Silo · fibres and materials · what the garment is made of
Fabrics
What each fibre tolerates and what ruins it — suede, leather, wool, cashmere, silk, linen, polyester, viscose, velvet and faux leather.
Fibre limits
Can You Machine Wash Leather? (The Drying Is What Ruins It)
Leather is made wet in a tannery drum, so water alone is not what ruins it. A wash strips the oils that stop its…
Can You Machine Wash Cashmere? (The Wash Is Survivable, the Dryer Isn’t)
Cashmere survives a 30 °C wool cycle better than most people expect. What it does not survive is a biological detergent, a top-loader's centre…
How to Clean Faux Leather (and Tell Which Plastic It Is)
Every result gives the same recipe: warm water and a few drops of dish soap. That is harmless on one of the two plastics…
How to Clean Cashmere
The dry clean only label on cashmere protects the brand, not the sweater. Solvent strips the oils that make it soft, while a 20-minute…
How to Clean Suede (Without Ruining It)
Suede can get wet. That's not the problem. Heat, pressure and the wrong cleaner are what actually ruins it. Here's the full method, plus…
Fibres that behave like Fabrics
Same rules, different name. If your garment blends two of these, treat it as the most fragile one.