Keep Your Wardrobe Looking Its Best: The Science Behind Luxury Fabric Care

We’ve all experienced washing mishaps with our most luxurious items: a shrunken knit jumper, a silk slip that’s lost its lustre, colour that has permeated everything else in the wash. Then there’s the conundrum of outerwear: a wool coat or leather jacket that now smells of Friday night.

“To take care of a fabric, we need to understand the science behind what a fibre needs,” says Dhakshayani Urman, a PD Functional Leader – Laundry, at Fisher & Paykel Appliances. “Mastering that science begins with a deep knowledge of the fundamental composition of fabrics.”

For those of us keen to take care of our investment pieces and everyday wardrobe, we don’t necessarily need to resort to handwashing, taking a trip to the dry cleaner, or studying textile science.

Dhakshayani leads a team of textile experts (three of whom have PhDs) who have painstakingly lab-tested how different fabrics perform in the wash, and studied how each unique fibre responds to water, heat, chemicals, dirt, and agitation inside a washing machine or dryer drum. From there, they’ve designed appliances to efficiently care for each garment, including our most prized and difficult-to-clean pieces.

The result is Fisher & Paykel’s Fabric Care collection, a suite of Steam Care washers, Heat Pump Dryers, and Fabric Care Cabinets designed in New Zealand. Underpinned by the company’s ‘Science of Fabric Care’, these intelligent appliances take wash and dry cycles to the next level with fibre-specific advancements.

With cycles catering to every fabric type and need, everything from tailored pieces and delicates, through to heavy-duty sportswear, gets the best care.

The anxiety that you’ll damage a favourite item in the wash is replaced by peace of mind gained from using a more efficient, gentle, and specialised technology. For example, silk, known for being strong in its natural form, develops into a delicate fabric after processing. Though it can withstand significant stress without breaking, it can get damaged if laundered incorrectly.

The antidote to fibre damage is the Fabric Care collection’s Steam Care technology. It means you can quickly freshen up a blazer before an important morning meeting or remove wrinkles from a delicate dress you’ve only just decided you want to wear.

The Steam Care washers also feature auto-sensing and ActiveIntelligence™ technology that takes the guesswork out of laundering, automatically adjusting the wash based on the soil level and load size. You don’t even have to add the detergent yourself for every wash, as sensors ensure the right amount is used, and agitation based on soil level is optimal. This means there’s no risk of accidentally ‘overdosing’ our garments with chemicals, which can be as damaging to fibres as using a setting that is too vigorous.

No ordinary dryer, Fisher & Paykel’s no-vent Steam Care Heat Pump Dryer dries your clothes at lower temperatures, preserving their integrity with impressive energy efficiency. This includes machine-washable wools and other, more delicate fabrics

“I don’t like ironing, so being able to throw a top or a shirt into the Steam Refresh cycle in the dryer to come out de-wrinkled, it’s life-changing,” says Dhakshayani. “Heat Pump Dryers also use less energy because they recycle the hot air. This makes them environmentally friendly and cost-effective. You can use them to dry garments like machine-washable wools or silks.”

The ‘cherry on top’ and third product in the Fabric Care ecosystem is the revolutionary Fabric Care Cabinet, which is ideal for reviving outerwear and ‘dry clean-only’ garments. For instance, wool that can’t go in the washing machine can be laid flat in the cabinet and set on a wool cycle. A long coat, which may not need a full dry clean but perhaps has picked up odours, can be deodorised. The cabinet uses Steam Care technology, allowing moisture through the fibres but using a gentle heat to dry garments, “so you get your fresh, crisp, fresh-smelling coat back,” says Dhakshayani.

All three products are compatible with Fisher & Paykel’s SmartHQ™ app, enabling you to start a load of laundry before you arrive home. The app will notify you once the washing is complete so that you can promptly start a complementary drying cycle in the Steam Care Heat Pump Dryer.

Choosing which one to use comes down to time, capacity, and the amount of odour or wrinkling you might be trying to eliminate. The cabinet can refresh up to five items at a time and is great for removing odours, says Dhakshayani.

“But if I’m in a rush, trying to get wrinkles out, for a quick refresh, I’ll use the washer.”

With its sleek, understated design, Fisher & Paykel’s Fabric Care collection also taps into the integrated design trend, where appliances are seamlessly built-in to the architecture of the home.

Visit Fisher & Paykel’s Auckland Experience Centre to experience the Boffi Laundry and Fabric Care collection or learn more at www.fisherpaykel.com