Some practical advice on how to preserve the look, feel, fit and performance of your County Sports & Schoolwear garments.
Garment Fibre Properties
Cotton - Absorbent, strong, washes well with care.
Lycra® & Elastane - High stretch recovery with good shape retention.
Polyester - Durable, easy care, good shape retention.
Washing
Always look for the garment care label and follow the washing instructions. Washing machines, powders and fabrics are specially manufactured to ensure that when washed at the right temperature your clothes will come out looking their best time after time.
The washtub symbol tells you the washing process to be used:
60º Washing Symbol - Spin Cotton Cycle
60ºC Washing Symbol - Spin Synthetic Cycle
40º Washing Symbol - Spin Cotton Cycle
40º Washing Symbol - Spin Synthetic Cycle
Before washing, close all zips, undo buttons and flatten out collars and cuffs. Check pockets and linings for loose or sharp objects.
Turn garments inside out to reduce abrasion and so avoiding contamination of fibres from other garments during the washing cycle.
Always read the label for correct washing temperature.
Garments of similar colours can be machine washed where stated on the care label.
Do not overload the washing machine.
Always use the correct amount of detergent depending on how dirty the garments are.
Check garments regularly for marks or stains and remove as soon as possible (see Stain Removal below).
Circled P - Dry-cleanable with any solvent except trichloethylene.
Circled Crossed Through - Do not dry clean.
Triangle Crossed Through - Do not use chlorine bleach.
Drying
Always check the care label to see whether a garment can be tumble dried. When tumble drying the following is recommended:
- Cotton Garments - 50-100 minutes
- Cotton Polyester - 35-55 minutes
- Heavy Synthetics - 45-65 minutes
- Light Synthetics - 30-40 minutes
- Airing Dry - 20 - 30 minutes
In cases where tumble drying is not appropriate, there will often be alternative drying methods suggested such as dry flat or drip dry.
Do not Tumble Dry
Re-shape whilst damp, by gathering the hem in one hand, holding the shoulders in the other and pulling back into shape.
When line drying shirts or jackets, always hang from the tail.
When line drying knitted garments, always fold over the line and position pegs at the under arm.
When line drying trousers or skirts, always hang from the waist.
Do not leave clothes exposed to the sun after they have dried.
Avoid drying garments on radiators or in intense heat as this could distort the shape.
Ironing
The iron symbols advise the optimum temperature at which to iron. The dots represent the recommended iron temperature; the more dots the hotter the iron.
Iron Symbol with one dot - 120C/248F (Cool)
Iron Symbol with two dots - 160C/320F (Warm)
Iron Symbol with three dots 210C/410F (Hot)
Do not Iron Symbol Do not Iron / Steam Treatment is not recommended
Iron each garment on recommended setting as per the care label.
Do not iron directly onto a printed garment. Always iron on the reverse.
Ironing at temperatures that are too high may cause unsightly shine marks on matt or dark garments, and man-made fibres are especially vulnerable to high heat.
Turn the iron down, iron inside out or cover with a clean, damp towel before ironing will help control the shine effect.
Do not iron over buttons, try to press around them.
Common Wash Problems
- Shrinkage. The major factors contributing to shrinkage are heat and excessive agitation. Do not wash at too high a temperature. Always wash on the most appropriate cycle and follow the care instructions.
- Pilling & Bobbling Abrasion and lack of regular washing cause fibre balls to appear on the surface of the fabric. Remove by carefully brushing or picking off.
- Fading in Sunlight Sunlight can be very harmful to fabrics and the effects are irreversible. Reduce exposure to direct sunlight wherever possible.
- Colour Staining Always wash similar colours together. Never leave damp garments together for any length of time.
Stain Removal
Most stains can be removed by soaking in cold water as long as the fabric is washable, but as with all stains, prompt attention is important. Do not use hot water to rinse the stain as it may cause it to set.
Place the stain to be removed over an absorbent cloth or wad of kitchen paper. In order to avoid a ring, first target the area around the stain and then work towards the centre, preventing it from spreading into the fabric.
Always test the removal method on a hidden part of the garment first to ensure that it does not harm the fabric.
Ball Point Pen - Apply methylated spirit or glycerine sparingly and mop up any loose colour. Rub any remaining stain with detergent and wash as per the care label.
Blood, Gravy, Egg, Ice-cream, Chocolate - Soak the stain in cold water and salt or in warm soapy water and then wash immediately as per the care label.
Coffee & Tea - Soak up liquid with an absorbent cloth and sponge with warm water. Rinse with cold water and wash as per the care label.
Fat, Grease & Oils - Remove as much of the deposit as possible and work in neat washing up liquid with fingers. Treat with warm water and then wash immediately as per the care label.
Make-up - Do not rub the stain. Pat with talcum powder to soak up any grease and then work in neat washing up liquid with fingers before washing.
Perspiration - Sponge with weak solution of water and vinegar then rinse. Launder as per the care label.
Please note the colours shown on this website can only be as accurate as your computer monitor allows and are to be used for general guidance only.
For further advice or guidance please contact us.