Every bag we make is printed by hand, with carved wooden blocks, by people who have done it for most of their lives. That is the whole point of them. It is also the reason they do not behave like a bag from a chain store, and the reason this guide exists.
Most of what follows is simple. One part of it surprises people, so we will start there.
Yes, the first wash will run a little
Hand-block printing uses dyes that sit on the cloth rather than being chemically forced into it. That is what gives a block print its depth — the slight unevenness, the way the colour looks like it has soaked in rather than been sprayed on. It is also why a little colour lifts out the first time the bag meets water.
This is normal. It is not a fault, it is not a dud bag, and it does not mean the print is going to fade away. It means the dye is natural and gently bonded. Mass-printed cotton does not do this because the dye has been chemically locked in — which is exactly the process we are avoiding.
What it does mean is that the first wash needs to happen on its own.
The first wash
- Wash it alone. Not with a white shirt, not with the towels. Just the bag, on its own, for the first two or three washes.
- Cold water. Always. Warm water is the single most common way people dull a block print.
- Mild liquid detergent. A small amount. No bleach, no stain remover, no fabric softener — softener coats the fibres and takes the life out of the cotton.
- Take it out promptly. Do not leave it sitting wet in the drum. Loose dye left in contact with damp cloth is how you get a patch where you did not want one.
After two or three washes the loose dye is gone and the bag settles. From then on it behaves like any other cotton.
Every wash after that
Machine, cool cycle, mild detergent, and that is genuinely it. Our cotton totes, weekenders, yoga bags and travel sets are all made to be washed — they are meant to go to the studio, the beach and the airport and come back.
Two things to keep doing:
- Turn it inside out if the bag is lined. It protects the printed face from abrading against the drum.
- Do up any zips before it goes in, so the teeth cannot catch the cloth.
Drying: shade, always
Line dry, out of direct sun. This is the second most common way a print gets dulled, and it is the easiest one to avoid.
Strong sunlight fades natural dye quickly — quicker than you would expect, and unevenly, so you end up with one side lighter than the other. An airing rack indoors, or a shaded line outside, keeps the colour where it should be.
No tumble dryer. Heat shrinks the cotton, sets any remaining loose dye where it has landed, and takes the crispness out of the quilting.
Ironing
If a bag comes out creased, iron it inside out on a medium heat while it is still slightly damp. Never iron directly onto the printed face on a high setting — you can glaze the surface, and the shine does not come out.
Velvet plays by different rules
Our cotton velvet pieces are not machine washable, and it matters. Velvet is cotton woven with a short raised pile, and the pile is the whole character of the fabric. A wash cycle crushes it flat and it does not fully come back.
- Spot clean only. Damp cloth, blot, do not rub. Rubbing drags the pile in one direction and leaves a visible mark worse than the one you started with.
- Never wring it. Wringing crushes the pile permanently.
- Lay flat to dry on a towel, away from radiators and sunlight.
- To revive a flattened patch, hold a steamer or a steam iron just above the surface — not touching — and let the steam lift the pile. Then brush gently in one direction with your hand.
If you want to know why we work in cotton velvet at all when it asks for more care than cotton, we wrote about that in The Case for Cotton Velvet.
Stains, honestly
Blot, do not rub. Cold water, always — hot water sets a stain into cotton and lifts dye out of the print at the same time.
For an oily mark on cotton, a small amount of mild washing-up liquid worked in gently with a fingertip, then a cold rinse, then a normal cool wash. For anything on velvet, blot with a barely damp cloth and accept that a faint shadow may stay. It usually settles into the pile within a few weeks of use.
What we would not do: bleach, oxygen stain removers, or a hot soak. All three do more damage to the print than the stain ever would.
Storage
Somewhere dry, out of the light, not squashed. Cotton bags can be folded. Velvet is happier loosely stuffed with tissue or a folded jumper so the sides do not crease into the pile.
If a bag is going away for a season, make sure it is completely dry first. Damp cotton in a cupboard is how you get a smell you cannot get out.
What actually ruins one of these bags
In our experience, not use. We have bags in daily service that are years old and look better for it — the cotton softens, the print settles, the quilting relaxes into shape.
What does damage them, in order:
- Hot water. Dulls the print in one wash.
- Direct sun drying. Fades unevenly and permanently.
- Tumble drying. Shrinks, stiffens, sets stray dye.
- Bleach or stain remover. Strips the print, not the stain.
- Washing velvet. Crushes the pile for good.
Avoid those five and a hand-block-printed bag will outlast most things you own.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is my new bag bleeding colour in the wash?
Because the dye is natural and hand-applied rather than chemically fixed. A little colour lifting out in the first two or three washes is normal and expected. Wash the bag on its own until it stops, in cold water, and it will settle.
Can I machine wash a hand-block-printed cotton bag?
Yes. Cool cycle, mild liquid detergent, no softener, no bleach. Wash it separately for the first few washes, then it can go in with other things. Line dry in the shade.
Can I wash a cotton velvet bag?
No. Velvet should be spot-cleaned with a damp cloth and blotted, never rubbed or wrung. A wash cycle crushes the pile and it does not fully recover.
Will the print fade over time?
It softens rather than fades, provided you keep it out of direct sun and out of the tumble dryer. Sunlight is the thing that fades a natural dye fastest, and it does it unevenly.
What temperature should I wash at?
Cold, or the coolest cycle your machine offers. Warm and hot water both dull the print and encourage further dye loss.
Can I tumble dry it?
No. Heat shrinks the cotton, stiffens the quilting, and sets any loose dye where it has landed. Line dry in the shade instead.
How do I get a crease out?
Iron inside out, medium heat, while the cotton is still slightly damp. For velvet, hold a steamer just above the surface without touching it and let the steam lift the pile.
How do I stop the colour running onto other things?
Wash separately for the first two or three washes and take the bag out of the machine as soon as the cycle finishes. Loose dye sitting against damp cloth is what causes transfer.
With Love,
Conscious Yoga Collective
Continue reading: What is Hand-Block-Printing? — the craft this guide is protecting. The Case for Cotton Velvet — why we work in a fabric that asks for more care. The Well-Travelled Home, or The Quiet Workshops of Rajasthan — where every one of these bags is made.
