Fabric care guide

Read the label first

Every garment carries a care label, and the Federal Trade Commission requires it to say whether to wash by hand or by machine, how to dry, and to warn you against a method that would harm the piece. Under the rule, one safe method is enough, so a label may give you a single way to clean the piece. The label may use symbols instead of words.

The fiber line on the same label lists each fiber and its share by weight, largest first. Spandex under 5 percent can still be named, because it is there for stretch.

Polyester and spandex dress pants and yoga pants

Wash them cold and inside out. Tumble on low or hang them. High dryer heat is what spandex dislikes most, and a waistband that has lost its recovery will not come back.

Linen blends

Wash cold on a gentle cycle and hang to dry while the pants are still slightly damp. The creases fall out as they dry. If you want them crisp, iron on a warm setting from the inside. Linen softens with every wash.

Cotton shirts and sweatpants

Cotton can shrink in hot water and a hot dryer. Wash cold and hang shirts on a hanger to dry, which also saves most of the ironing. Sweatpants in a cotton blend can go in the dryer on low. The high setting takes length off the leg.