Garment Care

GARMENT CARE GUIDE.

As a general rule we recommend the following care for our garments:

  • machine wash cold with like colours
  • avoid bleach
  • line dry in the shade if possible
  • do not dry clean
  • our prints are fine to iron over (as they are heat cured)
  • designs can fade over time, and fading is hastened by frequent hot washes


By caring for your Tumbleweed garments well you can extend their lives, and reduce each garments carbon footprint by up to 30%.

Here are a few simple tips to help you maximise the life of your garments — keeping both your favourite pieces, and the planet, in better shape:

Wash Less.

By simply airing your garments outside, you can kill bacteria due to the disinfectant properties of the UV light from the sun. Not only is this excellent for the environment, saving a lot of water and energy, washing your clothes less also prolongs the lifetime of your garment as the heat and abrasion involved in laundering are reduced.

Treat Stains.

If you need to treat a stain, instead of throwing the garment in the wash, try spot-treating it instead. Remember, the faster you treat a stain, the more likely it is to be eliminated. Spot treating is far kinder to the planet, your garment, and your wallet too. Plus, a more targeted clean stands a much better chance against that stain on your favourite tee.

Fill Your Washing Machine.

Wait until you have enough to comfortably fill your machine before putting on a wash. Also, make sure you avoid overfilling your machine as heavy loads cause friction which wears clothes out faster and may also result in the garments being poorly washed.

Read the Care Label.

Care labels are there for a reason, so make sure you read them carefully. All our care labels can be found on the underside of the main label.

Choose a Cool Washing Setting.

Modern washing machines and washing powder are able to do some pretty impressive cleaning using low temperatures. This is not only better for the environment, but it also puts less stress on your garments, prolonging their lives. Items such as sheets and underwear may require a slightly hotter temperature, but the majority of your Tumbleweed wardrobe will benefit from a cool wash. Try avoid washing machines with centre agitators as they aren’t gentle on fabrics, if you have one, choose a slower spin setting to minimise the damage.  

Avoid the Dryer.

Choosing to line dry your garments instead of the dryer is one of the most significant decisions you can make to reduce your environmental impact and keep your garments in good condition.

Sort Accordingly.

Sort your laundry to make sure you’re washing similar colours and types (heavier verses more delicate garments) together to avoid laundry casualties. An important thing to remember is to make sure no garments are going to cause harm to others mid-wash — close zippers, remove anything from pockets, unbutton buttons, etc. 

Don't Dry Clean.

Traditional dry-cleaning is generally pretty harsh on the environment, and most dry-cleaners use the chemical Perc, which causes health issues and contributes to air pollution — so it’s really not a great option for anyone. Luckily, none of our garments require dry-cleaning so this can be avoided altogether.

Reduce Microplastics.

Fibrous Synthetic fabrics made from polyester and nylon shed microplastics when they are put through the wash. Microplastics are small pieces of plastic, less than 5mm in length. The majority of our garments are made of 100% natural fibres, which means they’re biodegradable and break down.

However, for the small portion of synthetic fabrics we do use, and for other synthetic items in your wardrobe, we recommend using a Guppy Friend washing bag. The Guppy Friend collects microplastics that come off garments in the wash and prevents the microplastics from getting out in the water supply.

Repurpose.

Being responsible for your garments when they’re no longer able to be worn plays a part in looking after our planet. Around 75% of garments are sent to landfill by consumers, which means most of our clothes get put in a pile, generating methane as the waste decomposes. Keeping clothes out of landfill is therefore always the best option. So, when you think need to dispose of them try mending or passing them on.

In order to decompose our garments, remove any non-natural fabric parts like thread (this can also be removed after the fabric has decomposed), labels, buttons, zippers, or snaps. Shred the fabric as much as possible (smaller pieces will decompose faster). Next, put the shredded fabric in your compost bin or bury it in your garden, mixing 2 parts soil to 1 part fabric. Within a year the fabric should have decomposed.

There are plenty of options to extend the lifecycle of your garments, saving you from making additional purchases and therefore reducing your environmental impact.