Pima Cotton Care Guide

Before the first wash

Pima cotton needs no special preparation, but the first wash marks the start of a relationship. Use cold water — between 20 and 30 degrees — and your washer's gentlest cycle. Skip the fabric softener. Pima cotton has its own natural softness; chemical softeners don't improve it, and over time they weaken the fiber by coating it with agents that interfere with its molecular structure.

Dry in the shade. Direct sunlight lightens color over time — not on the first wash, but by the tenth, the twentieth. If you have time, hang the tee somewhere with air circulation before nightfall.

Skip the high-speed spin. A low-speed cycle is enough. Excess force while wet stretches the fibers out of their natural position, and although the tee recovers most of its shape as it dries, repeated cycles accumulate deformation.

Routine washing

Frequency depends on actual use, not a calendar. A tee worn for indoor work can go two weeks without washing; one worn in heat or physical activity, two or three days. Overwashing wears a garment down more than wearing it does — every wash is a small abrasion. When the tee isn't dirty, don't wash it.

Neutral detergents, or ones made for delicates. No bleach. No aggressive enzymes — Pima is resilient, but enzymes designed to break down proteins act on the natural fiber over time. The brand doesn't matter; the detergent's pH does.

Turn the tee inside out before it goes in the washer. The inner side takes the cycle's greatest friction — the outer side, where the visible color is, stays protected.

Storage

Fold, don't hang. Cotton is heavy enough that a hung tee's shoulders gradually deform under gravity. Hangers are for jackets and structured shirts. A tee lives better in a drawer.

A cool, dry drawer. Away from direct light, away from humidity. If you're storing the tee seasonally, a sheet of tissue paper between folds prevents the pressure marks that form when the same fold line carries months of weight.

Pima cotton needs no special protection against moths — unlike wool, it isn't a protein fiber that attracts insects. But a clean, ventilated closet is always better than one that isn't.

Common stains

Treat stains cold, immediately. Heat sets; cold releases.

Red wine: plenty of cold water, no rubbing. Then coarse salt on the damp stain for five minutes before washing. Don't use hot water.

Coffee: rinse immediately with cold water from the back of the fabric — pushing the stain outward rather than in. Liquid detergent directly on the area before washing.

Sweat: cold water and a little baking soda on the affected area for fifteen minutes. Baking soda is neutral, effective, and doesn't harm the fiber.

Oil or grease: talc or cornstarch on the stain before it dries — it absorbs the oil without pressure. Then liquid detergent directly, before washing. Don't wet an oil stain before applying the absorbent.

For stains that have already set: write to us. We keep a list of trusted dry cleaners in Lima who know Pima.

Repairs and alterations

If a button loosens, a seam opens, or the fabric needs an adjustment, message us on WhatsApp at +51 964 375 846 before setting the garment aside. We coordinate the repair directly — we work with the same workshops where the tees are made.

A tee that gets repaired isn't a defective tee. It's a tee that's lived long enough to need attention. Pima tees are built to be repaired: the seams have margin, the materials are accessible, the workshops know them.

Repairs carry no additional cost during the garment's first year. After the first year, we coordinate based on the type of work.

When a tee ages well

Something happens to Pima cotton after the tenth wash, the twentieth, that can't be manufactured in a factory or sped up over time. The fiber settles. It becomes softer, not less. The tee learns the shape of the body wearing it — the shoulders take form, the fabric gives at the exact points of contact, the texture becomes more intimate.

This isn't wear. It's settling. The distinction matters: wear weakens the fiber and leaves marks of deterioration; settling simplifies the fiber and deepens its presence. A well-aged tee is, in every sense that matters, a better tee than a new one. Softer. More yours. More lived-in.

Pima cotton was chosen, among every variety available, precisely for this property: the extra-long 33mm fiber produces a yarn with very few loose ends, which means the fabric doesn't fray or pill over time. The tee can keep becoming more its wearer's without ever becoming ruin.

When someone writes to tell us they've had their tee for three years and like it more every time, we understand we've done the work well.