Cherished by many people, wax print fabrics, whether bought or gifted are the real African fashion attires. They reflect the personality of the wearer and are designed specifically for special events and occasions.
The color, patterns, and overall designs depict the cultural heritage and maintain the fabric’s luster. It is for this reason that taking care of it during washing becomes imperative.
Below are tips to help you take care of your wax print fabric garment.
- Perform a Color Test
Print fabric garments usually have the patterns engraved on them using the textile printing process. The colors bind with the fiber of the garments in a way that they resist washing and friction. However, it is imperative to test this before you start washing your print fabric.
Take a damp white cloth and then rub it on the fabric. If the color of the fabric stains the white cloth, it will be prudent to wash it separately from other clothes.
- Wash Separately from Other Clothes
For you to retain the original color shades of the fabric, it is good to wash them separately from other clothes. Washing them together with dark garments that are bleeding color should be avoided as the print fabric can get stained, and they can lose their sheen.
- Use Proper Washing Machine Settings.
You can opt to hand wash or use a washing machine to wash your print fabric. Though, when you opt for the latter, it is good to pay attention to the machine settings. Using the wrong machine settings will probably damage your print fabric garments.
Select the non-spin option and set the temperature to below 30 degrees since high temperatures can damage the fabric. Likewise, use mild detergents as strong ones can result in the print fabric colors coming off.
- Dry Appropriately
After washing, proceed to hang your garments to dry. Drying it under shade is recommended as too much exposure to the sun can damage the fabric and the color leading them to fade. Usually, the print fabric will take up to 5 hours to dry on a sunny day.
- Iron Inside Out
Once the print fabric garments have completely dried, proceed to iron them. The best way to do that is by ironing the garments inside out. Ironing inside out will minimize the contact of the color with the iron box’s heat. Correspondingly, ensure that the ironing setting is on low heat as the excessive heat can damage the fabric and remove the color.
After ironing, store the garments in a cool and dry place out of children’s reach. It is recommended to store the wax print fabric garments in one place.
- Seek Professional Cleaning Services
In case you find the above step challenging, and you do not want to risk damaging your print fabric garments, you can proceed to hire professional cleaning services.
If you have large quantities of wax print fabrics, then professional cleaning services will come in handy. Nevertheless, ensure that you check the company status beforehand. The best cleaning companies to choose are those that specialize in washing African fabrics.