<p>I’m quite capable of doing my own laundry at this point in my life, but when it comes to this current predicament, I’m baffled. </p>
<p>I have this new nice black Lacoste polo and I am somewhat afraid of washing it and drying it like I traditionally do because I hear black pique polos (esp. ones from Polo, Lacoste, Ben Sherman) fade easily. I don’t want to have to shell out extra money and get it dry cleaned, but this is considered a popular solution. What about for a black silk cashmere sweater? Fading looks alright on jeans, but for tops it’d be a problem!</p>
<p>Hand wash the polo in Woolite. Wring it out and then flatten it out on a towel and roll that up to dry it further. Then roll it out flat on another towel on your bed to dry out or if it’s pretty close to dry, hang it on a hanger to air dry. For the cashmere sweater, read the “care” instructions and follow them. Probably dry clean.</p>
<p>We have cheap Old Navy black polo shirts. If they don’t fade, a Lacoste one probably won’t either. Toss it in the wash with your jeans and other dark clothes if you’re worried.</p>
<p>Get the silk cashmere sweater dry cleaned. You can handwash in Woolite but the reshaping is not all that easy.</p>
<p>Beige? For my DS it’s pink. There really should be a law against red t-shirts. </p>
<p>For your black polo, I’d say wash in cold water and hope for the best. Maybe air dry instead of dryer too. For your silk and cashmere sweater, if you have a lot invested in it I’d bite the bullet and get it dry cleaned.</p>
<p>The polo is much more likely to fade from the sun (if you wear it a lot, such as - say - golfers do) than from laundering. Their black polos become a kind of brownish-black, and it doesn’t even happen evenly.</p>
<p>If you don’t want it to fade from the sun, then don’t wear it long hours during the day outside.</p>
<p>Woolite makes a special formula especially for dark clothes. You can use if for your jeans, too. Also, do not, under any circumstances, wring wet clothing. As someone else suggested, you can roll in a towel, but first squeeze to remove excess moisture.</p>
<p>Turn inside out to wash and wash with dark items.</p>
<p>Lay flat to dry. Do not put on a plastic hanger. If it is a new Lacoste they are fitted and you will get funny hanger indents on your shoulders. Then you will have to wash it again.</p>
<p>With dark items, like cotton knits doing a vinegar rinse is a good idea. Sometimes the shirt does not actually fade, it is unrinsed soap buildup.</p>
<p>My grandmother was a laundry fanatic. My mother was a terrible laundress and I started doing my own laundry at 10.</p>
<p>Wash in cold weater, gentle cycle in washing machine, inside out; dry flat on one of those mesh dryer things that you can get at places like Bed Bath and Beyond (will be useful for other delicate items as well).</p>
<p>You can put it in the dryer for just a minute or two to warm and relax the fibers, so it won’t look wrinkled, then dry flat or hang carefully, being sure to straighten the collar and placket, and line the seams up on the ridge of the hanger. And give the cuffs a tug widthwise to straighten them out, too.</p>
<p>Alhambra, YOU must have one heck of a social life if all YOU can do is lurk on line and make snide comments. That’s pathetic and hilarious at the same time. I suggest you take your comments elsewhere.</p>
<p>I’ve said it before on here, but I feel like repeating:</p>
<p>A college student’s laundry schedule is formed around their supply of underwear and/or socks. When either of those two is gone, it’s laundry day. You wouldn’t believe how much money you can save with this schedule ;)</p>
<p>That is sooo true, but I’m somewhat of an exception. I can’t wear things like jeans or t-shirts twice, I just can’t do it. So I have about 10 pairs of paints and 15-20 shirts that I wear one after the other. When I open my drawer and see that I’m pulling out the last clean pair of paints, then it’s laundry day. </p>
<p>I would advise that you invest in cheaper clothes for college. I had an event in April that I wore a nice shirt and pair of pants to, not pieces that are washer/dryer friendly. Since I don’t wear them all the time, they’ve been sitting in the bottom of my hamper, waiting to go home to where my mom will pay to have them dry cleaned. If I have to do more than toss an article of clothing in with everything else in the washer, then I don’t buy it. But you moms will be happy to know that I seperate colors and whites, washing the colored clothes in cold. I don’t have money to replace white t-shirts that come out of the wash light pink. As a girl, I do like pink, but if a shirt was white when I bought it, it’s going to stay that way. be sure to teach your kids about the wonder that is bleach, so the whites don’t dull.</p>
<p>I’ve never had that happen, either of those instances. But yeah, obviously too much bleach is bad. What kinds of materials don’t tolerate bleach?</p>
<p>I’m the same way. I can’t wear things more than once. Socks, underwear, pants, shirts, everything. I do laundry every Sunday. Sundays are always my cleaning/laundry days. </p>
<p>I’m a bit paranoid though. There are a few luxuries I would refuse to give up. One being freshly laundered and ironed high-thread count sheets on my bed changed twice weekly. The other is the way I fold all my shirts and the organization of my closet. I’m the guy who uses a template to fold so everything is even. lol</p>
<p>As for the OP, I would wash the shirt inside out, separately, by hand using a special dark-colors formula detergent and cold water. Hang to dry.</p>