Care
Care
Five Minutes Now. Years of Wear.
Organic cotton and bamboo aren't plastic — that's rather the point. They breathe, they're soft, and they're made from plants rather than petroleum. It also means they don't survive the same treatment polyester does. Five things decide whether your Omanas last one season or several years.
In the wash
Three Habits. No Extra Time.
Once they're second nature, none of this adds a minute to your laundry.
Turn Them Inside Out.
Pilling is friction. Inside out means the rubbing happens on the inner surface, not the side people see.
Wash Them in a Mesh Bag.
If you take one small thing away from this page, make it this. A pack of mesh laundry bags costs a few dollars and they last forever — leggings inside, bag into the machine.
They keep zips, hooks, buttons and denim away from the fabric, which is where most of the damage to soft knits actually comes from.
Cold, Gentle, Low Spin.
30 °C or below on a gentle cycle. Turn the spin speed down as well — plant fibres are at their weakest when wet, so a hard fast spin does more damage than the entire wash.
Liquid detergent rather than powder. Undissolved powder behaves like fine grit against a soft knit.
Out of the wash
This Is Where Most Natural Leggings Die.
And avoiding it takes about thirty seconds.
Never the Dryer.
Dryer heat shrinks plant fibre and permanently weakens the stretch. The tumbling itself is the single biggest cause of pilling any garment ever experiences. Not even on low.
Lay them flat or hang them by the waistband, out of direct sunlight. Smooth the knees and seat back into shape while they're still damp and they'll dry that way.
Skip the Fabric Softener.
It works by coating the fibre in a film, which flattens the softness it's promising and shortens the garment's life. It also isn't something we'd want sitting against your skin — rather the opposite of the point.
If you want extra softness, half a cup of white vinegar in the rinse compartment. It rinses away completely and leaves no smell.
Between wears
The Habit That Beats All the Others.
Nothing to do here — just one thing not to do.
Give Each Pair a Day Off.
The stretch needs around 24 hours to recover its shape. It's why leggings worn two days running start to bag at the knees — and why two pairs alternated will outlast three pairs worn into the ground.
You can also wash them less than you think. Worn to the school run and the coffee shop, they don't need a cycle — air them overnight instead. Every wash costs a little fabric life, so fewer washes is the most effective thing you can do.
Just so you know
Soft Plant-Fibre Knits Might Pill.
If it happens, it's usually on the inner thigh and in the first few months — and it isn't a fault. Short fibre ends work their way to the surface where the fabric rubs, then settle down once the loose surface fibre has worked itself out. The habits above make it far less likely in the first place.
And the fix takes thirty seconds. A small electric fabric shaver lifts them off cleanly and the fabric looks new again.
Just don't pick them off. Pulling a pill by hand drags the knit loop it's attached to, and that's how a cosmetic pill turns into an actual hole.
One more thing you might see: a little loose fluff in the very first wash. That's surplus fibre from the knitting process. It stops after one cycle, and it isn't the fabric coming apart.
The short version
Everything, On One Screen.
Screenshot this one and you're covered.
| Do this | Not this |
|---|---|
| ✓Turn inside out | ✕Tumble dry, even on low |
| ✓Wash in a mesh bag | ✕Fabric softener |
| ✓Cold, gentle cycle | ✕Hot wash |
| ✓Low spin speed | ✕Fast spin |
| ✓Liquid detergent | ✕Powder or bleach |
| ✓Line dry in the shade | ✕Drying in direct sun |
| ✓Reshape while damp | ✕Washing with towels or denim |
| ✓A day off between wears | ✕Same pair every day |
| ✓Fabric shaver on any pills | ✕Picking at pills |
Why plant fibre needs this and polyester doesn't
Polyester survives almost anything because it is, essentially, plastic thread. It also traps heat, holds odour, and sheds microplastic into the water with every wash.
Cotton and bamboo are plant-derived. They feel better against skin and they don't shed plastic — but they're more sensitive to heat and to friction, which is really all the list above is about. Keep the heat down and the rubbing down, and they'll stay opaque, hold their shape, and stay in your rotation for years rather than months.
Looked After, They Outlast the Pair You'd Replace Them With.
And if they don't, that's on us. Tell us within 60 days and we'll replace them.
Shop OmanaContact us