Thank you for shopping with Hawkinsport and we want you to be happy with the purchases you have made.

The following information details the best way to look after your purchases, but ALWAYS read the washing instructions in the garment.

CLOTHING

Fabric Conditioner

We advise against the use of fabric conditioner on any of our products.  Fabric conditioner is a rinsing agent and once used it damages the yarns within the fabric causing pilling and misshaping. Fabric conditioner also rinses off any protective coatings such as Teflon, therefore degrading the fabric further. It also contains a bleaching agent, which initially makes the garment appear brighter, but in fact removes colour over time causing fading. 

Tumble Drying

Tumble drying should also be avoided particularly with knitwear, skirts and any sportswear terms with a transfer print.

Knitwear

We recommend that you wash knitwear inside out, avoid fabric conditioner and do not tumble dry. Please do not iron knitwear as this will make it stretch and go shiny.

Skirts, Kilts & Pinafores

These should be hung to dry immediately after washing and should not be tumble-dried.  Skirts have all been through permanent pleat process which sets the pleats - use of fabric conditioner causes the pleats to become less crisp & the heat from the tumble dryer will also remove pleats over time. 

Sportswear

Our performance sportswear dries very quickly without the need to tumble dry. Please avoid tumble drying or ironing anything with a transfer as this can cause the print to peel. Games socks should be air dried rather than tumble dried.

Velcro

Vinyl print on stretchy fabrics

Due to the stretch of the fabric of many garments, the vinyl is liable to crack and peel off. We are happy to reapply new print to the garment.

OTHER ITEMS -

Book bags, Games Bags & Holdalls should be wiped clean with a damp cloth.

PILLING AND BOBBLING

Knitted goods are prone to pilling. The main reason is friction or rubbing against another object and this does not necessarily mean that the garment is faulty or of poor quality. Pilling can be caused by any of the following:-

External friction i.e. movement against another fabric or object; Heat generated by the individual when the garment is worn; Washing the garment at the incorrect temperature and/or with other fabrics that will rub against the garment; Tumble drying the garment at too high a temperature, which causes the heat to draw out the fibre.

Some garments appear to have 'fluffed up' after a short period of wear and this is due to surface fibre from the yarn coming to the surface. The yarn in these cases is slightly hairier than usual and the hairs disappear after a period of wear and washing. This is similar to a carpet, where when first laid, the loose fibres come to the surface and are vacuumed away. If the fibres do not wash away, various devices can be used to remove the excess fibre to enhance the look of the garment. Once the fibre is removed the garment is unlikely to pill again. Check that bags and outerwear do not have any exposed Velcro fastenings which may cause damage to garments worn beneath them.

Our advice: we find that the best solution is to turn garments inside out when washing. When pilling occurs it should settle down after washing a number of times; however, if pilling is excessive, please feel free to return to us for inspection.

If you still have a query then our Customer Services Team will be happy to assist. Tel: 01628 819242 Email: customerservices@hawkinsport.co.uk