Make your own natural detergent. It’s gentler on your clothes and you’ll reduce your environmental footprint. It’s simple: use Castile soap made with recycled olive oil—the oil acts on grease stains to remove them. You can also use Lagarto or Marseille soap.

How to make homemade fabric softener. Combine a bit of apple cider vinegar with essential oils and voila! Vinegar softens garments while oils eliminate the vinegar aroma. Choose clear or lightly coloured oils to prevent discoloration.

For heavy stains, try baking soda. It is highly effective on the toughest stains and has a strong whitening effect. It is recommended for white and lightly coloured garments. You can also combine it with homemade detergent.

Save electricity by washing in cold water (less than 30º C). Always check the care labels of your garments.

Use the correct dose. Don’t overdo it!

To boost efficiency, wash full loads, leaving one palm width of space between the clothing and the top of the washer drum.

We create more wrinkles by balling up our laundry before placing it in the washer.

Do not completely fill the washing machine. Leave at least one palm width of space between the clothing and the top of the washer drum to reduce wrinkles.

Check the spin cycle. We can reduce humidity considerably and prevent deep, hard-to-iron creases from forming by setting the machine at 600rpm.

Line dry as soon as the cycle is complete to prevent the formation of wrinkles.

Shake and stretch the garment before placing it on the line.

Do not wait until clothes are completely dry to iron. Slightly damp clothing makes the job much faster and easier.

Make the most of your showers. Hang your clothes in the bathroom while you shower. The steam will eliminate wrinkles.

Separate clothing by colour, fabric density, and type. Read the care labels.

Choose the correct cycle. Whenever possible and when clothes are not heavily stained, use the ECO cycle. You’ll save energy, water, and time.

Use the right detergent and add the correct amount, neither too much or too little. Read the instructions.

We damage clothing by leaving it in the washer or dryer. It will wrinkle and smell musty.

Do not overfill the washer or dryer. The clothing will not wash/dry correctly and more wrinkles will appear.

The most important tip of all: separate whites from colours. Wait until you have enough whites to fill the washer to avoid being wasteful.

Sort your laundry and choose the correct cycle. Delicate items, like blouses, for example, should be washed on the delicate cycle.

Unless otherwise indicated on the label, wash in cold water to maintain the original shade of white.

Though it may seem contradictory, avoid using bleach, which causes garments to yellow over time.

The sun helps whiten fabrics, so hang your clothes outside. Whenever possible, make the sustainable choice and refrain from using the dryer.

If your whites have already turned grey or yellow, try:

Baking soda. It eliminates stains and softens clothing. Leave the item to soak overnight, then wash as normal.

Peroxide. Mix detergent with peroxide, rub into the stain and let sit for one hour. Wash as normal.

Lemon. Boil the juice of two lemons. Once cool, apply to the stain and let sit for 30 minutes. Wash as normal.

Vinegar. Add one cup of white vinegar to water and soak the garment for 20 minutes.

Follow the instructions on the care label.

Separate darks from other garments to prevent colours from fading or transferring.

Wash, dry, and iron dark clothing inside out.

Unless otherwise indicated, wash in cold water on a normal cycle.

Choose a special detergent for dark clothing.

Hang your laundry in the shade.

Vinegar: Add one cup of white vinegar to water and soak the garment for 20 minutes. Wash as normal. Use this method for colours only.

Ammonia: Combine equal parts water and ammonia, apply mixture to the stain and rub with a soft sponge. Once the stain has vanished, wash as normal. Use this method for colours and whites.

Lemon: For fresh stains, boil the juice of two lemons. Once cool, apply to the stain and let sit for 30 minutes. Wash as normal. Use this method for colours and whites.

Peroxide: Mix detergent with peroxide, rub into the stain and let sit for one hour. Wash as normal. Use this method for white clothing only.

Salt: Rub hot water and salt on the stain and leave overnight. In the morning wash as normal. Use this method for white clothing only.

Chocolate: Rub lemon juice on the stain before laundering.

Coffee: Apply sparkling water to the stain and blot with kitchen paper. Repeat until the stain vanishes.

Makeup: For fresh stains, rub with a makeup remover wipe. For older stains, combine warm water, vinegar and lemon and soak the garment.

Red wine: Rub the stain with peroxide and wash as normal.

White wine: Blot the stain until dry and apply sparkling water.

Tomato: Apply a mixture of ammonia, soap and water, then wash as normal.

Ink: Apply milk, peroxide or grease remover to the stain.

Oil: Let the stain dry, then rub directly with detergent and wash as normal.

