Wash Care Guide

Wash Care & Garment Care Guide

School uniforms are put to the test every day. The good news is that most school uniform is made for exactly that. Follow these simple care instructions and your child's uniform should see out the full school year looking smart.

🏆 The single most important rule: Always check the care label sewn inside the garment. It overrides everything else. The guidance below applies to most standard schoolwear — but the label is always the final word.

If in doubt, wash cooler, not hotter. You can always wash again — you can't undo shrinkage.

Understanding the Wash Care Symbols

🧺

Tub with number = machine wash at that temperature (°C)

🤚

Hand in tub = hand wash only

🌀

Circle in square = tumble dry
Dot = low heat
Two dots = medium

☁️

Square = dry flat or hang to dry (no tumble dryer)

♨️

Iron = can be ironed
One dot = low
Two dots = medium
Three = high

🚫

Cross through any symbol = DO NOT do that action

⭕

Plain circle = dry clean only

🧴

Triangle = can use bleach
Cross through = no bleach

Care by Garment Type

🧥

School Blazer

Polyester/viscose or wool mix

🧺 30°C delicate 🚫 No tumble dry ♨️ Cool iron — reverse
  • Dry clean recommended, or 30°C delicate cycle
  • Hang immediately on a wide hanger after wearing — this prevents creasing
  • Steam or cool iron on the reverse to remove creases
  • Never iron directly over the school badge
  • ✗ Do not tumble dry — loses shape
  • ✗ Do not wring
🧶

Pullovers & Cardigans

100% acrylic or acrylic mix

🧺 30°C gentle/wool ☁️ Dry flat 🚫 No tumble dry
  • Machine wash at 30°C on a gentle or wool cycle, inside out
  • Dry flat on a towel — hanging while wet causes the shoulders to stretch
  • Reshape gently while still damp
  • Cool iron on lowest setting if needed — never directly over the logo
  • ✗ Do not tumble dry — will shrink and felt
  • ✗ Do not use fabric softener
👕

Sweatshirts & Hoodies

Polyester/cotton fleece

🧺 40°C 🌀 Low tumble dry ♨️ Cool iron reverse
  • Machine wash at 40°C, inside out to protect logo and colour
  • Tumble dry on low heat, or air dry
  • Remove promptly and hang to prevent creasing
  • ✗ Do not iron directly over embroidery
  • ✗ Do not use fabric softener on performance fabrics
👚

Polo Shirts

65% polyester / 35% cotton piqué

🧺 40°C 🌀 Low tumble ♨️ Cool iron
  • Machine wash at 40°C, inside out
  • Tumble dry on low or air dry — remove promptly
  • Cool iron if needed
  • ✗ Do not bleach white polos — use a specialist white detergent
  • ✗ Do not iron directly over the embroidered logo
👔

School Shirts & Blouses

Easy-care polyester/cotton

🧺 40°C 🌀 Low tumble ♨️ Medium iron damp
  • Machine wash at 40°C
  • Tumble dry on low, or iron whilst slightly damp for best results
  • Iron collar and cuffs first, then the body
  • Hang immediately after drying to prevent creasing
  • ✗ Do not tumble dry on high — causes deep creasing
👖

School Trousers

Polyester/viscose

🧺 30–40°C 🚫 No tumble dry ♨️ Medium iron reverse
  • Machine wash at 30–40°C
  • Hang on a trouser hanger as soon as possible
  • Press on the reverse with a damp cloth for a smart crease
  • ✗ Do not tumble dry — ruins the pressed crease
  • ✗ Do not bleach
👗

Skirts & Kilts (Pleated)

Polyester / wool mix

🧺 30°C delicate 🚫 No tumble dry ♨️ Warm iron pleats
  • Machine wash at 30°C on a delicate cycle, or dry clean
  • Hang on a skirt or kilt hanger to preserve the pleats
  • Press pleats from the inside using a damp cloth and warm iron
  • ✗ Do not tumble dry — destroys the pleats permanently
  • ✗ Do not bleach
👒

Summer Dresses & Pinafores

Polyester/cotton mix

🧺 40°C 🌀 Low tumble ♨️ Medium iron damp
  • Machine wash at 40°C
  • Tumble dry on low or iron whilst slightly damp
  • Hang immediately after drying
  • ✗ Do not bleach colour gingham — colour will fade unevenly
🧤

