Do you often carry a shemagh scarf? If you carry to beat the heat and dust in an outdoor activity, then you must wash it on a regular basis. Otherwise, it will become the breeding place for bacteria and germs.
Why take a risk? It is advisable that you wash your shemagh at least once in a while in case you don’t use it regularly. You may be wondering why it is so important. Why do you need to wash your scarf all of a sudden?
We have reasons, because if you don’t find out How to Wash a shemagh, then you may have to wear dirty shemagh everyday which will have unpleasant consequences like:
- Falunting a smelly shemagh
- One that will have unnecessary accumulation of body oils
- Your skin may face the wrath (with breakouts)
- You may develop rashes in other parts of your body
- No one wants to sport a stained clothing and you must look for these marks into your shemagh
Essentials Required - How To Wash A Shemagh
Alright then, now that you the importance of washing your clothes, scarves, gloves, undies and hankies are no different. Simply put, you need to keep yourself clean and your clothes cleaner.
There are no qualms about it, and you should do your best to try to keep them tidy. We have already told why and there is no looking back. Plus, you don’t want to torture your peers with the odor of dirty linen! This will result in people avoiding you and not socializing with you.
Okay, enough about that, at the moment, let us find out what supplies are required to wash your shemagh scarf.
Detergent – Depending on your choice and also the material of the shemagh, choose a detergent for washing. Most shemagh are made of cotton, but some may be of mixed variety that you need to look into. May be reading the label on the scarf can give you an idea about what type of detergent and washing is permitted for that particular shemagh.
Water – A bucket of water (or even running) for rinsing out the detergent will be required. If you are using a washing machine, then you know what to do in this case. Nonetheless, you need water in either of the cases.
Washing machine – If the instructions on your shemagh say that you can machine wash it, then you can certainly go for it. Otherwise, do not machine wash if you really love your possession. Go as per the directions because you don’t want to shrink or tear your shemagh. Your aim is to wash and not to lose it forever!
Iron – You may have to iron a cotton shemagh as you know it very well how important it is, if you prefer wearing a crisp scarf. So, keep an iron handy once the shemagh dries up.
How To Wash A Shemagh Properly?
Quite clearly, this section will tell you how you can wash a shemagh. A Keffiyeh is usually worn by Arabs to protect them from the heat and dust. You can wear it as a face mask, headscarf, cover your face with it and even wrap it around your wrist.
Choice is yours, but it is mainly used to protect them against the sand waves. However, these scarves have become a major craze in the fashion industry lately. As a result, the non Arab population is found more clad in these than ever.
Point is, if you are also smitten by the same fashion bug and chances are high that you have, which is why you are reading this; then you must keep it maintained. This is what we are discussing here today and we expect you to read this segment thoroughly.
Hand Washing
Know your Keffiyeh by reading into the label as this will help you wash it with care. Hand washing is probably the best solution while washing a cotton scarf without a doubt. Follow the directives to wash it safely:
- Fill a tub, bucket or basin with water
- Add 1 teaspoon of detergent or quarter a cap of liquid detergent to this water
- Soak your Keffiyeh in cold water and say no to warm water, for about 15 minutes at least, may be bit more if it dirtier
- Ensure the Keffiyeh is completely wet
- Then take it out and slowly rub it gently with your hands
- Make sure that it lathers and then scrub more if required
- Wash it under running tap water or fresh water until this foam washes off
- Squeeze the Keffiyeh softly and wring out all the water and soap
- One tip that we would like to share here is that never line dry your wet keffiyeh or Keffiyeh as this may damage the fabric
- Instead roll it in a dry towel to dry
- Unroll from the towel once you know it has dried completely
- Spread it in a dry and let it air dry
- Avoid sun drying as this can cause discoloration for some colors
Washing Machine
If and only if it mentions, that it can machine washed, you must do so. The point is hand washing and air drying it is the best option as that does not hurt the texture of the fabric. You can wash it individually as this will save you from getting it stained from other colors.
- Do not use bleach unless tag says so
- If you are not sure of anything, do not add fabric softener too
- Add detergent of your choice accordingly
- Turn on the machine for 2 to 5 minutes on normal mode
- Check on the Keffiyeh as the timer goes off
- If it looks clean to you, then out it in drier
- Again spread it on a surface
- Air dry it
Iron
Wouldn’t you prefer to wear a fresh and neatly ironed keffiyeh, like any other piece of clothing? The answer is obvious and why not? If have a thing for your Keffiyeh, then you would do the adhere to:
- Regular ironing your Keffiyeh
- Iron it when the scarf is damp
- Sprinkle some water if it is totally dry
- You can skip this step if using a steam iron
- Move your iron up and down to straighten all the shrinks (lines)
Now wear it the way you want and repeat the cleaning process if you find the keffiyeh to have gone dirty again!
A Solution For No Instructions
Yes, what if you have removed the label and do not what it said or may be this simply did not come with one? Then you listen to what your instincts tell you and work in accordance.
Remember, it is better to do hand-wash anything that does not come with a set of directives. This is no exception and do not dry it by hanging it from a wire under the sun. Protect the color and the fabric if it is dear to you, the way you would to any other belonging. Handle it with care even if it is made from cotton as this will only help it last long.
That should take care of rest of things for you and people will notice for your neatness if not your style! That’s not bad either, is it?