In Amsterdam, a city known for its rainy weather, MAIUM is known for its practical and functional city jackets. As a brand from the Netherlands, MAIUM nurtures not only a love of style, but also an aversion to wear, pollution and waste. This jacket care guide offers some essential tips to extend the life of your MAIUM jacket while respecting the environment.
- Airing Before Washing
Think carefully before you wash your coat to save the environment. Often it is enough to air the coat outside. - Remove stains with an ecological stain remover
Individual stains don't mean the entire coat has to be washed. Stains can easily be removed manually with an odorless, lotion-free, ecological stain remover. Rub it on the stain and leave it on for half an hour. Then rinse thoroughly. Do not rub too hard to avoid wearing down the fabric and damaging the impregnation. - Remove dirt with a coat brush
Dust and surface dirt can be removed with a brush or damp cloth. Regular use of a coat brush helps keep your coat fresh. - Don't overload laundry in the machine
It is important not to overload your washing machine. An overloaded machine interferes with the spin cycle and can result in wet and dirty clothes. If the garment is too large for your washing machine, have it cleaned at a professional wet cleaner with larger machines. An overly empty machine, on the other hand, wastes water, energy and detergent. Always read and follow the laundry label inside the jacket. Many of our coats have instructions for washing separately. - Wash at low temperatures
Washing your coat in hot water is unlikely to make it cleaner. 30°C is often sufficient. Lower temperatures extend the life of the jacket in terms of fibers and colors. Protect the jacket by closing all zippers, pockets, buttons and Velcro before washing, and turn the jacket inside out. Do not leave the jacket in the washing machine for too long after it has been washed. - Use an ecological detergent
Choose an ecological liquid detergent. These do not contain surfactants, which are harmful to the environment. Do not use more detergent than necessary. Start with half the recommended dose and increase if necessary. - Do not use fabric softener
Do not use fabric softener, as it reduces the jacket's technological functions. Fabric softeners are not environmentally friendly and bad for your health. - Avoid tumble drying
Do not tumble dry your jacket. The mechanical stress and heat of the dryer will reduce the color and wear out the fibers. Instead, let the jacket air dry. To reactivate the water-repellent layer, add heat with an iron or hair dryer. Always read the washing label inside the jacket. - Repair instead of replace
The motto "make do and mend" is dear to our hearts. Holes, buttons and torn seams can easily be repaired with a needle and thread. For more complicated repairs, call in a tailor so that you and your MAIUM jacket spend many happy winters together. - Take Good Care
By following these guidelines, the life of your functional jacket can be extended by several years. This is beneficial for the jacket, the environment and your wallet. Always remember to follow the instructions on the wash label inside the jacket, as different fabrics, membranes and padding require different care and maintenance.
MATERIALS
100% Recycled Polyester
Recycled Polyester (RPET) is derived from the chemical name for polyester: PET. In the recycling process, plastic bottles are cut into small pieces, melted, spun and then woven into "new" polyester fabrics.
The plastic bottles processed into MAIUM jackets are collected by waste collectors in Asia. They are then compressed and taken to the recycling plant. At the recycling plant, the plastic bottles undergo the following successive steps:
- First, during the separation process, the caps and labels are removed from the bottles because they are made of plastic with different properties, for example, a different melting point. This makes it impossible to recycle without separation
- The plastic bottles are then processed into small flakes and these are then cleaned
- Then the flakes are melted into so-called pellets
- Finally, the molten plastic is spun into yarn that can now be used to weave fabrics for MAIUM rainjackets.
Advantages of RPET include:
- CO2 emissions in the production of RPET are significantly lower than in the production of virgin (non-recycled) polyester.
- Ensures that less plastic ends up in landfills or in the ocean.
- Does not rely on "new" petroleum as raw material.
100% Recycled Nylon
Recycled nylon has similar benefits to recycled polyester, its use keeps it from ending up in landfills or in the ocean and consumes a lot less energy and CO2 emissions in production compared to virgin nylon. MAIUM uses recycled nylon made from waste, particularly post-industrial waste such as from weaving mills.
Recycled nylon is processed in the following way:
- First the nylon is separated from other types of waste, then it is thoroughly cleaned.
- It is then shredded and compressed.
- Then the compressed substance is depolymerized. This is a chemical decomposition reaction in which a polymer (organic compound whose molecules consist of a sequence of identical parts) is broken down into monomers, a relatively simple organic molecule that can again serve as a building block for larger molecules.
- These monomers are used to "molecularly" rebuild the fabric so that it can be made into nylon yarn again. The fabric we use for our products is made from this recycled nylon yarn.
The benefits of recycled nylon are:
- Reduced CO2 emissions during production compared to virgin (non-recycled) nylon.
- Ensures that less nylon ends up in landfills or oceans.
- Does not rely on "new" petroleum as raw material.
PU Coating
PU is short for Polyurethane, a class of polymers composed of organic units joined by carbamate (urethane). During the coating process, a liquid layer of polyurethane is applied to the surface of a fabric to make it waterproof, since neither recycled polyester nor recycled nylon is waterproof on its own. Besides the fact that a PU coating makes the fabric waterproof, it is strong, has a long lifespan and no harmful toxins are released during production. Currently, our biodegradable PU coating is one of the two most sustainable alternatives for waterproofing fabrics. The other is TPU lamination. We continue to look for even more environmentally friendly finishes with the same properties as PU, but they are not currently available.
A PU coating is applied in the following way:
- The recycled woven fabric, both polyester and nylon, is delivered to the coating plant.
- A liquid layer of polyurethane coating is applied to the fabric including the desired color for the final fabric.
- After a drying process, the products are ready for finishing
TPU Lamination
TPU stands for Thermoplastic Polyurethane, an elastic, flexible and smooth form of PU lamination. Because of its durability and strength, it has a long service life, but also allows air to pass through, making it a breathable fabric - unlike ordinary polyurethane coatings. Although fossil fuels are used in the production of TPU, our goal remains to switch to even more sustainable alternatives as soon as they become available on the market.
TPU lamination is applied to fabrics in the following manner:
- Recycled woven fabrics are delivered to coating and laminating plant
- TPU lamination, which also contains an adhesive layer, is applied to the fabric.
- It is pressed together with the recycled woven fabric using a heat press. This is usually done on the inside of the fabric to preserve the outer color or print of the fabric.
- After a cooling period, TPU-laminated fabrics are waterproof and can be used to produce MAIUM rainwear.
Silver Lamination
Silver lamination, used in our Ponchos is made of a liquid mixture of glue, polyurethane and an aluminum powder. The latter gives it a silver color. The coating forms a membrane, a layer that makes the fabric waterproof. This is applied to the back of the fabric in two stages. The layers are heated so that the water from the adhesive evaporates, then the adhesive adheres to the fabric. Once the layers have cooled and dried, the fabric is ready for processing. The silver lamination is applied at the factory where pu-coating, TPU lamination and Bionic-Finish Eco are also applied.
Bionic-Finish Eco
Bionic-Finish ECO is an ecological technology for making fabrics long-term water repellent. Most water-repellent coatings currently available contain fluorocarbons. These fluorocarbons have a negative impact on nature, in part because they take a long time to naturally degrade. Bionic-Finish Eco is a safer and more environmentally friendly alternative, free of fluorocarbons and other hazardous chemicals, including formaldehyde and kerosene. Almost all of our waterproofing products are impregnated with this bionic finish. Additional benefits are that you can wash them more often without losing water repellency, the color of the clothing is better preserved and dirt is also easy to wash off.
