PRODUCT CARE
Product care
Extend the life of your Petit Pli.
Petit Pli is engineered to last years. A little care extends that further. Different materials need different attention, so pick the range you're caring for below.
Wash less, wash cooler.
The single biggest thing you can do for a garment's life span is wash it less often. Children's clothes are rarely as dirty as they look. Spot-clean where you can, air it out between wears, and full-wash only when needed.
When you do wash, lower temperatures use significantly less energy. Modern detergents clean perfectly well at 30°C to 40°C, and a short spin reduces water and energy further.
Always check the label or info pack on your specific garment. The guidance below applies range by range.
Choose your range
Caring for Versatile
Our recycled polyester ripstop and seam-sealed waterproof ranges. Technical fabrics, designed for weather, wear and movement. They are also the only ranges with a water-repellent (DWR) finish to consider.
30°C gentle wash
Mild liquid detergent. Wash with similar colours.
No fabric softener
It blocks the DWR finish from working properly.
Hang or lay flat
No tumble dry. No iron. No bleach.
Keeping the water-repellent finish
The DWR finish on Versatile and waterproof pieces is what makes rain bead and roll off. Over time, with washing and wear, it fades. This is normal and easy to fix.
For occasional refreshes, a brief tumble or warm hairdryer pass can reactivate the existing finish. When it stops responding, reproof with a DWR technical spray. Nikwax TX.Direct is widely available and works well. Apply while the garment is still damp from washing for best results.
For seam-sealed waterproof pieces, technical detergents like Nikwax Tech Wash keep the finish clean without stripping it.
The pleats
The structure resets itself with wear and a gentle horizontal tug. They don't fall out in the wash. We design assuming children are extreme athletes, because they are.
Caring for Knot-Tile®
Our 100% extra fine merino wool range. The auxetic knit structure is built directly into the fabric, which means the growth functionality is part of the textile itself. Merino is naturally odour-resistant, antibacterial, and self-regulating, so it needs washing far less often than synthetic or cotton garments.
Air, don't wash
Air out after wear. Wool resists odour on its own.
Machine wash, 30°C or below
Inside a delicates bag. Wool detergent only.
Lay flat to dry
Never hang wet. Never tumble. Reshape gently.
Washing wool, properly
Use a wool or delicate cycle at 30°C or below, on a low spin. We recommend placing the garment inside a delicates wash bag. Hand washing can sound gentler, but it's surprisingly easy to overwork the fibres by pulling, wringing or rubbing. A machine with a proper wool cycle handles it more consistently.
Always use a specialist wool detergent (Woolite, Eucalan, The Laundress wool wash). These are formulated to be less harsh on the fibres. Never use biological detergent. The enzymes break down wool.
Skip the fabric conditioner. It coats the fibres and damages the structure over time. Wool doesn't need it.
Lay flat on a towel to dry, reshape gently while damp. Hanging a wet wool garment will stretch it out of shape under its own weight. Keep away from direct sunlight and radiators.
Storage between seasons
For longer-term storage between siblings or seasons, fold (never hang) clean wool garments and store with cedar blocks or lavender. Moths are attracted to dirty fibres, so always store clean.
Caring for cotton
Our 100% cotton range. Soft, breathable, and the most forgiving of our materials. No technical finishes to preserve, no special detergents required.
40°C machine wash
Standard detergent is fine. Wash with similar colours.
Skip the softener
Not necessary, and reduces fabric breathability over time.
Line or flat dry
Air drying preserves shape. Avoid tumble drying.
Stains
Cotton handles spot-treatment well. For tough stains, dab a small amount of mild detergent directly on the stain, leave for 10 minutes, then wash as normal. Avoid bleach, which weakens cotton fibres and shortens the garment's life.
Designed for the long run
Built to last, built to be passed on
We design for the future. Recycled textiles where they make sense, natural fibres where they don't. Mono-fibre constructions for easier recycling. Repairability built in. Our patented growth technology alone saves significant water, CO2 and material waste compared to conventional childrenswear.
All garments are ethically manufactured in Portugal or London, rigorously tested, and built to outlast several children. Our free repairs warranty extends that life further.
When you no longer need it
Disposal should be the last resort. Petit Pli is designed to keep moving. A few better options:
- Pass it on. The hand-me-down economy for childrenswear is well-established. A Petit Pli garment that fits through five to seven sizes has plenty of life left for the next family.
- Resell it. Petit Pli holds its value on platforms like Vinted, eBay and Depop, precisely because of the quality and growth functionality.
- Repair, swap, or repurpose. Our warranty covers free repairs. Beyond that, the fabric is durable enough for second lives we haven't thought of.
- Send it back to us. If we're testing new product iterations, we sometimes need worn units. Email care@petitpli.com and we may be able to offer vouchers in return.
Because the garments grow with the child, you don't need to store them between siblings for years on end. They're ready to be worn again whenever the next child needs them.
Recycling
Our mono-material garments can be recycled through textile schemes. Knot-Tile® merino is fully biodegradable at end of life, the cleanest option of all. A few organisations working in textile recycling:
- United Kingdom. Recycle Now
- United States. Planet Aid
We're also watching closely as our friends at HKRITA develop their Garment to Garment recycling process. When it scales, we hope to use it.
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