Care & Washing Guide
Senseng · Care & Washing Guide
Wash it right, keep the fit and the colour.
Care labels tell you the shortest version. This page has the numbers behind ours: how much each fabric really shrinks, what 30 °C protects, and what to do when a plant-dyed piece bleeds, fades or pills.
- Wash cold: 30 °C / 85 °F max
- No chlorine or oxygen bleach
- Line dry in the shade
- First 1–2 washes: wash separately
1
Shrinkage by fabric
Infant and toddler garments go through frequent washing, so natural and blended fibres relax slightly in the first few washes. These are the measured averages and tolerances we work to during production.
| Fabric | Measured shrinkage | What it means after washing |
|---|---|---|
| Organic cotton | ±3–4% length, ±2–3% width | Pre-shrunk during production to keep the post-wash change inside this range. |
| Cotton & bamboo blends | ≤4% | Minimal. Also pre-shrunk during production. |
| Polyester / cotton blends | ≤3% | Minimal, but it needs proper drying: heat can distort the synthetic fill. |
In centimetres: ±3–4% on a 40 cm body length is about 1.2–1.6 cm — the range our pre-shrinking is designed to absorb.
2
Plant-dyed and dark colours
Our eco-friendly, plant-dyed collections use plant-based or low-impact reactive dyes. Three rules keep the hue where it started.
Rule 01
Wash on their own first
Wash dark or plant-dyed pieces separately for the first one to two washes. A small amount of surface dye release in that window is normal and stops after it.
Rule 02
No bleach of any kind
Do not use chlorine or oxygen-based bleach on botanical or dark-dyed garments. Both break down the organic colour pigments.
Rule 03
30 °C is the ceiling
Machine wash cold, maximum 30 °C / 85 °F. Hot water speeds up dye fading and fibre degradation at the same time.
3
Drying: what it does to colour and size
Two ways to dry, and what each one does to colour and size.
Recommended
Air dry in the shade
Line dry or lay flat in the shade. It protects colour fastness, keeps UV light off the fibre, and holds the exact size dimensions.
If you must
Tumble dry on low heat only
Use Low Heat / Delicate with the exhaust temperature under 50 °C. High heat over-shrinks cotton-rich rompers and changes how elastane blends recover their stretch.
4
Fit and pilling after washing
What actually changes after the first washes — and what was cut in from the start.
Fit
The drape settles. The size does not change.
Our rompers are cut relaxed and roomy to sit over a nappy. The first washes simply let the weave settle into its natural drape — that is the fit we designed, not shrinkage.
Pilling
Combed, compact-spun yarn
We use combed and compact-spun yarns to keep pilling down through crawling and toddler play.
5
When something goes wrong
Three problems and the fix for each.
Colour bled onto another piece
Soak the garment straight away in cold water with white vinegar for 30 minutes, then re-wash. Do not let wet coloured garments sit piled together — that is what drives the transfer.
One patch has faded
Keep drying out of prolonged midday sun, and turn garments inside out before they go on the line outside.
It feels tight after air drying
Mist it lightly with water, stretch the fabric gently while it is damp, then reshape it and flat dry.
A fabric we have not covered?
Tell us which style and what happened to it, and we will tell you the wash routine we use for that exact fabric rather than a generic one.
6
Care questions, answered
Five things worth knowing before the first wash.
How much will an organic cotton bodysuit shrink after washing?
Our measured average is ±3–4% in length and ±2–3% in width. The fabric is pre-shrunk during production so the change after washing stays inside that range.
Can I use oxygen bleach such as OxiClean on plant-dyed pieces?
No. Neither chlorine nor oxygen-based bleach should be used on botanical or dark-dyed garments. Both break down the organic colour pigments that give plant-dyed pieces their depth.
What is the maximum water temperature?
30 °C / 85 °F. Hot water accelerates dye fading and fibre degradation at the same time, and on plant-dyed pieces the colour is the first thing to go.
Can I tumble dry a cotton-rich romper?
Only on Low Heat / Delicate, with the exhaust temperature under 50 °C. High heat over-shrinks cotton-rich rompers and changes how elastane blends recover their stretch.
My plant-dyed piece bled onto another garment. Is it ruined?
Not necessarily. Soak it immediately in cold water with white vinegar for 30 minutes, then re-wash. Never leave wet coloured garments piled together.
