A studio that sells leggings and never says a word about washing them is setting up a future complaint. Stretch-knit fabric behaves differently in the laundry than a cotton tee, and members who treat a legging like a regular garment often end up disappointed by a faded print or a stretched-out waistband a few months in. A short care note at the point of sale prevents most of that.
A cotton tee is fairly forgiving of a hot wash and a high-heat dryer cycle. A stretch-knit legging is not: high heat breaks down the elastic fibers over time, which is what causes a waistband to lose its hold and a fit that once felt snug to go baggy. The fabric itself, not the print, is usually what fails first when care instructions are ignored.
A design printed correctly on the Bear Grips seamless fabric holds through many wash cycles when the care guidance above is followed. Fading and cracking, when they happen, are almost always a heat problem (hot wash water or a high-heat dryer) rather than a defect in the print itself.
| Do | Avoid |
|---|---|
| Cold wash, inside out | Hot wash cycles |
| Air dry or low tumble | High-heat dryer settings |
| Mild detergent | Fabric softener |
| Store folded, unstretched | Hanging by the waistband for long periods |
A single line on the product page or a small printed card in the shipping package, cold wash, skip the softener, low heat, prevents most of the "these shrank" messages a studio would otherwise get later. It is a small addition that protects both the member's investment and the studio's reputation for the piece.
Add a care card to every legging order and cut down on shrinkage complaints. No minimum, ships in about a week.
Start FreeIt is not recommended. Hot water and high heat break down the elastic fibers over time, which is the main cause of a stretched-out fit and a faded print.
Yes, over time. Softener coats the fabric fibers and reduces the natural stretch recovery, which shortens the useful life of the garment.
Almost always heat. Hot wash water or a high-heat dryer setting is the most common cause of a print fading or cracking faster than expected.
It is a good practice. A short care note, cold wash, no softener, low heat, reduces complaints and helps the piece last as long as it is designed to.
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