Free tool 11

Fabric Care Assistant

Pick a fabric to see how to wash, dry, iron and store it. Always follow the garment’s care label first.

Your result will appear here.

How to measure

Example: wool washes at 30 °C on a wool or hand-wash cycle and dries flat.

General guidance only. Finishes, dyes, linings and trims change what a garment can take — the care label always wins.

Fabric care at a glance
Fabric	Max wash	Method	Drying	Ironing
Cotton	40 °C	Machine wash, normal cycle	Tumble low or line dry	Hot iron
Linen	40 °C	Machine wash, gentle cycle	Line dry	Hot iron while slightly damp
Wool	30 °C	Hand wash or wool cycle	Dry flat, reshape while damp	Warm iron with steam, under a cloth
Cashmere	30 °C	Hand wash only	Dry flat, reshape while damp	Steam only, or cool iron
Silk	30 °C	Hand wash only	Line dry in the shade	Cool iron on the reverse
Polyester	40 °C	Machine wash, normal cycle	Tumble dry low	Cool iron
Viscose / rayon	30 °C	Hand wash or delicate cycle	Line dry in the shade	Cool iron on the reverse
Denim	30 °C	Machine wash inside out, rarely	Line dry	Warm iron
Leather	Do not wash	Wipe with a damp cloth; specialist clean for stains	Air dry away from heat	Do not iron
Suede	Do not wash	Brush with a suede brush; specialist clean for stains	Air dry away from heat	Do not iron
Down	30 °C	Gentle cycle with down detergent	Tumble low with dryer balls until fully dry	Do not iron
Acrylic	30 °C	Machine wash, gentle cycle	Dry flat or tumble low	Cool iron

Can I put leather in the washing machine?

No. Wipe leather with a damp cloth, condition it occasionally and send heavy stains to a leather specialist.

How do I stop wool from shrinking?

Use cool water, a wool detergent, minimal agitation and dry it flat. Heat plus agitation causes felting.