Own up, do you follow washing instructions, especially for (whispers) Boden t-shirts?

[Kathyis6incheshigh]

I mean, how do you find time to handwash?
And 'dry flat' - well, where?
And isn't it going to take forever to dry anywhere if it's rainy and you're not allowed to tumbledry it?

I have foolishly bought myself a load of Boden t-shirty things that turn out not to be machine washable.... normally I check but I assumed it would be ok, what with them being t-shirts and everything

Shall I just chuck 'em in and hope for the best? What do you do?

[Kathyis6incheshigh]

Shouldn't have put 'Boden' in the title!

[QueenofBleach]

everything gets bunged in wash here, if it says hand wash I put on a wool wash or we have a hand wash iyems cycle

[wheelybug]

I have a boden long sleeve t-shirt double layered thing which is handwash only. I have washed it in the machine and to be honest, its not really washed very well at all.

[SimplySparkling]

I would use a wool cycle with soft things i.e. towels; nothing with buttons or zips. Like you, I try not to buy anything that says hand wash. As for drying flat, I try to but forget sometimes. I do use soft grip pegs on nicer items when pegging them out on the line. I was thinking of the drying flat thing earlier actually when I read the label of one of my Boden zipped s/s and saw that it had said to dry flat when I'd already had it on the line. Ooops.

[MrsBadger]

I am anal and read labels before buying
things get 40 or drycleaned
(think one evening top gets a 30 delicate but I wear it about once every 2 yrs)
only cotton jumpers that otherwise get gorilla arms get dried flat.

Knackered a gorgeous Jigsaw jumper washing it too hot though - learnt my lesson

[MrsSpoon]

I tend to follow the labels, especially if I have paid more than normal for the item.

I hate handwash things and tend to only buy handwash stuff that I would wear occasionally (tops for nights out etc).

[MrsSpoon]

Oh and I have a separate non-bio gentle washing liquid that I use for certain items.

[ShinyHappyPeopleHoldingHands]

If you can afford many Boden clothes, then you could probably afford to forgoe washing altogether Buy Primark and just dispose of them after one use!

[Smurfs]

...oooh how did we live without Boden!? I have a slight Boden addiction and apart from the heavily decorated i.e. cardigan with beads/pearls on I wash them all in the washing machine, inside out at 40.

I tumble dry all the childrens clothes....please don't anybody start with the environment stuff I want clean dry clothes without having to iron, not more trees! I tumble dry all their boden clothes inside out and on a low heat.

I do line dry my Boden clothes but anything I am not sure of goes to the dry cleaners!

No accidents so far!!

[Gobbledigook]

I have a hand wash cycle on my washing machine and I use that.

When it says dry flat, I just lay it flat to re-shape and then hang on a radiator.

[Kathyis6incheshigh]

Thanks everyone.

LOL @ Shiny's suggestion!
Sadly no Primark here and I am not finding it very easy to go out shopping with 2 young children in any case .... if only there was Primark mail order!

Didn't know there was such a thing as soft-grip pegs.... what a lot I have to learn!

[fizzbuzz]

Don't know if this helps..........

Used to work in the rag trade. It is very costly to test the washing of garments correctly, hence the fact that a lot of machine washable items say handwash.

Mr Fatcat clothing manufacturer would not want items returned so used lowest risk possible.

I would hazard a guess that anything cotton is machine washable. But handwash on a children's item is just a joke.

Ds's uncle lives in USA, and he sometimes receives clothes from them. Have noticed that a lot more of their items are machine washable AND tumble dryable particularly t shirts with prints which are usually a no no here.

There was a big thing a few years ago, about garment manufacturers not testing clothes properly for washing, and just buging in a dry clean only label. I think this was eventually stopped because of the harm to the environment and dry cleaning fluids.

[Kathyis6incheshigh]

That does help, Fizzbuzz - thank you.
I suspected they were covering themselves but hadn't thought about the costs of testing. Someone on here has said something similar with regard to children's toys and the age they are right for.

[twinsetandpearls]

depending on the item I sometimes use the handwash cycle on my machine or handwash it myself.

Hvaing worked in the rag trade however we used to put hand wash on clothes that weren't to cover ourselves.

[twinsetandpearls]

I wash dd handwash boden stuff on handwash cycle.

[fizzbuzz]

I find hand and wool wash never seems to get stuff clean properly (although ds is exceptionally dirty.....)

I always wash wool on handwash in a pillowcase, and then spin them. Spinning doesn't harm wool or handwash stuff, apart from very delicate embroided or beaded stuff

[ChocolateFace]

Aparently clothes manufacturers put dry-clean only when they can't be bothered to test the fabric. Just another indication of Boden now cutting corners for max profit, IMO.
I hang all my woolens to dry ( I've usually just shrunk them anyway, so it helps!)

Dont' tell any one , but I tumble dry everythiing except woolens, and I own a lot of Boden. My motto is; if it doesn't wash and tumble dry, I don't want to own it, so it may aswell die.

[twinsetandpearls]

yes we used to do that, lots of dry clean clothes for no reason.

[DimpledThighs]

everything in my house goes in at 30 or 40 on medium cotton wash and I don't have a dryer. If the clothes don't make it they are too wussy for my family!

[NannyL]

My old boss lives in boden clothes

all of which get machine washed and tumble dried and all are fine

In their house the rule is everything non electrical / not alive / and a sensible size goes in either thw washing machine AND tumble dryer OR dishwasher

This included clothes / bedding (inc duvets and pillows) / toys / teddy bears /shoes / duplo / all knives and ANYTHING AT ALL used during food prep! EVERYTHING IS fine as well!

[Kathyis6incheshigh]

This is all very encouraging; thank you.

NannyL - your old boss sounds very sensible. I insist on similar rules re glassware etc.