MACHINE WASHING GUIDELINES
Please note these points constitute GUIDELINES that can help avoid/reduce shrinkage of Cotton
5 Golden Rules:
Follow the guidelines below VERY carefully - any deviation from said guidelines will certainly result in damage or shrinkage which is NOT accepted as a return. The standardised industry allowance for all fabric shrinkage is a maximum of 3% of the size. This is an industry standard and must be anticipated by the consumer before washing - shrinkage within this threshold will not qualify as a return. Any shrinkage above this threshold constitutes a faulty product and will be investigated by our team. The guidelines we have in place are intended to reduce the risk of substantial and inevitable shrinkage occurring to cotton fabrics. We will strictly investigate any return case by reason of shrinkage - all enquiries should be dealt with using our telephone service (+442084501274). Claudio Lugli reserve the right not to issue a refund or an exchange for washed and worn products by reason of shrinkage. This is most notably the case if the shirt in question is purchased from anywhere other than our Official Website.
THE GUIDELINES
Your Claudio Lugli shirts are designed for EASY CARE Cotton washing and should all be washed at 30C (maximum!) using a non-bio detergent (NO BLEACH) to avoid the risk of substantial shrinkage. Use a FAST WASH option to be on the safe side with a minimal amount of cycles. Wash the shirt on its own or wash it with other thin, light & soft fabrics (ie wash shirts with other shirts - AVOID jeans, jackets etc).
Please remember that Claudio Lugli shirts are expensive luxury products and should be machine washed gently. Our fabrics are manufactured to maintain ultimate strength and quality however, as with all cotton, the material is not invincible. The washing of any quality material like our own must be carried out carefully so as to avoid substantial shrinkage and simply rinse the shirt and make it clean. Intense and frequent washing will certainly strip the fabric of its quality properties and diminish its sheen. Heat, water and humidity causes shrinkage in cotton. Incorporate stain removers for actual stains however concentrated detergent is never necessary.
The best way to avoid significant shrinkage is to hand-wash the garment or to exclusively use the COLDER/more delicate cycles of your washing machine. Claudio shirts will only shrink (from their LENGTH) when using concentrated detergent/excess heat/washing with other fabrics.
Before washing your Claudio Lugli shirt, make sure you fasten all the buttons and turn the shirt inside out. DO NOT wash the shirt with large, thick, robust clothing or materials like heavy t-shirts, jeans, jackets, jumpers, mattress covers. These larger materials can wrap around and suffocate the fabric and cause the fabric to harden and therefore shrink. This not only protects the buttons from chipping on the steel drum and the seams, but enables the soap powder to work directly on the under-arms. If you have one, put the shirt into a net washing bag (or even a pillow case will suffice) which will help protect the fabric and keep it looking brand new. This will also stop the seams getting caught in the drum and any holes developing.
If your shirt has them, please remove the collar stays before washing. This will avoid uneven wear on the collar points. It also saves you from trying to find them in the washing machine after washing.
After washing is completed, let the shirt air-dry on a hanger freely spread out. This will prolong the life of the shirt. Try to avoid using the tumble dryer as the steel drum tends to wear out the points on the collar and cuffs. Exposure to heat in the tumble dryer will certainly shrink the cotton and diminish the sheen.
IRONING
It is good practice to iron a cotton shirt while it’s still very slightly still damp from the wash (virtually dry).
Be mindful that using unfiltered or tap water in an iron can cause a rust build-up which spits brown dirt through the iron that will stain the shirt.
As a general rule, place the part of the shirt you’re about to iron on a flat ironing board. Press the area to be ironed down until it’s dry and crease free. Make sure you set the temperature dial of the iron to Cotton.
The usual order for ironing a shirt is: collar, cuffs, sleeves, shoulders, front panels leaving the back of the shirt to be ironed last. Once you’ve done that, go back to any parts of the shirt that have become creased during ironing, and go over these again.
Never iron a collar with the collar stays inside, as this will cause wear to the cloth on the collar points.
When ironing cuffs, they should always be unbuttoned and unfolded and iron them the same way as you iron the collar, on both sides.
Iron the sleeve from the top down to the cuff, creating a crease if you want one.
Next, iron the two front panels of the shirt and finally the back. Make sure that whenever you iron a shirt all the buttons are unbuttoned.
Finally, once the shirt is ironed, slip it onto a hanger, fasten the top button and leave it to air. This will allow any leftover moisture to evaporate and avoid creasing.
DRY CLEANING
Your Claudio Lugli shirts don’t really need dry cleaning (as it may strip the shirt of it's sheen) but if you choose to dry clean your shirt, always select the hand laundered service if available and remember to remove collar stays.
