JB Care Guide

Plant-based fibres: wash on a cold, medium cycle with like colours, using liquid, plant-based detergents and line/air dry. Use a delicates bag for extra protection.

Animal based fibres: store appropriately to avoid mould and moths, and always refer to the care label for specific washing instructions. Use a delicates bag for silk garments, or for extra protection.

Synthetic fibres: wash on a cold, delicate cycle with like colours using liquid, plant-based detergents and line dry. Use a microplastic delicates bag and wash less often to minimise microfibre shedding. Always check the care label in case these fibres need to be treated with special care, like dry clean only.

Knitwear: Wash in cold water by hand (or in a delicates bag on a very gentle cycle). Do not wring knitwear, instead gently squeeze out excess water and dry flat in the shade, inside out. Do not hang knitwear on a coat hanger. Keep lavender nearby to deter moths.

A great place to start is the care label on a garment. Usually located on the inside left seam of a garment, the care label provides key information about the fabric you're dealing with.

Try to group your fabrics when they're ready to be washed so you can more easily care for them. Cotton can be washed on a higher cycle than a more delicate fabric, like silk or linen, which should be put through a gentler cycle. A synthetic fabric should be hand washed or put inside a delicates bag before put in a spin cycle to ensure it doesn't shrink. A knitted cotton or wool piece should be hand washed (with a wool detergent for woollen garments) and dried flat. 

If it is available to you, please consider using a microplastic wash bag (such as Guppyfriend) when washing synthetic fabrics to help stop residual microfibres shedding into waterways.

Studies have indicated that washing clothing on a hot or warm cycle uses 75% more energy than cold water does, and can also contribute to the breaking down of dyes while causing shrinkage. At JB our recommendation is to always wash on cold*. This will save you energy, time (cold cycles are usually faster!) and money, all while extending the life of your garment.

A huge contributing factor to clothes wearing out faster than expected is how often and unnecessarily we put them through the wash. Try hanging and airing out clothes between washes first, and spot clean small marks (or pesky pit stains) before sending the whole garment to the washing machine. Little known fact: with a bit of effective spot cleaning, you may never need to wash a jacket or coat! Save yourself time, money and effort by assessing your garments before sending them straight to the washing basket.

*If you wash on hot for antibacterial reasons, try adding a solution of 20-25 drops of tea tree oil + ½ cup of white vinegar to the cycle.

Strong chemicals and bleaches are known to quickly break down the fibres of our garments, making them susceptible to holes and fading. They are also harsh on the environment. To maintain the quality of your garments, we recommend finding more environmentally friendly laundry products with fewer chemicals (bonus: these products often use less plastic and support eco initiatives further than just the product itself!).

If you have sorted your garments into like-fabrics it is easy to use the appropriate detergent for each load. Delicates (think: linen and silk) like liquid detergents; more durable fibres (think: cotton) like powders; garments made from wool prefer a soft wool detergent.

For those pesky marks and slightly yellow stains on your 100% cellulose based (think: cotton and linen) white garments, try a tepid oxygen bleach soak. Always follow the instructions on the packaging and always wear appropriate safety gear. Make sure to patch test first and check regularly for results, putting the clothes through the washing machine as soon as the stains are removed.

Attend to stains as soon as they happen. If you can really soak the small spot immediately after a spill, the chances of it coming out for good are much higher. The minimum recommendation is to dab the spot with water, however the best chance to get the stain out is to attend to it immediately with a laundry bar or stain stick as well.

Oil stains can be a little trickier and don't often come out with just the help of a laundry bar. We recommend covering the mark with a talcum powder while the garment is still dry and letting that sit overnight. In the morning, scratch off the powder and wash the spot with warm water and a laundry bar. Repeat if necessary.

Air drying is much better for your clothes and the planet than one of the most energy intensive appliances in the house - the tumble dryer. Shake out your clothes and hang on the washing line, drying rack, or up on hangers to air dry. Check the garment label to note if the garment would prefer to be dried flat, especially if it is a knitted garment. If the garment is delicate or coloured, remember to hang it inside out so the colours don't bleach from the sun. Hanging in the warm sun or a quick iron will fix any wrinkles left from the washing machine.

Store clothing (hanging or folded) in a cool, dry place away from damp, sunlight and heat. Ensure your garments are clean before storing, as surface dirt can attract moths. It's also important to give clothes breathing space in storage, so don't overfill your wardrobe. Use wooden or padded hangers to prevent misshapen garments.

Don't ignore small holes or rips that need repair - get these fixed as soon as possible before they become a bigger issue. If DIY repairs aren't your thing, we offer a service as part of our responsibility mission. Local dry cleaners with repair services are also very good at hemming or patching garments at a low cost if time is of the essence.

We understand that our bodies go through seasons and changes. It's just a reality that sometimes a garment no longer has a place in your wardrobe, and passing it on or reselling it is a great way to keep it in circularity. We have our very own resale site powered by Treet. List your preloved JB garments on JB Revived and start selling today.

Little known fact: many Dry Clean Only garments can be washed on gentle, cold cycles*. If the garment is made from one fabric type only (for example, 100% GOTS Cotton lined with 100% Cotton), we suggest that this garment would be fine on a very gentle and cold machine cycle with a line dry and low iron. For extra protection, put this kind of garment in a delicates bag for the wash cycle. If the garment is made from two fabrics (for example, 100% linen lined with 100% polyester), we suggest that this garment can be cold hand washed only or sent to the dry cleaner. Look for environmentally friendly dry cleaners that offer non-toxic and eco cleaning services, such as Green Dry Cleaning. We do not advise that you hand wash any of our viscose garments, and we recommend checking with your dry cleaner first that they know how to dry clean viscose.

*This is a suggestion, washing by hand or machine is done at your own risk if the care label says Dry Clean Only.