Care Guide
🌿 Care Guide for Your Shirayuki Cloths
(Kitchen Cloths, Tea Towels, and Glass Cloths)
Our cloths are designed to be both functional and beautiful, aging gracefully over time with proper care. Here’s how to keep yours looking and feeling their best.
🌀 Before First Use: Remove the Starch
Each Shirayuki cloth is finished with natural starch from Kagoshima-grown potatoes to help retain its shape before use. This needs to be rinsed out before the first use.
- Fill a bowl with warm to hot water (around 40°C / 100°F)
- Wash and rinse the cloth by hand 3~4 times, or until the water runs clear
- No soap or detergent needed — you’re just rinsing out starch
💧 Everyday Care & Washing
- Machine washable (gentle cycle recommended)
- Use mild detergent only
- Avoid strong bleach or harsh chemicals
- Wash when dirty or smelly... They don’t hold odor easily!
- Cloths naturally soften over time and become even more absorbent
🌿 Stain Removal
- Oxygen bleach (e.g., OxiClean) is safe and effective for all cloths
- Chlorine bleach is also okay for most cloths, including those with Yuzen-dyed patterns, which are processed to resist color fading
- Important: Use bleach only within the recommended amount and time to avoid fabric damage
- You can spot-treat stains (wait 2 minutes before rinsing), or dilute bleach in warm water for soaking
⚠️ Exceptions:
- Yuzen Handkerchiefs: Use oxygen bleach only as chlorine may cause the backside colors to bleed
- Uruoi Moisture Towels: Do not use any bleach, as the moisturizing treatment (squalane) may degrade
🌞 Drying
- Do not tumble dry — heat may damage the delicate fibers
- Air dry naturally, in the sun or shade; either is fine
🧺 Care Symbols (At-a-Glance)
- ✅ Machine wash gentle
- 🚫 No dryer
- ✅ Air dry
- ✅ Oxygen bleach OK
- 🚫 Avoid chlorine bleach
- ✅ Hand rinse before first use
Have more questions? We’re happy to help. Just reach out anytime via our contact page.