How to Care for Samue and Jinbei [Part2]
In the first blog in this series on how to care for samue and jinbei, I answered the question, "Can I wash samue and jinbei in a washing machine? In this blog, I would like to write about the things to keep in mind when washing them. I'm sure you will be satisfied with the finishing of the items and I hope you will find it helpful to make your items last longer in good condition.
(1) Washing
As you know now, many of our items are machine washable. Please refer to the washing instructions on each item page or the laundry label on the purchased items before washing. We recommend you use a laundry net to keep the shape nice and neat and avoid the threads from becoming stuck in small parts inside the washing machine. In this way, you don’t have to worry about the washing machine having trouble.
Most of our items are dyed with a reactive dyeing technique which does not fade with ordinary detergents. However, please do not use fabric softeners for light summer items. It may cause the fabric to weaken and tear. Also, please note that bleach will cause the colors to fade.
Items dyed with plants and trees such as persimmon dye and indigo dye will fade when washed. Hand-washing them alone is preferable to prevent the color from being transferred to other clothing.
(2) Spin dry
After rinsing, the next step is to spin dry. After spin-drying, take out the items as soon as possible and stretch out wrinkles by hand. At this time, fold the items into a square and pat it with your hand to further stretch out the wrinkles.
How to fold
- (1) Spread out the samue /jinbei
- (2) Fold it in half lengthwise
- (3) Fold the sleeves
- (4) Fold in half
In this state, gently patting the surface makes a difference in the drying process, resulting in fewer wrinkles!
(3) Drying
When drying, hang the item in the shade in a well-ventilated place. Exposure to sunlight may cause fading or discoloration. The power of ultraviolet rays is tremendous, and even a short exposure to light may change the color. The ideal way to dry samue and jinbei is to hang them on a pole. It will not lose its shape and wrinkles will be elongated. If you don’t have a hanging pole, please hang it on a laundry hanger nicely and stretch the fabric out after hanging.
Please do not use a tumble dryer. It will cause the items to shrink and ruin the quality and the beauty of the fabrics.
(4) Ironing
Natural fiber items tend to wrinkle more easily than chemical fiber items. However, if you iron summer items made with cotton and ramie that have a unique unevenness called "shibo," they will lose their beauty and uniqueness.
The texture of 1095 Omi Chijimi Honasa (Pure Ramie) Samue is uneven.
This unevenness reduces the contact with the skin, so it is not sticky and can be worn coolly even in summer.
If you are concerned about wrinkles after washing, please iron the item by applying steam only. Wrinkles will be reduced considerably if you take care of the processes as described in (2) Spin dry and (3) Drying.
When you don’t wear the item, it is preferable to hang it on a hanger and store it without folding it to avoid wrinkles.
The laundering of samue and jinbei seems to be a long process and can seem like a pain in the neck especially the items with natural fiber or botanical dyed items. However, once you get used to it, it is not so troublesome to care for them. Please give it a try and see how your samue and jinbei look and feel become much better with just a little care.
Our samue and jinbei are carefully tailored piece by piece by Japanese artisans. We hope you become fond of our items and enjoy wearing them for many years. Your happiness and satisfaction encourage and motivate us to continue making quality products. Please enjoy wearing traditional Japanese samue and jinbei with good care!