Wash Care Advice for African Print Clothing and Ankara Fabric

We thought it would be helpful to share with you the best way to care for your African print clothing and African print fabric so that you get your monies worth! If looked after properly, African print fabric and modern afrocentric clothing can last for many years if the fabric is high quality and authentic.

The popularity of modern African print clothing is on the rise. Some are discovering it for the first time while others have worn it all their lives, it is part of their culture and reminds them of home.

 

Models wearing men's African print shirt and women's African print pencil skirt by Kitenge

Kitenge Store’s unique and colourful made to measure African print clothing

Caring for African Wax Print Fabrics

Kitenge’s bold and vibrant, authentic African wax print fabrics are produced in Nigeria, using locally grown cotton, and have excellent colourfastness so the colour will look exactly the same after each wash.

Pre-Washed Fabric

We pre-wash all our African print fabric in Tanzania (at one of the many small businesses we support) before taking the colourful fabric to our tailors to make it into beautiful, handcrafted mtm clothing.

We do this to shrink the 100% cotton fabric as much as possible before it is cut and sewn by our tailors. This means that if you follow our wash care instructions the kitenge fabric or garment will not shrink again when you wash it in the machine at home.

It also helps to soften the fabric before we pass it on to our team of talented tailors, which makes it is easier for them to cut and sew our stylish and perfect fitting colourful African shirts, made to measure trousers, made to measure shorts and pencil skirts for all shapes and sizes.

 

Paul washes Kitenge Store ankara fabrics to make African print clothing before production in Tanzania East Africa

Paul pre-washes our African wax print fabrics in Tanzania before they are made into made to measure garments

How to wash African Print Clothing

To help ensure the longevity of African print fabric, women’s African print clothing and African menswear we recommend that you follow these simple wash care instructions:

1) Machine (or hand wash) cold with similar colours. We recommend 30 degrees or a cold wash setting if using a machine.

 

Colourful African wax print fabric pre-washed by machine in Tanzania

 

2) If you are washing African wax print clothing, turn the garment(s) inside out when washing in the machine

3) Use mild washing powder

 

 

4) Use a gentle machine setting such as ‘hand wash’ to avoid the spin cycle

5) Line dry out of direct sunlight as the sun can cause colour damage

6) Iron using the cotton setting

Shop African Print Clothing and Ankara Fabric

We hope you have found this information helpful. If you have any more questions about caring for your African wax print fabric or garments, please get in touch. You can browse our unique collection of African print clothing and ankara fabrics by visiting our African boutique online.

Shop Men’s African Print Clothing Shop Women’s African Print Clothing

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