Cloth & care
Blackout fabric and the gaps around it
A fabric can block light while the window still glows around the edges. Plan the whole opening.
Cloth & care
Feel, fit and looking after the fabric.
Cloth & care
Sheer curtains as one layer of a window
Sheers soften daylight, but their privacy depends on the light on both sides of the window.
Cloth & care
Changing cushion covers without replacing everything
Keep the inserts that still work and choose new covers by their dimensions, openings and everyday use.
Cloth & care
A sofa throw that stays where you put it
Decide whether a throw is for warmth, a protected seat or decoration before choosing its size.
Cloth & care
A tablecloth with the right amount of overhang
Measure the tabletop and decide on the drop while the chairs are in use, not only when the table is empty.
Cloth & care
A table runner for everyday meals
A runner can mark the centre of a table without taking over the places where people eat.
Cloth & care
Cloth napkins that suit your laundry routine
Pick a size and fabric you can wash often, then buy enough for a realistic rotation.
Cloth & care
Allowing for shrinkage in household cotton
Cotton products do not all shrink by one predictable percentage. Fit and care information need to be read together.
Cloth & care
Keep strong colours apart on the first wash
A first wash is a good time to keep unfamiliar dyes away from pale linen, while following the item's own instructions.
Cloth & care
Read the care label before choosing the wash
Read the full label before selecting a programme. The wash temperature is only one part of the instruction.
Cloth & care
Drying household linen during humid weather
During humid weather, plan the drying space before the wash load and give bulky linen more room.
Cloth & care
Putting linen away only when it is dry
Dryness, access and a little spare room matter more than making the linen shelf look tightly packed.