Taking care of this beautiful garment is required. We have just the right tips to keep your Raw Nation products looking beautiful for a long while. About Raw Nation’s fabrics Other than a few exceptions, such as kids-wear, most of Raw Nation's products are handcrafted using the finest natural fibres. The subtle variations in their colour, texture and finishing are the signature of the human hand. Each of the products comes with its own regional specialty and character, and creating them can be a lengthy process rooted in the crafts-based traditions of hand spinning, dying, weaving, wood-block printing and embroidery. Dyes used We use both vegetable and commercial dyes to minimize our impact on the environment while striving for the best colour properties. Many of our artisans use AZO-free dyes. Caring for Raw Nation products To extend the life of your Raw Nation products further follow the guidelines below for hand-woven cotton and silk; blends of cotton, linen and artificial rayon; and cotton saree. Hand-woven cotton Cotton is a very strong fibre, even when wet, so it holds up very well to repeated laundering. The more you wash it, the softer and more absorbent it becomes. Hand-woven cotton fabric allows more air penetration than machine-made cotton fabric. This added ‘breathability’ means you will stay cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter. Hand-woven cotton fabric also has a textural beauty and visible character which may not be presented with in machine-made fabric. Laundering Please refer to the specific care instructions on the garment. Before washing test colour for fastness by immersing the corner of the cloth in a cup of water for 15 to 20 minutes. If the colour runs, dissolve five table spoons of salt in a bucket of cold water and soak the garment in this solution for two hours. This can help ensure colour fastness. Wash items with like colours and turn your clothes inside out, especially those that are dark coloured. Wash coloured clothes – especially maroon, red, purple, magenta, orange, dark blue, dark green and turquoise – separately, because their colours tend to run and can leave stains if they come into contact with other clothes when wet. Cotton should be hand-washed in cold water with mild detergent. For machine wash select cold on gentle cycle. If you must, use non-chlorine bleach which is gentler on your fabrics and on the environment. Keep your zippers and hooks closed to avoid snagging other items in the wash. Do not soak and dry in shade. Tumble dry at a low heat. Remove items promptly from dryer, preferably while still damp. Ironing