As you might have noticed, we do not sew tags into our kit. Why? We hate tags, they annoy us and are only useful if you buy in a shop and need to know what size the item in your hand is; we don’t have that problem. In terms of care instructions, this page is where we keep all the latest info you need to care for your kit. It’s better than a tiny label, as we can include everything we think you need to know and then some more.
Yup!
Very occasionally we machine wash some of the kit we get back from our sewing shop to remove the odd machinist mark. Worry not, as what you have received is unused, just that little bit fresher and ready to go!
The Merino we use is 100% super fine (17-19 micron depending on the material).
Our Merino is good to wear ‘out of the box’. You might find that it develops a slightly ’soapy’ feel as you sweat but that is just post wash agents (from the manufacturing process) coming out of the fabric and will go away after the first wash; wet Merino though does feel a little silky.
To get the best out of your Merino…
- ALWAYS COLD gentle cycle (especially items with mixed colours), using a mild detergent, preferably one that’s bio-organic, as they are not as harsh. Different Merino weaves, as well as Merino from different suppliers, react differently to hot washes and some may shrink a little while others won’t. That’s why we say to always wash in cold to play safe.
- Unless you really have to, the best way to dry, is to ‘hang dry’.
- Front loaders are naturally more gentle than top loaders, so if you are using a top loading machine, we suggest always using a gentle cycle.
- We also suggest you avoid drying your tops in combo washer/dryers (as you find in Europe and now Australia) as we have found that for some reason they are not as gentle as standard dryers and run a lot hotter (personal experience speaking).
To note, after you take your Merino garment out of the washer, you might notice that it may appear twisted, having lost its shape (as you find with cheap cotton T-shirts). Fear not, this is a property of Merino and it will return to shape as it drys.
Merino/Lycra (used in arm and leg warmers), made from 95% Superfine Merino + 5% Spandex, blends require no more care than the above but it should be noted that these fabrics are not quite as hardy as the pure Merino. We do not suggest you place garments made from blended Merino in the dryer at all.
We use a 100% New Zealand made Tactel Lycra, which we regard as one of the very best on the market, even compared against Italian made counterparts. We do not and will not use cheap Lycra type materials from China, ever. Period.
Machine wash and warm tumble dry are both ok, though again line dry is the best option especially where there is a chamois involved.
100% cotton should be cold washed and hung dry when possible. If hang drying is not going to work for you, then we suggest placing it in a warm tumble dry.
Kit made of various different fabrics, ie. cottons and nylon, we suggest to cold wash in a gentle cycle and hang dry only.
