Nothing says conscious, stylish, and bold like a well-tailored gown or pair of shorts made with Ankara.
Ankara (or African print fabric) is a 100% cotton fabric, with patterns printed using wax and at least two different colors of dye. Because of this process, the Ankara fabric is delicate. It needs proper care to avoid slacking, fading, and a loss of vibrancy. So, the best way to maintain your Ankara clothes is by dry cleaning them.
The dry cleaning process uses cleaning solvents to ensure that you can launder your Ankara clothes and maintain the colors. For your dry cleaning needs in Lagos, Eden Life’s laundry service is perfect. You get experts, affordable prices, flexibility, and an assurance of quality.
Outside of dry cleaning, machine washing and hand washing are the other ways of cleaning your Ankara clothes. Machine washing is not advised as regular wash cycles make your clothes fade faster. So, where dry-cleaning isn’t available, hand-washing is the next best way to keep your clothes shiny and bright.
The hand-washing technique for your Ankara fabric is the focus of this guide. Read on to learn practical steps for maintaining your native attires by hand-washing, drying, and ironing.
Pre-washing
- Buy and use only mild bar soaps. Avoid bleaches and detergents.
- Before you begin washing, separate your prints from other fabrics. This is necessary because your Ankara might color bleed. So, mixing your fabrics while washing will discolor and damage lighter colored clothes.
Washing and Drying
- Use only cold or lukewarm water to wash and rinse.
- Add a tablespoon of salt into the washing and rinsing water. This seals the fabric colors and prevents them from bleeding.
- Scrub gently to avoid damaging the stitches and seams on your clothes.
- Rinse at least twice in clean water.
- Avoid wringing out the water after rinsing. Instead, roll the clothes in a clean white towel to squeeze out the water.
- Hang on a clothesline or lay them on a flat surface to dry.
- Avoid drying under direct sunlight. This contributes to the fading of colors on the fabric.
Ironing
- Ironing your Ankara attires should on moderate heat. Because it’s 100% cotton, the cotton setting works best.
- Iron the clothes inside out, as this preserves the vibrancy of the colors.
- For clothes with linen or lace attachments, adjust the iron settings to suit the fabrics before use on those parts.
- For clothes that have embellishments like sequins and stones, use a pressing cloth. Place this cloth between the iron and your Ankara cloth. It should be white, clean, lint-less, and cotton.
These steps are simple and easy-to-do. Follow them and you’ll find it easier to maintain the vividness of your Ankara clothes and increase their lifespan. Don’t forget to share with your family, friends, and followers. They, too, like good things.
If you want a laundry service in Lagos that you can trust with clothes of any fabric, check out Eden Life. Our laundry service offers dry cleaning, is affordable, and flexible. Download the mobile app from the Appstore or Playstore. and subscribe to get started today.