How to Wash and Care for a Handwoven Sarong: A Guide Retailers Can Share with Customers

A handwoven sarong can last for years. What shortens its life is usually not wear but care: water that is too hot, harsh detergent, strong sun and damp storage.

This guide explains how to wash a sarong and keep it looking good, step by step. It is written for handwoven cotton, the cloth Heritage Loom's ready designs are woven from on ATBM, or non-machine, looms. It ends with a short care card retailers can pass on to their customers.

Before the first wash

Dyed cotton can release a little color in its first few washes, especially in deep shades. Ikat is no exception, because its yarn is dyed before weaving, as our guide to export-quality tenun ikat explains.

• Wash it on its own for the first few washes, or only with similar colors.
• Do a quick color test. Dampen a hidden corner, press a white cloth against it and check whether any color transfers. If it does, keep washing the sarong separately in cold water.
• Follow any care label that comes with the sarong.

How to wash a sarong

1. Use cold water. Hot water can shrink cotton and fade its colors.
2. Choose a mild detergent and skip the bleach.
3. Hand wash gently. Move the sarong through the water and squeeze it softly. Don't scrub, and don't leave it soaking for long.
4. Rinse until the water runs clear.
5. If you use a washing machine, put the sarong in a mesh laundry bag and choose a gentle, cold cycle.

Don't twist or wring the cloth to remove water. Wringing strains the weave and can pull the sarong out of shape.

How to dry a sarong

Press out the water with your hands, or roll the sarong in a clean towel. Then dry it in the shade, laid flat or hung over a line, inside out. Direct sun fades colors over time and a tumble dryer can shrink cotton, so avoid both.

Ironing

Iron the sarong while it is still slightly damp, on the reverse side, at a low to medium setting. A pressing cloth between the iron and the fabric stops deep colors from turning shiny.

How to store a sarong

• Store it clean and completely dry. Damp cloth in a closed cupboard invites mildew.
• Fold it and keep it somewhere cool, dry and dark, away from direct sunlight.
• Use a breathable cotton bag or box rather than plastic for long-term storage, so air can circulate.
• Refold it now and then along different lines, so the same creases don't set in.

Treating spots and stains

Treat a spot as soon as you can. Blot it with cold water rather than rubbing, dab a little mild detergent on the area, then rinse. Test any stain remover on a hidden corner first, and keep bleach away from colored cloth.

Small differences are part of handwoven cloth

Slight unevenness in the weave and small differences between two pieces of the same design are signs of handweaving, not defects, as our guide to handwoven vs. machine-made sarongs explains. Real defects, such as holes or broken threads, are a different matter; our guide to sarong quality control lists what to check.

For retailers: keeping stock in good condition

• Keep displays out of direct sun. Sarongs folded in a sunny window can fade along the exposed fold, so rotate display pieces regularly.
• Store stock folded in a dry room, off the floor, until it goes on display.
• Check new stock on arrival. At Heritage Loom, damaged or incorrect items can be reported within 5 business days of delivery, as set out in our Shipping & Returns policy.
• Pass the care advice on. Add the care card below to your product listings, print it on a small card for each sarong, or tuck it into gift orders. If you sell under your own brand, the care text can also go on your labels, as our guide to private label sarongs explains.

A care card to share with customers

Copy this card into your product listings or print it for your customers:

Caring for your handwoven sarong

• Wash separately for the first few washes.
• Hand wash in cold water with a mild detergent. No bleach.
• Don't wring. Dry in the shade.
• Iron on the reverse side at a low to medium setting.
• Store clean, dry and folded in a cool, dark place.

Stock handwoven sarongs from Heritage Loom

Browse our ready designs in the catalog, then send your design list and quantities through our Contact page. If you are buying to resell, our guide to wholesale sarongs for resellers explains the minimum order and how ordering works.