Blood: Soak the garment in cold water. Rub the stain with detergent and soak for 15 minutes. Wash as normal. For dry stains, apply peroxide.

Grease: Apply a household grease remover.

Egg: Lightly rub detergent into the stain and wash in cold water.

Candy: Soak the garment. Apply fine salt to the stain and rub gently. Wash as normal.

Gum: Apply ice to the gum. Once hardened, it can be easily removed.

Fruit juice: Apply alcohol to the stain.

Cherries and strawberries: Apply ammonia and water.

Jam: Combine equal parts alcohol and water and soak the garment.

Yogurt: Remove excess yogurt with kitchen paper, then apply a mixture of ammonia, soap and water to the stain. Wash as normal.

Ink: Apply milk, peroxide or grease remover to the stain.

Paint: For recent stains, apply solvent and soak the garment in hot water. For dry stains, scrape away the paint. Use ammonia and baking soda and rub the stain with a bar of soap.

Rust: Place a lemon slice between the stain and another piece of fabric and iron. Also try lemon and baking soda.

Rather than washing your woollens too frequently, air them out.

Read the care labels.

When hand washing, use warm water (no hotter than 30º C). Do not rub the garment; press it gently as it soaks.

When machine-washing, choose the delicate option with a gentle spin cycle, as well as a special soap for delicates. Above all, avoid detergents that contain chlorine.

Wring out the garment and dry flat to avoid ironing.

If you opt to iron the garment, do so gently. Place a white cotton cloth between the garment and the iron.

When laundering items that contain down, close all zips, turn inside out and wash alone.

Use cold water and select a delicate cycle with a long rinse and gentle spin.

Use a special detergent for delicate garments. This will protect the fibres and prevent the feathers from matting.

Tumble or air dry. To tumble dry, select a slow, low-temperature option. One trick for better results, add a couple of tennis balls to the dryer. To air dry, place the garment on a flat, shaded surface. Do not hang or the feathers will sink to the bottom.

After drying, shake the item to redistribute the feathers.

Hang or fold the garment along the seams. To ensure it keeps its shape, avoid putting any weight on top of it.

Read the care labels. Recommendations typically include washing in cold water and avoiding the tumble dryer, but be sure to check the labels.

Wash garments inside out and separated by colour.

Hand wash the most delicate organic cotton garments. Use warm water and a special detergent for delicates.

Line dry outdoors. Do not tumble dry.

Whenever possible, wash by hand using a delicate detergent. This will help the garment maintain its original colour and texture.

When machine-washing, use a mesh laundry bag to help protect the garment.

Do not tumble dry. Wring the moisture from the garment and dry flat.

Iron these fabrics with the utmost caution. Moisten the iron, turn the garment upside down and place a white cloth between the iron and the garment to protect it.

Start with the collar. Iron the interior, the exterior, then fold the collar down and press.

To iron the shoulders, stretch this part over the nose of the ironing board and press around the collar.

For perfect cuffs, unbutton and iron from the inside. Then place a rolled up towel in the sleeve, fasten the buttons, and press while slowly turning. To avoid unwanted creases, hold the sleeve by the inner seam and ensure the fabric is flat on top and bottom, then iron from the shoulder to the cuff.

Next, the shirtfront. Place the left side (where the buttonholes are) on the ironing board and let the rest of the shirt hang; press. Repeat for the right side, ironing around rather than over the buttons.

Finally, iron the back.

Trousers: First, turn them inside out (seams out) and iron the pockets. For loose trousers, stretch them over the ironing board to press. Turn them right-side out (seams in) and iron the hip/waist area. Place one leg on top of the other and press the bottom leg followed by the top.

Dresses with sleeves and collars: Use the dress shirt formula. Start with the collar, then the shoulders, and finally the cuffs and sleeves.

Skirts: Start at the hemline and work your way up to the waist. If the skirt has ruffles or ruching, start by ironing the inside from the hemline to the centre. If the garment has buttons, iron around them or protect them with a spoon. If the skirt has embroidery, place the detailing facedown on a towel before pressing.

1. Arrange clothing on your bed to get an idea of how much you have.

2. Divide into three piles: what you wear (keep), what’s out of season (store) and what you don’t wear (to donate, give away, or recycle).

3. Organise your clothing by category: t-shirts, jumpers, etc. Once categorised, separate the items you wear most.

4. Hang using the right hangers.

5. Fold shirts into piles so a portion of each is visible.

6. Use uncovered boxes with dividers to store your accessories (belts, scarves, etc.)