GUIDES
Care Instructions
The lifespan of your wardrobe can be significantly extended with proper care and that means more than just washing. Caring for your pieces of clothing includes proper washing, drying, ironing, and storing process.
Knowing how to look after your garments and the different fabrics in your wardrobe will not only extend their durability, but help you avoid the kind of mistakes that turn a favorite into a disaster. No more shrinking pullovers, pink white sweatshirts, or mysteriously appearing holes.
At Miilo, our t-shirts, hoodies, sweatshirts have been prewashed for you, ensuring no bad surprises.
When browsing Miilo’s products, you will be able to find detailed care instructions on the product page and specific to that product.
In this guide you will find more information on how to take care of your favorite tee, your cosiest hoodie or your new embroidered sweatshirt from Miilo.
General Care Instructions
A small note for you - Wash - only when needed.
Every wash puts the fabric through wear and tear, it shortens the life of a garment, gradually. Most clothing does not need to be washed after every single wear.
When you do wash, wait until you have a full load. It is more efficient for the machine, better for your clothes, and saves water and energy in the process.
Placing your clothing outside for 10 minutes is already enough to refresh it, allowing odours and moisture to dissipate and the fabric to breathe.
Before washing
Step 1 - Why are you washing it?
Before anything else, ask yourself what you actually need. Are you washing to remove a stain, or simply to refresh the garment? The cycle, temperature, and duration vary depending on the purpose.
Step 2 - Check the labels.
Before throwing anything into the machine, read the label.
Not all fabrics are the same, and they do not all wash the same way. A silk piece requires a cold, gentle cycle. Some cotton can handle up to 90°C. The label tells you exactly what the garment needs.
Step 3 - Pile up the clothes.
Separate your clothes into piles by colour, washing temperature, and fabric type. This prevents colours from bleeding onto lighter pieces, and protects more delicate fabrics from temperatures they cannot handle.
A simple sort saves a lot of regret.
Step 4 - Laundry bags
Place your garments in laundry bags before putting them in the machine. It protects delicate fabrics, embroidery, and prints from friction during the wash cycle. Do not overstuff the bag: the clothes still need room to move and wash properly inside.
We recommend washing your clothing inside out, to protect the surface and the embroidery.
Hack: if your laundry bag gets damaged or the zip breaks, repurpose it as a storage bag or a tote. Nothing goes to waste.
Washing
For hoodies, sweatshirts, and t-shirts, we recommend washing at a maximum of 30°C on a short or gentle cycle. Cold water is perfectly fine for a simple refresh, but sweat and stains generally need warm water to wash out effectively.
The detergent
Powder or liquid, scented or sensitive, wool or delicate, choosing the right detergent can feel overwhelming. Ideally, you want something that is effective, gentle on skin, gentle on fabric, low in chemicals, kind to the environment and budget friendly. No single product ticks every box perfectly, but the market does offer options worth knowing about.
Here is how to evaluate a detergent depending on what matters most to you:
Skin sensitivity
- Fragrance-free is usually the biggest factor
- Avoid dyes and unnecessary additives
- Look for detergents tested for sensitive skin or eczema-prone users
Cleaning efficiency
- Enzyme-based detergents generally perform best on stains
- Powders often outperform liquids on stubborn stains and tend to have a lower environmental footprint, but bear in mind that they might have a poorer solubility in cold water than liquid ones
- Concentrated formulas reduce packaging and transport emissions
Planet impact
- Concentrated products use less water and packaging
- Powders typically generate lower carbon emissions than liquids
- Biodegradable ingredients and plastic-free packaging help reducing wastes
- Look for certifications such as the EU Ecolabel as useful indicators
While no product will fulfill these 3 criteria, the market offers options when it comes to more sustainable washing products. Depending on what matters the most to you, you can evaluate a product by different aspects.
A fragrance-free powder detergent in cardboard packaging is often the best overall compromise. That said, washing at lower temperatures, using the correct dose will have a bigger environmental impact than the detergent choice alone.
