FAQs
QUALITIES OF GAUZE AND WHAT TO EXPECT
What is gauze?
Gauze is a lightweight, loosely woven cotton fabric that's commonly referred to as muslin. Our 100% certified organic, ethically woven gauze fabric is made up of multiple, thin layers of gauze attached to each other with small holding threads. These holding threads help to create the puckering of the fabric once it is washed and dried. Thanks to being lightweight and loosely woven, gauze is a breathable textile. Yet when layered, it provides warmth. This combo of breathability and warmth makes it perfect for year-round use.How many layers of gauze are in your products?
2 layers
napkin
furoshiki
play cloth
swaddle
teether lovie
2-layer pillowcase
flat & fitted sheets
4 layers
wash cloth
4-layer pillowcase
bed blanket
hooded towel
8 layers
lace baby blanket
geo baby blanket
basic baby blanket
trimmed bed blanket
geo bed blanket
heirloom blanket
throw
12 layers
basic burp cloth
geo burp cloth
Why does the gauze product I've received look flat, and not puckered like in the photos I've seen?
A portion of our products have been garment-washed (pre-texturized/puckered up), and portion of our products were made prior to having the capabilities to garment wash. Essentially, when you receive a willaby product that has not undergone a texturizing garment wash, you perform a version of garment wash yourself by simply washing and drying. Launder on cold, delicate cycle and tumble dry low. Voilà, you now have texturized gauze! We recommend waiting to use your product until you've performed this initial wash & dry. Laundering will help the open weave of the unlaundered gauze to close up and become less susceptible to possible damage. The fabric may continue to crinkle up more with the next wash and dry. We include this information on an insert that comes with products in that initial, flat texture state.
Unwashed 2-layer gauze on the left, washed 2-layer gauze on the right (Zoom for texture.)
Unwashed 4-layer gauze on the left, washed 4-layer gauze on the right (Zoom for texture.)
My gauze item shrunk a little after I washed and dried it. Why?
Gauze shrinks with laundering because the cotton has more "room" to shrink in a looser weave such as gauze. This is an inherent quality of the fabric, especially if it's encountering the heat of a dryer. We account for this relatively small amount of shrinkage when we create the dimensions for our products.The unbleached/undyed organic cotton on the item I've received looks like a deeper hue of ivory than it does on your website. Why?
This is the hue of our pure and minimally processed GOTS-certified organic cotton prior to washing. With laundering, the hue of the unprocessed cotton lightens to the lighter ivory shown in our product photos. Please note that if you're receiving an order and comparing the shade of your new, undyed willaby cotton to a laundered, undyed willaby cotton, the hues will differ from each other because your newer item hasn't been laundered yet. (The process of washing with water and detergent inevitably lightens the cotton.) Additionally, the shade of cotton in its natural, unbleached state will vary from one crop to another, and this results in different shades of undyed cotton yarn used in one manufacture vs. another. We consider this an inherent aspect of working with undyed cotton and beautiful proof of interfering with its original state as little as possible.When I look closely at my gauze, I see that it has tiny brown flecks scattered across the surface. Does this mean it has a quality issue?
Minuscule brown flecks in the yarns used to make your gauze are completely normal for minimally processed cotton, and are, in fact, proof that it has been minimally processed. The small flecks are a part of the cotton plant that gets woven into the yarn. We take pride in our minimally processed fabric because it saves energy and benefits the environment. Rest assured that these flecks are barely noticeable and minimize with washing. And some people love them because they give the gauze a natural look!TIPS ON CARING FOR YOUR GOTS-CERTIFIED ORGANIC GAUZE
How do I care for my gauze?
DO:- Follow the instructions on the care tag. Wash on delicate, cold cycle (low spin) with like colors. Tumble dry low.
- Use a natural delicates detergent for laundering.
- Use natural liquid fabric softener or dryer sheets.
- Place your willaby product in a garment wash bag for laundering if it fits comfortably inside of it.
DON'T:
- Overcrowd the washing machine when laundering gauze.
- Launder with items that have with Velcro, hooks, or zippers attached.
- Apply bleach (including oxygenated), nor any whitening agents.
- Apply vinegar or baking soda.
- Apply vinegar or baking soda.
- Apply harsh stain treaters.
- Use dryer balls (including wool dryer balls).
GOTS-certified organic gauze is in a league of its own when it comes to cotton, and its special nature requires special care. Its fluffy, soft quality is achieved via delicate cotton fibers. Velcro, hooks, zippers, and pointed, sharp objects will snag gauze fibers. Applying common cleaning agents may strip the fibers of their softness, as well as anything that continues harshly rub against the fibers (or beat against them, like wool dryer balls). The dry or rough feel that may result in the fabric coming into contact with certain agents is due to these agents causing microscopic breakage of the gauze fiber.What laundry soap and fabric softener do you recommend for your products?
We recommend natural, nontoxic detergents designed specifically for delicates, such as Molly's Suds Delicates Wash. We recommend Molly's Plant-Based Fabric Softener sheets because they don't contain vinegar. (Make sure that your natural fabric softener does not contain vinegar.)
Because our fabric is made from delicate 100% GOTS-certified organic cotton fibers, we caution against using conventional laundry soaps, including those containing harsh cleaning agents and/or whitening agents. It's possible that these soaps could cause damage. Certain agents in any laundry soap other than a natural delicates soap may strip the cotton of protective coatings and weaken the strength of the fiber, breaking it at a microscopic level. This leaves the fabric feeling less soft, and makes it more susceptible to more wear over time.
Please note that willaby cannot be held responsible for damage to our fabrics after they have entered your possession.
