The Black Angel - Quicklinks : washing

GOTHIC CLOTHING STORE | WASHING & CLEANING

Not all fabrics require the same care & attention - here's a quick guide
Special clothing requires special attention, and not all fabrics need the same care. Some of the materials used in our clothing is noble, and noble fabric is always a tad more fragile than easy-care clothing like jeans are. Still, this does not mean that it has to be washing-hell for you, there are a few tricks and tips that will help you take care of your clothing without investing too much time and effort.

 

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MIXED FIBERS FABRIC
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Most contemporary clothing is made of mixed fibres - 80% of ours is too!

Due to the heavy use of rivets, straps and other metal parts in our clothing, and fabrics that do not mix well with heat, most gothic clothing labels we carry in our shop will recommend hand washing.

However, this can be very tedious, so we ultimately you will be tempted to resort to machine washing. We know, because most of our staff does too at home. So while machine washing is at your own risk and against manufacturer-recommendations, you can wash you stuff pretty safely by cold washing it (max 30 C°) and using low spin (600 rpm and less). You should use special washing products for black fabric, like Coral Black Velvet, this will prevent your clothing from becoming dull gray over the years.

Bondage straps and similar should be removed, and if there are lots of rivets on your clothes, you should put them into a special laundry bag you get for woolen items, this will prevent the metal parts form hitting the inside of the machine all the time. Some items like coats or jackets should never be machine washed, but brought to the dry cleaners / pressing instead.

Our staff has been using this method (for their own clothes) for the last 10-15 years with great success and very little accidents, still we need to stress that you and you alone are responsible if you use this method or not. In case of doubt, it is better to stick with the washing instructions found inside your clothing.

VELVET & SATIN
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Many classic and romantic outfits are made from satin and velvet
Velvet and satin are noble albeit fragile materials, and require lots of attention. You should never machine wash these items unless explicitly stated you can on the tag inside your garments, but this is seldom the case, so if you buy velvet or satin, you should be aware that if you need to clean these items, you should take them to the pressing for dry-cleaning.

LEATHER
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A living and breathing material, pleasant to wear, durable, resistant and cool!

Leather is a pretty resistant material, but like any skin, it requires some attention from time to time. Most dirt can simply be washed of or removed with a clothing brush. Should you have stains that are a bit more persistent, you can buy special leather soap to clean your clothes, it is inexpensive and can be found art most outdoor & camping stores.

Remark: The one thing to absolutely avoid is during winter months, when they “salt” the streets, this salt can make the leather brittle and the colors fade, so if you had a stroll through the snow, when you return you should always clean the low ends of your coat or trousers.

PVC / PATENT / PLASTIC
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An alternative to leather
PVC and plastic materials can not be machine washed (unless otherwise stated on the tag inside the garment), but they can be easily cleaned with some water, soap and a soft cloth. The inside lining of these items can usually be washed with cold water, rinse thoroughly and hang to dry, that’s all. Items from shiny patent or PVC can get some extra shine with special grease-spray also used for latex clothing.
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