Care Instructions

How to wash and care for your Collégien socks, tights, and slippers?

Egyptian cotton, merino wool, wool and cashmere, Scottish thread... each material used by Collégien has its own care requirements. Properly washing your socks, tights, and slippers helps preserve their softness, color, and lifespan, wash after wash.

Here are our tips, material by material, to take care of your products made in France at our factory in Tarn.

Cotton care

Egyptian cotton is the material most used in our sock, tights and slipper collections. It's a long, soft and durable fibre, but remains sensitive to excessive heat.

How to wash your cotton socks and tights:
  • Machine wash at 30°C, on a standard cycle.
  • Avoid the tumble dryer, which weakens cotton fibres and speeds up wear.
  • Prefer air-drying: your products will keep their softness and original colour for longer.
For your cotton slippers:

The instructions are the same (30°C machine wash, no tumble dryer), with one extra tip: wash them with the insole in place, and leave it in place while drying, so the slipper keeps its shape.

Well cared for, Egyptian cotton doesn't pill and keeps its original softness through many washes.

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Merino wool care

Contrary to popular belief, merino wool washes very well in the machine, provided you follow a few simple precautions. Our 100% merino wool is mulesing-free and known not to itch, unlike traditional sheep's wool.

How to wash your merino wool socks, tights and accessories:
  • Machine wash at 30°C, on a gentle cycle with low spin.
  • Do not use bleach or fabric softener: these damage the fibre and reduce its natural qualities (thermoregulation, antibacterial properties).
  • Air-dry preferably, rather than tumble-drying.

Machine washing is actually preferable to hand washing for merino wool: poorly controlled hand washing (water too hot, rubbing, manual wringing) encourages felting more than a suitable machine cycle.

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Wool and cashmere care

Wool and cashmere have an undeserved reputation for being fragile with water: these fibres wash very well, provided you follow the right steps, whether for socks and tights or slippers.

How to wash your wool and cashmere products:
  • Wash in cold water, with a detergent for wool, silk, or a gentle bio detergent.
  • Avoid fabric softener, and limit the spin cycle to 600rpm maximum.
  • Dry flat and air-dry, away from heat sources like a radiator. For slippers, keep the insole in place while drying.

The slight pilling that may appear is natural and inherent to this noble fibre, regardless of its quality. A quick pass with an anti-pilling brush (or a cashmere comb for slippers) is enough to reduce it between washes.

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Fil d'Écosse care

Fil d'Écosse is a mercerised cotton: a treatment that makes the fibre shinier, softer to the touch and more durable, while keeping the lightness typical of cotton. Our Fil d'Écosse socks therefore follow the same care instructions as our cotton products.

How to wash your Fil d'Écosse socks:
  • Machine wash at 30°C.
  • Tumble drying not recommended, to preserve the fineness and shine typical of Fil d'Écosse.
  • Air-drying recommended.

Fine and breathable, these socks especially benefit from a gentle drying process, which preserves their moisture-wicking quality and summer comfort.

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Frequently Asked Questions about Maintenance

Yes. Contrary to popular belief, wool and cashmere handle water very well, whether for socks, tights, or slippers.

Just wash in cold water with a suitable detergent (special wool or silk), avoid fabric softener, and limit spinning to a maximum of 600 rpm.

For slippers, keep the insole in place while drying.

Pilling is a natural phenomenon, inherent to cashmere fibre, regardless of its quality.

An anti-pilling brush (or a cashmere comb for slippers) makes it easy to reduce without damaging the material.

This is not recommended. The heat of a tumble dryer weakens cotton fibres over time.

Air-drying better preserves the softness and longevity of your socks.

No difference in care instructions: Fil d'Écosse is a mercerised cotton, treated to be shinier and softer.

It is washed just like our other cotton products, machine wash at 30°C, no tumble dryer.

It depends on the material: 30°C for cotton, Fil d'Écosse and merino wool, cold water for wool and cashmere.

Avoid exceeding these temperatures to preserve the quality of your products.