Lastly, we do not recommend using any kind of dryer ball in the dryer with your gauze. These beat against the fabric and have the potential to damage it, causing it to lose its softness.
Our repair kit contains needle and thread, as well as small pieces of fabric to patch up wear-and-tear.
The beautiful images of our product posted to social media are, of course, all taken with different cameras and phones, under varying lighting conditions, and have been edited. Depending on the aforementioned, colors of our product look brighter/darker and/or warmer/cooler, from one photo to another.
For these reasons, we recommend using our website plus our posts on Instagram/Facebook as a guide to the appearance of our products. We've intentionally curated these sources for the closest representation of our products compared to what is seen by the human eye. Even to the human eye, colors look different under different lighting circumstances, and after years of designing with our colors and conducting photoshoots of those colors, we have learned that color simply IS flexible in appearance depending on the circumstances.
Because our fabric is made from delicate 100% GOTS-certified organic cotton fibers, we caution against using conventional laundry soaps, including those containing harsh cleaning agents and/or whitening agents. It's possible that these soaps could cause damage. Certain agents in any laundry soap other than a natural delicates soap may strip the cotton of protective coatings and weaken the strength of the fiber, breaking it at a microscopic level. This leaves the fabric feeling less soft, and makes it more susceptible to more wear over time.
Please note that willaby cannot be held responsible for damage to our fabrics after they have entered your possession.
What should I use to remove stains from my product?
We recommend using a delicates laundry soap as much as possible to remove stains. Soaking to remove the stain versus continually rubbing the fabric helps to preserve its quality.How can I protect my gauze during laundering?
Because gauze is a loose, open weave, it can snag if it gets caught on something. Please note that willaby cannot be held responsible for snags or any other damage to your goods once they have been handled, laundered, or have otherwise entered into use. To protect your item from getting snagged during laundering, wash and dry without items that have zippers, hooks, or anything that could catch on the fibers. You might also put your gauze item in a mesh wash bag for washing and drying. Be sure that the wash bag is large enough so that that item isn't tightly bunched up. This allows water and detergent to flow through the fabric in the washing machine, and air to circulate in the dryer.Lastly, we do not recommend using any kind of dryer ball in the dryer with your gauze. These beat against the fabric and have the potential to damage it, causing it to lose its softness.
How do I fix a snag on my gauze?
A snag can be fixed using a needle and thread. Thread a needle, and knot the thread to the loop of the snag. Then pull the snag down inside the fabric. This will hide it inside the layers of gauze. Then snip off the sewing thread, being careful not to snip the gauze at the same time. If you need help with fixing snag/s, you can email our customer service at info@willabyshop.com for further instructions.Our repair kit contains needle and thread, as well as small pieces of fabric to patch up wear-and-tear.
OTHER FAQS
Can I get fabric swatches of your colors?
Instead of making cut pieces of fabric for swatches, which produces waste, we have decided to have our napkins and wash cloths (here and here) double as swatches. Our napkins and wash cloths come in virtually every color that's offered in our line. If you need help with a color that you can't find in the napkins and wash cloths, we'll be happy to help over at info@willabyshop.com!Do you offer embroidery on your products?
We do not offer machine nor hand embroidery. When gauze is manipulated under an embroidery machine (more suitable for dense weave fabrics), or by hand with a needle and thread, it's possible for the surface of this loosely-woven fabric to get roughed up. For this reason as well, we do not recommend sending our blankets to companies or individuals to have them embroidered, due to the risk of damage to your blanket while it is not in your possession or, quite possibly, package loss. willaby does not endorse nor partner with any companies providing embroidery services.Do your hand-loomed rugs require anti-slip pads?
We recommend natural rubber grip pads, and sell our own locally-made natural rubber rug pad, suitable for our rugs. Anti-slip pads underneath the rugs will help keep them in place around young crawlers, walkers, and "kids being kids." They provide extra cushion as well, and for young children, doubling up on rug pads is a great idea.What is the TRUE color of the product I'm interested in on your site?
We empathize with the quest of trying to get the most accurate impression of the thing you're wanting to buy online.The beautiful images of our product posted to social media are, of course, all taken with different cameras and phones, under varying lighting conditions, and have been edited. Depending on the aforementioned, colors of our product look brighter/darker and/or warmer/cooler, from one photo to another.
For these reasons, we recommend using our website plus our posts on Instagram/Facebook as a guide to the appearance of our products. We've intentionally curated these sources for the closest representation of our products compared to what is seen by the human eye. Even to the human eye, colors look different under different lighting circumstances, and after years of designing with our colors and conducting photoshoots of those colors, we have learned that color simply IS flexible in appearance depending on the circumstances.
All of that being send, our customer service is a great resource in getting the most accurate idea of colors. Sometimes a conversation about, for example, whether a color leans more pink or orange helps to provide clarity. Feel feel free to email us with any questions prior to purchasing and we can help you sort things out!
When are you having a sale?
Rather than marking down on all the traditional sales days, we follow the natural flow of when we need to move items off our shelves. We put discontinued designs and sample items on sale, and occasionally offer small discounts on regularly-priced merchandise that we'd like to promote. In fairness to all customers, we don't disclose upcoming sales in DM's or via email response if we haven't yet publicly advertised the sale. If we offer a promotion, we notify customers via our newsletter, Facebook, and Instagram. Sign up for our newsletter at the bottom of this page to be sure to receive all notifications!Do you have a discount code you can give me?
When we have them, we send out discount codes through our newsletter and post them on Instagram/Facebook. We're happy to share a discount code with you if we have one currently running via our public channels.New newsletter subscribers receive a discount code when signing up for our newsletter. Scroll down to the bottom of this page to subscribe!
