On the House: The Household Management Science Insights Podcast · Life Management Science Labs

Leah Giblin: Laundry Tips for Every Fabric Type | On the House #80

·45 min·2 clips

Australia threw 220,000 tons of clothes into landfill last year, the weight of two Ruby Princess cruise liners.

1. On The House discusses laundry care with Leah Giblin, focusing on fabric-specific washing, drying, and storage advice for household textiles. 2. Gabriella Yastra interviews Leah Giblin, a textile artist, textile consultant, costume designer, and University of New South Wales textiles department worker whose work connects sustainability and garment care. 3. The episode asks how to keep clothes lasting longer by matching washing habits to fiber type instead of using one laundry routine for everything. 4. Leah groups fabrics into natural fibers such as silk, wool, cashmere, cotton, linen, and hemp, semi-synthetics like viscose, acetate, and rayon, and synthetics such as polyester, nylon, spandex, and acrylic. 5. She says the fiber content and weave matter because cotton can handle heat and agitation far better than wool or silk. 6. Her 'number one golden rule' is to check the tag, read the fiber type, and follow the instructions listed there. 7. Leah says the idea that everything can go into one washing cycle is a misconception that shortens garment life. 8. On detergents, she recommends simple, non-fragranced products and says fabric softener is unnecessary. 9. She suggests vinegar as a natural softener and says plant-based essential oils can add scent when needed. 10. For wool and silk, she recommends lukewarm water, gentle detergent, minimal agitation, and a vinegar rinse to restore gloss. 11. She says cashmere should be treated like wool, while linen can tolerate washing but weakens faster with too much heat over time. 12. Leah warns against putting viscose, rayon, and acetate into the dryer because heat makes those fibers brittle and prone to snapping. 13. She advises hand-washing delicates one by one in a bucket, soaking them for two hours or overnight if needed, and rinsing them again in lukewarm water. 14. Her drying method for woolens and silks is to lay them flat on a towel so the garment stays in shape without strain. 15. She says electric dryers can shrink wool and felt it, while storage should wait until clothes are fully dry and should include cedar, lavender, or other natural repellents. 16. For staining, she recommends treating oil spots quickly with dishwashing liquid and testing stain removers on an inconspicuous area first. 17. Leah says the biggest laundry mistake is throwing everything into the wash together, and she connects that habit to pink-dyed whites, shrunken jumpers, and waste. 18. She gives a quantified example that Australia threw 220,000 tons of clothes into landfill last year, which she compares to two Ruby Princess cruise liners. 19. The tone is practical, instructional, and conversational, with Gabriella asking short follow-ups while Leah answers in detailed step-by-step advice. 20. Listeners who care about textiles, sustainability, or making clothes last longer will get the most from this episode; listeners wanting a fast entertainment-only chat may skip it.

Listen to the show on

Apple Podcasts Spotify

Play clips from this episode More from On the House: The Household Management Science Insights Podcast