Acetate: A synthetic fabric. It doesn’t like biological washing powder, vinegar or pre-wash stain removers. It also doesn’t like soaking, rubbing, ironing, rubbing, wringing, twisting or spinning. This is a definite “dry clean only” fabric. It looks a bit like silk.
Acrylic: A synthetic fabric that’s quite washable, although some prefer to be hand washed only (check the label). A cold wash is best. Don’t bleach. Avoid ironing it when it is wet or damp and only use a cool iron. It looks a bit like wool and is often mixed with wool.
Angora: A natural fabric made from goat hair. Hand wash gently in warm water using hand soap. Dry flat and do not twist, wring or rub – this will make it stretch or turn to felt. Avoid ironing it.
Broderie anglaise: This is usually made from cotton, but can be made from polycotton. It can be machine washed (if the garment it is attached to allows this) but put it in a pillowcase or lingerie bag to stop the holes getting hooked on things.
Calico: This is a type of light cotton weave with a particular print (usually floral – think Laura Ashley). As it is cotton, it can handle hot washes, tumble drying and hot irons. It will probably need ironing, too.
Cheesecloth (muslin): Very fine cotton. For some reason, muslin/cheesecloth garments usually run colour. Wash items separately, preferably by hand, although you can use warmer water. It can be ironed, preferably when damp. Don’t wring it.
Chiffon: Very light see-through fabric made from synthetics or (luxury of luxuries) silk. Hand wash the synthetic chiffons; dry clean the silks. Alternatively, just spot-treat any dirty marks.
Corduroy: Usually made from cotton or a cotton blend and is quite hard wearing. It is a bit more delicate to wash and should be turned inside out to protect the distinctive pile. If you have to iron it, iron it damp and turn it inside out.
Cotton: A natural fibre that’s very tough. It can handle the hottest washes and the hottest irons. It can shrink when new, so be careful with this. If buying cotton for dressmaking, preshrink the fabric by washing it before cutting out the pieces and sewing the garment.
Down: These are soft feathers usually used to stuff things. Wash in cold water using a delicate cycle. Tumble dry on low or dry in the sun– it will take ages. Fluff it up periodically to move the feathers around and stop them clumping. If you dry clean it, air it well afterwards, as the down will trap the toxic fumes – not what you want to breathe in while you sleep.
Fur: Real fur should either be brushed or (if really dirty) dry cleaned. You can spot-clean marks with shampoo or hand soap and cold water, stroking in the direction of the fur.
Lace: Can be made from cotton, linen or synthetics. It is best to use a delicate cycle on the washing machine or handwash it. If washing lace in the washing machine, put it in a pillow case or a lingerie bag to stop it snagging on zips, buttons and hooks, which can tear the lace.
Leather: Tough as old boots – literally. You can hand or machine wash it, but it will go hard after drying. It is better to spot clean leather. Salt water ruins leather, so soak a leather item in milk if this happens. Then rinse. To soften leather after it has dried hard, work it to and fro in your hands – roll it and unroll it a few times to soften it.
Nylon: A synthetic fabric. It prefers to be washed in cold water, but can handle being machine washed on regular. It dries quickly and doesn’t usually need ironing.
Satin: This is a finish rather than a fabric type. It is made from silk or from synthetic fabrics. Silk satin should be hand washed, but synthetic silks can cope with the delicate cycle in your washing machine. If you iron it, use a cool iron and iron it on the dull side to protect the shiny finish.
Velvet: Can be made from synthetics, cotton or silk. Wash inside out, using the delicate cycle. Hand wash or spot-treat silk velvet. To fluff the pile back up again after drying, hold the item over a steaming kettle (be careful not to get burnt).
Wool: A natural fibre from all sorts of animals. Hand wash and dry flat. Don’t wring it or spin it. If for carpet a professional carpet cleaning is fine.
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Now that spring has almost sprung, to quote the famous old bit of doggerel that is rapidly turning into a cliché, it’s time to start thinking about eating outdoors in the warmer weather. And the really big question is: did you clean your barbecue before you put it away for the winter? Oh dear. You’re going to have to clean it now, aren’t you?
Ideally, you should clean off any residues left from cooking after each barbecue session, in much the same way as you would clean a saucepan or grill tray after cooking in it. This is fairly easy to do – a quick wipe with a paper towel or two (or a nice reusable cloth) and maybe some dishwashing detergent (of the sort for washing by hand) some warm water and a dishbrush. Do this once the barbecue has cooled down or you run the risk of burning yourself and/or melting the plastic bristles of the brush. Believe me, burnt-on melted plastic is a pain to remove.
However, there are some things that you can do to help clean the barbecue while it’s still hot. Turn the flame up to high and this will burn off a lot of the gunk. It will pong horribly and emit black smoke, but don’t panic. After you have turned the flame off and the hot plate is still a hot plate, sprinkle salt all over it. Then, once the machine has cooled down, brush the salt off. It will have absorbed a lot of the liquid fats, etc., and it will also help to scour the metal.
Once you have done either of these post-cleaning methods, you should dry your machine and coat it lightly with a little vegetable oil to “season” the metal (the same as people used to do with cast-iron skillets and stop them from rusting).
Too late now. You’re confronted with rancid fat, mysterious burnt on bits, mould and rust. What are you going to do now?
First of all, switch the barbecue on. While it’s heating up, find a wire brush and spray dispenser. Fill the spray dispenser with water. Spray the water over the hot plate and get busy with the wire brush. This will be like steam cleaning for your barbecue and remove a lot of the rust as well And it kills the mould.
If you don’t want to do this – or if you still haven’t got a new gas cylinder for the barbecue yet – then you can clean the top off with a mixture of baking soda and water, plus a good dollop of elbow grease. Enjo cloths also do a great job at cleaning barbecues, especially the special green ones designed for fats and grease. A paste of salt and vinegar will help remove the rust – you may need to leave the paste on for about ten minutes and you will need to scrub it off fairly hard. Try not to use one of those commercial cleaners and rust removers but stick to the home-made natural rust removal methods: you are going to eat off that barbecue.
I’m not going to pretend that cleaning off a barbecue that has been left neglected is a picnic – I’ve done it myself – but the experience should be enough to teach you to clean, dry and season the barbecue machine properly before you put it away next time. It’ll mean one less spring cleaning job next year.
