Here are some tips for helping your children’s school uniforms last longer and look great! Following these simple steps will not only extend the life of your school uniform clothes, but may also increase the return on your investment when you use our Uniform Buy-Back program!
Launder jumpers and skirts in cold water, making sure that the washing machine is not overcrowded. Check the item's tag. If the jumper or skirt is 100% polyester, it may be safely bleached occasionally to brighten plaids with a lot of white in them.
Crisp pleats are better maintained if fabric softener is used only sparingly. Hang to dry. The polyester material of most plaid jumpers and skirts will dry quickly.
Press lightly as needed with a warm iron, using steam and firm pressure. For best results, use a cotton pressing cloth over the material to prevent scorching. An old cotton pillow case or a piece of muslin fabric works well. When pressing, remember that steam and pressure are more important than heat. A too-hot iron will literally melt the fabric!
Turn sweaters inside out before washing. Launder sweaters in cold to tepid water. Lay flat or hang to dry. Mild wrinkles can be removed by 10-15 minutes in a warm, not hot, dryer. Avoid using fabric softeners, as they tend to increase pilling.
These methods should reduce pilling. If you experience mild pilling, a garment shaver can be lightly run over the surface. This definitely increases your return if the sweater is part of a uniform buy-back.
Oxfords and Peter Pans may be laundered in warm or cold water and machine dried. If the shirt's cotton content is no more than 65%, chlorine bleach or other whitener may be safely used on all white and pastel colors.
If using bleach or whitener, use warm water, not hot. Hot water actually reduces the effectiveness of bleach, because the active ingredients evaporate before they can do their work.
Underarm yellowing can be prevented or removed by scrubbing with a strong detergent. The yellowing is actually a chalky buildup of antiperspirant and body oils in the fibers of the shirt. The yellow color is worsened by the heat of the dryer, so pretreatment is the best idea. A little elbow grease goes a long way here.
Peter Pan blouses are notorious for accumulating dark colored lint in the pocket and placket (button) areas. This accumulation makes the blouse look dingy. Simply turn the pocket or placket inside out, and brush the lint out with an old toothbrush. You'll be amazed at the difference!
For longer pant life, purchase iron-on knee patches if your child’s pants do not already have them.
Pre-treat grass and dirt-stained knees with a stain pretreatment, such as Shout, or make a paste using powdered detergent and water. Using an old toothbrush, dampen the treated area and scrub gently. Allow to sit before laundering, but do not allow the pretreatment to dry. Launder in cold water and machine dry.
If the knees of a still-fitting pair of pants have been worn pale or have holes, the pants may be cut off and made into shorts. However, due to the large quantity of shorts and pants in our stock, we no longer buy back pants or shorts.
K. Renee's Uniform Closet
5557 East 41st Street
Tulsa, Oklahoma 74135-6008
Phone (918) 627-3341
Toll-Free (877) 627-3341
Copyright © 2008 K. Renee's Uniform Closet. All rights reserved.