How to wash a wool sweater and how to get a perfect wrinkle-free shirt? In order to reduce consumption, we have to become much better at taking care of our garments and gadgets, an art that fewer and fewer people actually master. Many people are having scruples about something as simple as sewing on a button and steaming a garment instead of buying a new one has not yet become obvious. So, if we are to get better at clothing care, we need to talk to the experts and learn the craft again. We decided to met up with one of Steamery’s founders, Frej Lewenhaupt, to break down everything that has to do with clothing care.

The company Steamery was founded five years ago by three Swedes in Shanghai. Their main focus is clothing care, and the main product is a designed hand steamer. Today, Steamery provides twenty products. These are different models of steamers, detergents for different materials and purposes, fabric shavers and other accessories for clothes care. All products share the same purpose; to care for clothes so that they last longer.

How to steam a garment in the best way? (If you lack patience)

– Compared to take out an ironing board and an old flat-iron, it’s a completely different threshold from the beginning with a steamer. If you suffer from lack of patience, it can be comforting to know that steaming can not really fail. If it gets wrong and ugly, just steam that area again. Set your own level! If you’d like to have a cardigan on top of the shirt / blouse / shirt – just steam the front. If the wool sweater smells suspicious – steam first and foremost the garment’s armpits.

1. Fill with water and plug it in
2. Find a place to hang up the crumpled or slightly dingy garment – if you have access to a clothing stand, it is excellent; otherwise it will work fine to place the hanger on a door handle or a door frame
3. Grab the garment and stretch the fabric
4. Press the nozzle against the fabric and slowly bring it down
5. Try steaming from the inside – the most effective way to quickly achieve a satisfying result on thin garments
6. Use the heat-protective bag / glove – don’t be afraid to press the steamer nozzle against the fabric, with the glove underneath as a kind of mobile ironing board
7. If the mountain will not come to Muhammad, then Muhammad must go to the mountain! Use a extension cord so you can steam where it is easy to hang the garments

You have just now introduced your first detergents for wool and silk. What differentiates them from detergents available in regular grocery stores?

– First off – you should sort your wardrobe according to fiber type, rather than color and style, because each garment and every fiber type needs to be treated in its own way. For example, woolen clothing consists of protein fibers, ie. hair. This means that you need a detergent that is more like a shampoo. You should also look at what the “ordinary” detergents contain, for example, some detergents contain enzymes that actually break down protein fibers that you otherwise wash in order to preserve.

– Each detergent we create is designed for its specific purpose, with different conditions and of course to remove bad odor and dirt.

How important is washing, and how often should you wash your clothes?

– Our philosophy is that every costumer should be able to refrain from washing their clothes for as long as possible, and freshen up the clothes in other ways before actually having to wash them. The steamer works as a great way to care for the clothes instead of washing. And when you do have to wash your clothes, wash them in the right way so that you don’t destroy them.

Do you have any extra tips and tricks on how to take care of your clothes?

– There are a lot of tricks out there! For example, be sure to always fold knit sweaters instead of hanging them on hangers. Above all, it requires an approach where the clothes is to last for a very long time, and to find conditions for it such as repairing holes, handling dirt stains separately or removing lints that are on the surface. But when it comes to not destroying clothes, just try to stay as far away from laundry as possible. You often don’t destroy your clothes by wearing them, but by washing them.

– So … don’t wash your clothes too often, wash properly and with the right kind of detergent. Hang the clothes on good hangers or fold the garment if it is knitted.

Can you use a fabric shaver on all types of materials?

– The short answer is: YES! The longer one … trial and error.

1. Place the garment on a flat surface and begin with a slight push and increase gradually
   1. The Pilo Fabric Shaver is equipped with three precision razor blades and a very powerful motor – it actually originates from a shaver – and the high speed eliminates the risk of threads and larger lints getting stuck in the machinery
2. The only requirement is a little common sense – there is a limit on how big lints it can handle – for example, a heavy rug will be tough (don’t bite off more than you can chew).