Why fabrics need care

Fabrics are chosen for their properties: for clothing, the home, insulation, or hospital bandages and masks. So those properties must be kept for the material's expected life.

Care has two sides:

• keep the material free of damage, and repair it when needed;
• keep or refresh its appearance, by removing stains and dirt.

Laundry is both a science (scientific principles and techniques) and an art (skills that give pleasing results).

How we care for a fabric depends on its fibre, yarn, construction, finishes and purpose. Care covers stain removal, water, soaps and detergents, washing, finishing, ironing and folding. A silk sari and a cotton bedsheet need very different care.

Laundry equipment is of three kinds: for washing, for drying, and for ironing or pressing. At home, much washing is still done by hand, with buckets, scrubbing boards and brushes. Keep it whole; keep it fresh.