You might be asking yourself, “Why do I need to hand wash my batik clothing?” The answer is: you don’t need to. But you should. Not only can you save money by hand washing, but you also preserve the color, shape, and texture of the clothing! Not to mention it can be a fun experience, especially if younger children agree to lend a hand!
What does ‘batik’ mean? ‘Batik’ clothing means that the clothing was created by blocking out selected areas of the cloth by brushing or stamping hot wax over it. After the wax has dried, the artisan dyes the cloth. The parts covered in wax resist the dye and remain the original color. Often, the fabric is dyed once before it is batiked, allowing a complimentary color to show through the stamped or stenciled pattern. All Mexicali Blues batik items are handmade in Bali, Indonesia, by artisans who have learned this ancient traditional art as it has been passed down through the generations. We just love the way this process makes every Balinese batik item we sell a one-of-a-kind work of art!
If you must machine wash your batiked clothing, the best thing to do is to put it in a washing machine with mild detergent, select a non-spin cycle (delicate mode), and set it to cold. To prevent any unfortunate color running incidents from occurring, you should separate your batik clothing from your other clothing. Be sure to air dry after washing!
Batik Care Tips
To perfume your batik, cover it with newspaper and then spray it with a scent. Remember, batik uses natural colorant, so you do not want to spray your Batik directly with perfume or scented spray.
Avoid wringing! Twisting can cause damage to the fibers. Instead, press down with your hands to push excess water out. Then, lay the item on a clean towel and roll it up, which will help to extract more water before laying or hanging the item to air dry.
To iron, putting another fabric on top of your batik and iron it indirectly, since high temperature can ruin it.
Not sure how to hand wash? Check out our instructional video here!
