Warning from my Mexico trip: Always check fabric for saltwater damage

I made a batch of linen shirts inspired by coastal colors last year. After wearing them on a beach day, the saltwater caused surprise shrinkage and color loss. It ruined the whole collection. Now I pre-wash all fabrics with saltwater mix before cutting any travel designs.

4 comments

4 Comments

caseythompson1mo ago

How concentrated is the saltwater mix you use for pre-washing? I had a similar problem with a cotton shirt that tightened up after one seaside day. Did the shrinkage happen all over or just in certain spots like the shoulders? What colors in your collection faded the worst, like did the blues hold up better than the tans? I wonder if different linen weaves react in their own way to salt. Your pre-wash idea sounds smart to catch this before spending time on sewing.

charles1221mo ago

Actually I just use sea salt from my kitchen mixed pretty strong, like a few big spoonfuls per liter. My dark blues went full gray way faster than the tans, it was brutal. Different weaves definitely went weird in different spots too.

king.val29d ago

Totally ruined my favorite blue shirt, @bailey.thomas gets it!

bailey.thomas1mo ago

You asking about salt mix levels? My dark indigo got wrecked way worse than lighter colors too, @caseythompson.