The new school year is well underway started and with two children now in school uniform my laundry basket is facing new increased demands with the addition of Diva G’s school dresses, skirts and cardigans to the existing mountain Lil H creates of shorts, shirts, jumpers, socks, sports kit etc.
So, how do you wash school uniforms to get the best results? I’ll be honest I do what I’m told when it comes to washing! Here’s how my mum tells me to do mine by Claire aged *cough* 40 years old!
1. Use a stain remover on any bad stains – Vanish is she who must be obeyed weapon of choice.
2. Before washing turn everything inside out, this really helps to prevent colours fading.
3. Wash separately, divide uniform into similar coloured loads, here’s mine:
- I always wash jumpers and cardi’s together.
- Grey school wear such as trousers, skirts, pinafores and grey socks create a load.
- Coloured polo shirts another.
- Whites shirts (fasten velcro at neck first to avoid catching) & white socks create my final load.
4. Wash using a cool temperature and gentle cycle, I wash everything at 30° with the exception of whites which I do at 40°
5. Use a mild detergent – less is more, too much detergent can cause clothes to feel and uncomfortable. I generally use liquid detergents in pouches as well as bottles, I have quite a collection, look …
Here’s my recipe for washing success …
- Trousers, skirts & pinafores Use dark wash detergent at 30°
- White shirtsUse white gel capsules & Dr Beckham Glowhite at 40°
- Coloured polo shirtsUse non bio or colour capsules for those loads with more staining at 30°
- Jumpers & cardi’sUse dark wash detergent at 30° (can be washed with greys)
5. Add an antibacterial laundry cleanser. Washing at low temperatures cleans clothes but doesn’t kill the bugs and viruses. Those nasties are the things that can keep the school uniform hanging in the wardrobe and your little ones absent from school. I add two capfuls of Dettol Anti-bacterial Laundry Cleanser to the fabric softener drawer to kill 99.9% of bacteria every time you wash.
6. When it comes to drying I avoid the tumble drier whenever possible and line dry but I live in England so I am evangelical about my Victorian pulley drying rack which lives in my utility room. If you have space get one!
7. White shirts and polo shirts I dry hung on hangers and they little very little if any ironing afterwards.
That’s how I do mine, pretty much every day the washing machine is on at Villa Lancaster. Lil H has polo shirts and jumpers which have survived three years well enough to be handed down to Diva G or passed on to friends little boys. I think me and my mum are pretty good when it comes to washing school uniform! How about you? Do have any top tips when it comes to washing school uniforms? Share your tips on a comment or tweet me @Cheshire_Claire
P.s. Thanks to the Dettol PR team for sending me a bottle of Dettol Anti-bacterial Laundry Cleanser I go through about one a month since it came on the market so it is appreciated. Dettol Anti-bacterial Laundry Cleanser is available at all the usual supermarkets priced at £4.50.
