How to Care for Your KAUTE Clothing

When you care for your clothing, good things happen!  The garment lasts longer and wears well throughout your lifetime. Follow the instructions on your KAUTE clothing care label and “handle with care.” Read on for our top tips…

Step 1: Wear Often, Wash Occasionally

Your KAUTE clothing is made to be worn. The fabric has a natural “wrinkle” to it, which makes it easy to wear, to store in your closet and to take with you on your travels.  But, before you “throw” your clothes in the laundry after one use, consider wearing them multiple times. Washing them less often can preserve their quality, reduce your environmental footprint and save you from the endless cycle of laundry. How? 

• Air dry (preferably outdoors!) your clothes on hangers 
• Use scented sprays or sachets to freshen them up
• Spot treat stains so that you don’t have to wash the whole garment
• Rotate what you wear from your closet 

Step 2: Treat Stains with Non-Chlorine (Oxygen) Bleach and/or Other Natural Alternatives

Do not use chlorine bleach: Chlorine will degrade and break down the weave of your organic fabric and can cause further discoloration.   

Option 1: Soak your stain in non-chlorine (oxygen) bleach and warm water for a minimum of one hour. Oxygen bleach removes stains and can even brighten colors and whites in your machine when used according to manufacturer's instructions. Oxygen bleach is mostly hydrogen peroxide (3%), but is still a chemical that needs to be used correctly.

Option 2: For white garments only, use lemon or vinegar, in combination with other natural ingredients like salt or baking soda and water. Be sure to test these options on the inside of the fabric first, using small amounts of your mixture. After treatment, expose your garment to direct sunlight. 

Note: Mother of pearl buttons are vulnerable to acidic cleaners as the acids disintegrate calcium carbonate, which weakens the nacre structure.  For this reason, it is important to soak only the stain on your garment and refrain from soaking your buttons directly in hydrogen peroxide, lemon or vinegar for an extended period of time.  

Step 3: Turn Garment Inside Out and Wash Cold or Warm

Before machine washing: 

• Turn your top inside out. This protects your fabric and reduces the risk of chipping and cracking your mother of pearl buttons, especially in the washing machine or dryer.
• If available, place the garment in a mesh laundry bag or cotton pillowcase to further protect it.
• Choose a suitable laundry detergent or soap, preferably one that uses clean, non-toxic ingredients.  

Option 1: Wash by hand -  If you prefer this method and have time, you can wash your garment by hand in cold or warm water.   

Option 2: Wash by machine - Machine wash your garment in cold water (between 15-27°C/60-80°F) or warm water (up to 40°C/104°F). Avoid overstuffing your washing machine as this takes a toll on your clothing.  

Note: KAUTE's shirt fabric has not been prewashed. This fabric is made from organic cotton, which can naturally shrink slightly during the first wash. You may notice a small difference in size after the first wash, but it will be negligible. Our size guide has already taken this into account.  

Step 4: Line Dry or Tumble Dry with No or Low Heat

Option 1: Shake out your washed garment and hang dry on a hanger.  

Option 2: Use a “no-heat/air-dry” tumble setting to get some moisture out before hanging your garment to dry.

Option 3: Machine tumble dry at a low temperature (55°C/125°F) with other similar garments. Avoid machine tumble dry at medium (57°C/135°F) or high (66°C/150°F) as these can further break down your fabric and/or cause additional garment shrinkage.    

Step 5: Iron (optional) 

Option 1: Do not iron. It’s optional! The KAUTE fabric has a natural “wrinkle” to it, which is part of its charm and appeal and makes it easy to stash in a suitcase for travel!  

Option 2: Iron carefully. Iron only at cool/low heat (up to 110°C/230°F), which is typically setting 1 on your iron. Turn the garment inside out before ironing or use a dry “press” cloth. For steam irons, iron without steam, if possible.

Note: It is ideal to iron your laundry when it is still slightly damp. The fabric structure has not yet hardened and creases can still be easily removed.

In an emergency: Green Dry Clean (optional) 

For the toughest of stains, dry cleaning is an option.  In order to preserve the quality of your garment, however, it is best to seek out “green dry cleaning” options, rather than those that use the perchloroethylene (“perc”) solvent, a toxicant and potential human carcinogen. Wet cleaning and liquid carbon dioxide cleaning are the preferred “green” alternatives to perc. Ask your dry cleaner for information about what they use.   

Note: To care for your mother of pearl buttons, you should simply avoid acid cleaners. Acids disintegrate calcium carbonate, which weakens the nacre structure. Ask your dry cleaner for information about their use of acids.  

Bottom line?  Take care of your KAUTE clothing and it will take care of you!