Cotton is the right fabric for our weather — it breathes, it absorbs sweat, it dries fast — but it is also the fabric people ruin most often, usually in the first wash. Everything below is what we tell customers on WhatsApp, in one place.
The first wash
- Wash it alone, in cold water. Printed and dyed cotton can release a little colour the first time. Washing alone protects your other clothes; cold water keeps the release to a minimum.
- Add a spoon of salt or a capful of white vinegar to the water. Both help set the dye. Soak for ten minutes, no longer.
- Turn it inside out before it goes in. Prints rub against other fabric and against the drum; inside-out keeps the face of the fabric out of the friction.
- Mild detergent, no bleach, no “colour brightener”. Ordinary liquid detergent for coloured clothes is enough. Bleach-based powders fade prints in two or three washes.
Every wash after that
- Machine: gentle or delicate cycle, cold or 30 °C, inside out, with similar colours. Skip the heavy spin — it sets creases that are hard to iron out of cotton.
- Hand wash is kinder to embroidered or tiered pieces: soak ten minutes, squeeze gently, never wring or twist. Twisting is what stretches necklines and breaks threads.
- Do not soak overnight. Long soaking is the single most common cause of colour bleeding on printed cotton in our experience.
Drying in humidity
Sun is the enemy of colour; humidity is the enemy of freshness. The compromise:
- Dry in shade, inside out, on a line or hanger where air moves — a balcony out of direct sun, or under a fan indoors. Direct afternoon sun fades a bright print noticeably within a month of regular washing.
- Shake it out and hang it straight as soon as it comes out of the wash. Cotton dries in the shape you hang it; a piece hung crumpled needs twice the ironing.
- Bring it in as soon as it is dry. In monsoon months a piece left on the line into the evening picks up damp again and can smell musty. If it does, a second rinse with a little vinegar fixes it.
- Avoid tumble drying on high heat; it shrinks cotton and sets creases. If you must, use low heat and remove while slightly damp.
Ironing and storing
- Iron inside out, while slightly damp, on the cotton setting. A steam iron or a light spray of water makes creases disappear without scorching. Prints and embroidery should never touch the iron plate directly.
- For a tiered or flared dress, iron the tiers one at a time from the top down; do the hem last.
- Store folded in a cupboard with air, not sealed in plastic — plastic traps humidity and yellows white cotton over a season. A small cloth bag of dried neem leaves or a sachet of silica gel keeps damp and silverfish away.
- Hang pieces with a heavy skirt by the shoulders only for short periods; long-term hanging stretches the shoulders of an unlined cotton kurta.
Stains, quickly
- Sweat marks and deodorant: dab with a paste of baking soda and water, leave fifteen minutes, wash cold.
- Turmeric and curry: rinse cold immediately (never hot — heat sets turmeric), rub a drop of liquid detergent into the spot, then wash. A little sun on the spot alone, not the whole garment, helps fade what remains.
- Oil: sprinkle talcum powder or corn flour on the spot, leave an hour to absorb, brush off, then wash.
- Ink and pen: dab with a cotton ball dipped in hand sanitiser or rubbing alcohol from the back of the fabric, then wash.
Whatever the stain, act on it the same day and always cold water first; a stain that has been through a hot wash is usually permanent.
Cotton pieces in the store right now
Questions we get asked
Will the colours fade?
Not if it is washed cold, dried in shade and kept out of bleach. Prints that fade fast are almost always ones dried in direct sun.
Can I machine wash your kurti sets?
Yes, gentle cycle, cold water, inside out. Hand wash embroidered pieces.
How much does pure cotton shrink?
Up to about half an inch in the first cold wash and nothing much after. Hot water or a hot dryer can shrink it a full size — avoid both.
The dupatta or pant bled colour onto the kurta. What now?
Rinse the kurta in cold water right away and wash it alone with a little vinegar; most transfer on the first day comes out. Wash the two pieces separately for the first two or three washes.
Do you send care instructions with the order?
Yes, a short care card is in every parcel. This page is the longer version.