PE Kit (Shorts, Tops, Skorts, Tracksuits, Leggings)

100% performance polyester / wicking fabric

🧺 30–40°C inside out 🌿 Air dry preferred 🚫 No softener
  • Machine wash at 30–40°C, inside out
  • Air dry preferred — or tumble dry on low
  • Never use fabric softener — it coats the fibres and stops the moisture-wicking from working
  • ✗ Do not iron over sublimation prints or screen prints
  • ✗ Do not bleach
🧥

Coats, Fleeces & Dry Robes

Polyester outer / fleece lining

🧺 30–40°C gentle 🌀 Low tumble 🚫 No dry clean
  • Machine wash at 30–40°C gentle cycle — zip up first
  • Tumble dry on low, or hang to air dry
  • Cool iron around the logo only — never over fleece
  • ✗ Do not use conditioner on fleece lining — reduces softness
  • ✗ Do not dry clean
🏊

Swimwear

Nylon / polyester / Lycra

💧 Rinse cold after use 🤚 Hand wash 30°C 🚫 No tumble dry
  • Rinse in cold fresh water immediately after use — chlorine degrades the fabric over time
  • Hand wash at 30°C or machine wash on a delicate cycle
  • Air dry flat in the shade — not in direct sunlight
  • ✗ Do not tumble dry
  • ✗ Do not wring or twist
  • ✗ Do not leave rolled up while wet
🎒

School Bags & Backpacks

Polyester / nylon

🧽 Spot clean only 🌿 Air dry
  • Spot clean with a damp cloth and mild soap
  • Air dry — do not machine wash unless the label specifically says so
  • Empty the bag and store upright to maintain shape
  • ✗ Do not submerge in water
  • ✗ Do not tumble dry
🧣

Socks, Ties, Hats & Accessories

Cotton/nylon (socks) · Polyester (ties) · Acrylic (hats)

Socks: 🧺 40°C Ties: 🧽 Wipe clean Hats: 🤚 Hand wash 30°C
  • Socks: machine wash at 40°C — do not bleach white sports socks
  • Ties: wipe with a damp cloth only — do not machine wash or tumble dry; store loosely
  • Beanie hats & scarves: hand wash at 30°C, reshape and air dry flat
  • Caps: spot clean — do not machine wash caps with a stiff peak
✨

Embroidery & Logos — Special Care

Applies to all embroidered and printed garments

🔄 Always inside out ♨️ Iron around — never over
  • Always wash embroidered items inside out — this protects the stitching from friction in the drum
  • When ironing, work around the embroidery — never press the iron directly onto it
  • For printed logos (sublimation / screen-print) — do not iron over the print at all
  • For multi-colour or raised embroidery on blazers, professional dry-cleaning is recommended

🪡 Looking after your school badge

  • The embroidered school badge is the most expensive and most visible part of your child's uniform. It responds well to gentle care.
  • Turn the garment inside out before every wash — this is the single biggest thing you can do to preserve embroidery.
  • If a thread comes loose, do not pull it. Secure it with a small amount of clear fabric glue or take it to a seamstress.
  • For blazer badges specifically: a quick brush with a soft clothes brush after wearing keeps the badge looking fresh.

General Care Tips — Making Uniform Last All Year

  • Wash cooler rather than hotter. Higher temperatures increase shrinkage and fading. 30–40°C handles most school uniform perfectly well.
  • Inside out, always. Washing inside out protects colours, logos and embroidery from rubbing against the drum.
  • Don't overload the machine. Uniform needs room to move freely — overloading causes creasing and uneven washing.
  • Hang immediately. The longer uniform sits in the drum, the more creased it becomes. Hang or lay flat as soon as the cycle finishes.
  • Skip the fabric softener on PE kit. Fabric softener coats performance polyester fibres and stops the moisture-wicking from working properly. Use it on cotton items, not sportswear.
  • Buy an extra set for the busy weeks. Having two sets of key items (polo shirts, shirts, PE shorts) means less pressure on wash days mid-week.
  • Name everything. Iron-on or sew-in name labels save hours of lost property headaches — and most schools ask for it anyway.
  • Repair before replacing. A loose button or small hole caught early is a 5-minute fix. Left until later, it becomes a reason to replace the whole garment.

Have a question about caring for a specific item? We're happy to help.

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