The Alternatives
Eco-friendly detergent alternatives range from baking soda and white vinegar to soap berries, and even body soap. They offer real benefits : gentler on skin, lower environmental impact, plastic-free, but come with limitations worth knowing. They can lack efficiency on tough stains, may leave residue that builds up in the machine over time and cause damages, and are often not effective enough when used alone.
They work best as a complement to a detergent, or for light refreshing washes rather than heavy cleaning.
The Softener - Is It Actually Needed?
Fabric softener is a common laundry addition that many consider an essential. It improves the texture and feel of a garment by making the fabric soft, reducing wrinkle and static; so is it a must? Not entirely.
The softener deposits a layer of chemicals onto the fabric after the main wash cycle. That coating is what creates the soft, smooth feel. Over time, it reduces the fabric's breathability and absorbency, gradually working against the natural qualities of the material.
For cotton especially, chosen precisely for its breathability and skin-friendliness, softener can quietly undo what makes it good.
Contrary to common belief, softener does not need to be used at every wash. It is an optional complement, best used in moderation and skipped entirely on performance or technical fabrics (sportwear, towels). Worth using in moderation.
If you are looking for a gentler alternative, a small amount of white vinegar in the rinse cycle naturally softens fabric, reduces static, and leaves no chemical residue without the long-term drawbacks.
A note on drying time
Thicker fabrics: heavy fleece, brushed cotton, double-layered hoods take longer to dry than lighter ones. Make sure the garment is fully dry before folding or storing. Storing a damp garment, even slightly, encourages mildew, odour, and fiber deterioration.
When in doubt, give it another hour.
Drying Process
How you dry a garment matters just as much as how you wash it. Heat and mechanical action are the two biggest enemies of fabric longevity. Tumble dryer combining both, it is recommending to air dry your clothes - a gentle and effective way to preserve your clothing.
A few things to keep in mind:
- Reshape the garment while still damp: this prevents unwanted creases and helps it hold its original shape as it dries
- Dry flat for knitwear and heavier pieces to avoid stretching from the weight of the water. If necessary, flip it over and make sure that no part hangs out too long, to avoid uneven weight distribution when wet.
- Hang dry for t-shirts, hoodies, and sweatshirts: but avoid thin wire hangers that can distort the shoulder seam, or stained wood hangers that can leave stain on your piece of clothing.
- Keep away from direct sunlight for prolonged periods: UV exposure fades colour and weakens fibers over time
- Avoid drying near direct heat sources such as radiators: concentrated heat causes shrinkage and can harden certain fabrics
The tumble dryer to be used with caution
The tumble dryer is convenient, but it is one of the fastest ways to shorten the life of a garment. The combination of heat and mechanical tumbling puts fabric under significant stress with every cycle causing shrinkage, pilling, fiber breakdown, and color fading over time.
- Always check the care label first: some fabrics cannot go in at all!
- Use the lowest heat setting available
- Never tumble dry embroidered pieces as the heat and friction can damage the thread and distort the design
Ironing
Ironing is often the most skipped step in garment care, and honestly, with the right drying habits, it can mostly stay that way. Hanging your garments to dry naturally removes most wrinkles as the fabric settles. Before reaching for the iron, ask yourself whether it is truly needed.
If it is, here is how to do it without damaging your piece:
Inside out, always. Turn the garment inside out before ironing. For an extra layer of protection, place a pressing cloth (a thin towel or cotton cloth) between the iron and the fabric. This shields the surface from direct heat contact and prevents unwanted shine or marks.
Temperature. Always iron at a low to medium temperature: maximum 110°C for cotton garments. Higher heat can scorch the fabric, flatten the texture, and cause irreversible damage to embroidery and prints.
Embroidery and prints: never iron directly. Never place the iron directly onto embroidery or any printed areas. The heat will flatten the stitching, distort the design, and can melt the threads. Always iron around these areas, or cover them entirely with a pressing cloth if unavoidable.
