garment from home when you wash it.
Stop Laundering So Often
Most people often want to wash an item of clothing after wearing it only once. But washing is the fastest way to help the fibers break down. The fewer times you have to wash, the longer it will last.
It’s fine to drape a worn (but clean) garment it over surfaces like your dressing table or a chair, just make sure you don’t drop it on the floor. Once clothes are on the floor, they will need to be washed before being worn again, but a carefully draped sweatshirt or jacket will live to see out another day.
Wash in Colder Water
People who wash their clothing in colder water will not only notice a drop in their energy bills very quickly. In addition, many fabrics (especially nylon and elastics) hold up better when subjected to less heat. Colder water detergents are designed to remove dirt even without the help of hot water, but even normal detergent will work well.
Obey the Laws of Colour Separation
At the end of a long day, with loads and loads of laundry facing you, it can be tempting to just throw the reds in with the blues, but try to keep like colours washed with like colours. Reds and blues fade easily and everyone knows how one red sock can turn a whole load of whites a light shade of rose. Try your best to keep dissimilar colours apart in the laundry.
Ironing Uniforms
Think about a uniform with a heat transfer. Imagine washing the garment and then you come to iron and its in a pile of clothes so you plough right ahead and iron over the top of the heat transferred logo of your company and melt it, oh dear, problem. Taking care of your workwear at home is really important to it lasting, after all, you want it to remain comfortable to wear for as long as possible.
Tip: Turning the garment inside and placing a thick tea towel between the surface of the iron and the transfer will prevent it from melting but allow enough heat to get rid of creases.
Tumble Drying
So you have a standard polo Shirt from work. You throw it into the tumble dryer to get it dry in time for work…only when it comes out it doesn’t fit! – oops. Certain fabrics will shrink under certain temperatures so you may need to dry for longer on a lower temperature or as use alternative methods like a clothes horse/rail or outdoors where possible.
A great drying technique is to place on a radiator for a few minutes to heat the garment then turn inside out and place back on a radiator again for a few more mins then hang up. The increase in temperature to both the interior and exterior will dry the surface moisture and make drying much faster without causing the garment to shrink. This will also prevent your collar from curling too :)
Dry Clean Only
Be aware of the tags within clothing, many will be a red alert for whether or not you should wash the clothing yourself or have it steam cleaned at the dry cleaners.
Colour Choices
When you pick your workwear in the first place, think about where your uniform is being worn. If you are buying polo shirts to be worn by gardeners, maybe white might not be the best choice. In the garage industry, we tend to see mechanics wearing dark coloured shirts under their overalls and front of house staff wear light colours.
MyWorkwear
Use these tips to help you make your workwear last longer and believe it or not your boss will really appreciate the fact that your uniform has lasted so well. This will help the company save money, help the environment and give your wardrobe a much better feel too.
If your company is in need of workwear or you think your uniform is tired and needs help, MyWorkwear has a range of thousands of quality products designed to stand the test of time. Get in touch with our knowledgeable team on sales@myworkwear.co.uk or 01952585881
Drop a hint to your boss, who knows they might let you choose it ;)
James Worthington is Co-Owner and Co-Managing Director of MyWorkwear, having taken over the business from his father and founder of the company, Mike. James has decades of experience in the workwear industry, supporting businesses across the UK with their workwear requirements.
