Embroidery is wearable art that can make ordinary clothes extraordinary. You can make your dress unique by painting flowers, animals, fruits, and other colorful patterns. However, these clothes are very graceful, so they need to be treated gently. In this article, we will teach you how to wash and care for embroidered clothes.
What is embroidery?
An embroidery is an art form that involves stitching decorative patterns onto fabric using thread or floss. It provides texture and eye-catching imagery that makes plain clothes stand out. Some pieces of embroidery become family heirlooms that can be passed down from one generation to another.
How is embroidery done?
You can embroider by hand or use an embroidering machine to create intricate designs. Hand embroidery uses thread and needles to create delicate stitches.
On the other hand, specialized sewing machines can produce up to 1200 zigzag stitches per minute using different colored threads. For more complex designs, you can use embroidery software.
Embroidery Digitizing Services
How can you care for embroidered clothes before washing them?
If you are planning to make embroidered clothes, you need to consider the following tips to ensure that your clothes will be safe during washing.
- Use good quality embroidery thread or floss – make sure you only use colorfast thread. This high-quality thread won’t fade in the wash and lasts longer than cheap ones that fade over time.
- Knot all embroidery stitches – The stitches on your garment are subject to friction and movement during washing, so knotting is a great idea. When the stitches are not secured well, there is a chance that they will loosen or fall out.
- Apply an embroidery stabilizer to the back of your garment – There are iron-on embroidery stabilizers that you can apply to your garments to ensure that the stitches don’t come loose. This product reduces friction, especially during washing and ironing.
What are the types of embroidered clothes?
- Sweaters – Due to the growing athleisure trend, many stylish people are wearing sweaters. A cozy neutral-colored sweater with embroidered flowers on the sleeves and shoulders is the perfect top for jeans.
- Denim Skirts – Denim skirts have been in fashion for years and are still a must-have in any wardrobe. An embroidered skirt is a hot weather outfit that stands out from the crowd.
- Pinstripe Shirts – Jazz up your pinstripe shirts with embroidered different designs like flowers, leaves, or cherries. Additional details can turn this simple outfit into an interesting piece.
Washing Embroidered Clothes By Hand
Hand washing is the safest and most common way to clean clothes with delicate stitches.
Here are the steps to hand wash your embroidered clothes.
Steps for washing hand embroidered clothes:
- If possible, use mild soap and cool water. Keep away from using bleach, chlorine, or sodium carbonate on your clothes.
- Place your clothes in a basin or soapy water bath and let them soak for a few minutes. Stir it every 30 seconds.
- Carefully add soapy water.
- Fill it again with clean, warm water and rinse the cloth.
- Continue rinsing until there are no soap marks on your clothes.
- On your last bud, add a tablespoon of vinegar to restore the thread’s shine.
3 tips for hand washing your embroidered clothes:
- Make sure that the basin or sink you will be using does not contain any residues of chemicals or other cleaning agents that could damage your clothes.
- It is recommended to use liquid soap as it is easy to wash off and leaves less residue.
- Avoid twisting or twisting the fabric. Remember that friction can damage delicate fabric stitches.
Washing Embroidered Clothes Using A Machine
Due to the delicate nature of embroidered clothing, it is not recommended to use a washing machine to clean it. There is a chance that the stitches will come loose after a few washes. Machine-washed embroidered garments also wear out quickly.
However, you can still use a washing machine when there is no other option. It is best to take extra precautions to maintain the beauty and strength of your embroidered clothes.
It would be a good idea not to wash your embroidered clothes through the washing machine too often so that they last longer. Some occasions may be harmless, but to be safe, don’t do it regularly.
Here are the steps to use the washing machine:
Steps to use washing machine to clean embroidered clothes:
- Use a soft brush to gently remove dirt or food debris from your clothes.
- Check the label on your garment and make sure you follow the care instructions.
- Turn your clothes inside out, making sure the back of the embroidery is visible.
- Place the garment inside a laundry bag before throwing it in the washing machine.
- Use a delicate washing machine setting.