Steam. A steamer or the steam function on your iron is a gentler alternative, particularly effective for refreshing a garment without the pressure and direct heat of a flat iron. For light creasing, steam alone is often enough. If you are using an iron, keep it slightly above the fabric when using the steam.
Storage
How you store your clothes is the final step in caring for them and one that is easy to overlook. A garment that is washed, dried, and ironed with care can still deteriorate quickly if stored incorrectly.
Store clean and dry, always! Before storing your embroidered hoodies, sweatshirts or tees, make sure they are fully dry! Never store a garment while damp or dirty. Moisture encourages mildew, odor, and fiber deterioration. Stains that sit in fabric during storage can set permanently and become impossible to remove. When in doubt, let it air out fully before putting it away.
Fold, don't hang for heavier pieces. Embroidered hoodies and sweatshirts are best folded and stored flat rather than hung. The weight of a heavier garment on a hanger stretches the shoulders and distorts the shape over time.
T-shirts can go either way, folded for drawers, hung for wardrobes, but avoid overcrowding either way. Fabric needs a little room to breathe. If folded, never fold the embroidery, it can cause damages to the design, stitches and thread, resulting into a distorted visual.
Cool, dry, and away from light. Store in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight and prolonged heat exposure. UV light fades colour gradually, even through a window. Heat dries out fibers and accelerates wear. A wardrobe away from radiators and windows is ideal.
Protect against intruders. Moths and humidity are a wardrobe's quiet enemies doing their damage slowly and invisibly until it is too late. To keep your clothes fresh and protected, place a small bag of dried lavender or cedar balls in your wardrobe or storage boxes. They act as a natural repellent, keeping moths away without the harsh chemicals of repellent products.
Replace or refresh them every few months to maintain their effectiveness.
Seasonal storage. If storing garments for longer periods, between seasons for example, make sure they are thoroughly clean before packing away. Use breathable cotton storage bags rather than plastic, which traps moisture and can cause yellowing over time.
The clothes chair
We have all done it. More than once. Let's be honest.
That chair in the corner, the one that somehow accumulates everything worn that no longer belongs to the wardrobe, but is not quite yet ready for a wash. It exists in every home, in every culture, in every bedroom. It is practically a piece of furniture on its own.
And here is the thing: it is not entirely a bad habit.
Airing out a garment between wears is actually good practice. It allows the fabric to breathe, odours to dissipate, and moisture from body heat to evaporate naturally. Not everything needs to go straight into the wash after a single wear.
So consider giving your clothes chair a little upgrade.
A dedicated hook, a small open rack, or a breathable cotton garment bag does the same job, just with a little more intention. Your clothes get the air they need, your wardrobe stays organised, and the washing machine runs a little less. The clothes chair, reimagined.
Embroidery Care
Embroidery is a craft and like any craft, it rewards a little extra attention.
The stitching on your Miilo piece is designed to last. But embroidery does have its own needs, distinct from the fabric it sits on.
- Always wash embroidered garments inside out: this protects the stitching from friction against other garments and the drum of the machine
- The laundry bag is an extra layer of protection to the embroidery during the wash cycle
- Never iron directly onto embroidery as the heat flattens the stitching and can distort or melt the thread. Always iron inside out, and place a pressing cloth over the area if needed
- Avoid tumble drying: the mechanical action and heat put unnecessary stress on the threads and can cause them to loosen or snag over time
- If a thread comes loose, do not pull it. It is better to contact us directly and see what can be done.
A note on the backing fleece
On the inside of your embroidered piece, you can find a soft backing applied over the stitching.
It is there for your comfort, covering the back of the threads so they don’t sit directly and roughly against your skin.
With repeated washing and wear, this backing can occasionally begin to lift or peel slightly at the edges. If this happens, do not pull it away
A loose edge can be easily re-secured at home either by ironing on it through a protective layer, cutting the peel close to the fabric if possible, or with a small piece of iron-on hemming tape, applied with a low heat iron on the inside of the garment.
Alternatively, you can contact us directly for advice.
A small detail worth looking after. Treated with care, your embroidery will stay as sharp and intentional as the day it left our studio.