- Fill your washing machine with cold water. The maximum temperature should be 30ͦC.
- Remove the garment from the washing machine immediately after the wash cycle.
8 tips for using your washing machine to wash your embroidered clothes
- Avoid soaking embroidered clothes in the washer for too long. Also, don’t leave it on the pile when wet.
- Avoid cleaning embroidered clothes. Always think of them as fragile objects.
- Don’t use your spin dryer after the wash cycle. We will discuss drying techniques later in this article.
- Check the content of your base fabric before throwing it in the washer. Most embroideries on nylon, cotton, and polyester fabrics are stronger than others so they can withstand machine washing.
- If your main fabric is silk or wool, avoid washing them completely in the washing machine.
- If possible, do not wash embroidered clothes with other clothes. Avoid mixing them with other clothes with zippers, snaps, or studs.
- Please do not wash with other colored fabrics as their colors may bleed onto your embroidered clothes.
- Keep away from using chlorine bleach or other harsh cleaning agents.
Drying embroidered clothes
Drying is playing important role in keeping your embroidered clothes clean. Here are some ways to keep your delicates dry longer.
4 steps to dry embroidered clothes:
- After washing, squeeze out excess water. Remember, do this gently so as not to damage the stitches.
- Place the cloth between two dry and clean towels.
- Gently pat the top towel and smooth it with your hands to remove excess moisture.
- If the towels become too wet, place the fabric on another dry towel and air dry.
4 tips for drying your embroidered clothes:
- Never wring, pulling, or folding your wet embroidered garments. Doing these things can loosen your stitches.
- Avoid drying your embroidery on the clothesline.
- Do not use a spin dryer to dry your clothes.
- Avoid leaving your embroidered garment in a damp place while its air dries.
Ironing embroidered clothes
Ironing makes your clothes look beautiful. Ironing an embroidered garment is perfectly fine as long as you follow these simple steps.
4 steps to ironing embroidered clothes:
- Turn your dress inside out. Confirm that to iron it on the wrong side.
- Place a soft, thick towel on your ironing board and place the fabric on top of it before ironing.
- Use the heat setting suggested on the garment’s care label.
- If you need to iron your dress or shirt right side out, place a pressing cloth between the embroidery and the iron. This method will prevent the stitches from melting or tearing.
3 tips for ironing your embroidered clothes:
- Don,t be apply steam or moisture to the fabric before pressing.
- Confirm that the iron is clean before using it.
- If there is no care label on the garment, use low to medium temperature to be safe.
Conclusion
Embroidered Clothes are delicate pieces of art that require extreme care. So much effort has gone into creating beautiful stitches, so they deserve to be washed, dried, and stored properly. Please follow the tips that we have mentioned so that you do not face any problems in preserving the beauty of your embroidered masterpieces.
First, turn the dress inside out, so that only the back of the embroidery is visible. This will help protect the embroidery during the wash cycle. -Place clothes inside a laundry bag before putting them in the washing machine. -Ksenia recommends letting clothing air dry.
A mildly scented soap like Soak Wash is a good choice because it’s gentle and eco-friendly to boot, but regular dish soap works too. Pre-wash your quilt under cold running water. Submerge the piece in soapy water and let it soak for 15 minutes to 1 hour. Gently swish it around each time.
All embroidered garments should be washed with mild detergent. Avoid using chlorine bleach or optical brightening agents. If bleach is required for washing, use non-chlorine bleach according to product instructions. Machine wash in cold water.
Soak embroidered clothes.
You want to keep them as white as possible, but using harsh bleaches and detergents can damage the fibers. For a gentle but effective cleaning, soak your tablecloths, napkins, and runners in hot water for 15 minutes. Next, add some mild, phosphate-free soap to your water and scrub your fabric around.
Wash the floss with warm water and mild suds, rinsing well to remove the suds and excess dye. Lay the strips flat to dry, making sure they are dry before sewing. Then, when the finished piece needs to be washed, you can machine wash it and dry it, using regular settings.
