Welcome to our Product Care & Repair Guide — a practical resource for helping your schoolwear last longer. Whether its fixing a button, mending a seam or hemming trousers, small repairs can make a big difference. By learning to mend instead of replace, you help extend the life of your uniform, saving you money and reducing waste at the same time. It's a win for the planet and your pocket!
Help their uniform last, term after term.
Washing and Drying
Always follow the washing and drying instructions on the label. To avoid any shrinkage do not wash your garment on a higher temperature than stated on the care label and where possible, garments should be washed inside out. Some of our garments cannot be tumble dried as this can cause shrinkage.
Ironing
Ironing at temperatures that are too high can result in unwanted shine marks on garment. Protect your garments by turning the heat down on your iron, turning it inside out or even cover the fabric with a damp towel before ironing.
Top tips for washing
Be mindful when doing washing to save energy and keep your clothes in good condition. Follow these simple tips:
Built for everyday school life
You may have seen other brands talk about uniforms lasting 100 days, but at Monkhouse, we focus on something more meaningful, how well products perform over time.
Our main supplier, Banner, puts key garments through the 50 Wash Challenge. This is an independent test designed to assess how products hold up to repeated washing and everyday wear.
While no garment can be guaranteed to last a specific length of time, this testing gives us confidence that our uniforms are designed to be durable, reliable, and made for the demands of the school year.
(Performance will vary depending on wear, care and individual use.)
What is Banner
50 Wash Challenge?
The Banner 50 Wash Challenge is a durability test that puts garments through repeated washing to assess how they perform over time.
Each item is washed 50 times by an independent UK test house and assessed at regular intervals across multiple performance areas, including colour retention, shrinkage, pilling, stitching strength and overall appearance.
This process helps us understand how products perform with regular use and allows us to continuously improve quality and design.
How our products perform...
Curious about how our products really perform? You’re in the right place! Take a look at the results for some of our key products below…
Help extend the life of your uniform with our DIY Repair Guides
One of the most impactful choices you can make as a parent is to extend the life of your child’s uniform. Our simple repair and care guides help you do just that—keeping schoolwear in play for longer and reducing waste.
How to replace a button
You will need: Needle, thread, scissors, spare button.
Top tip: Most of our products have a spare button attached to the wash care label, or in some blazers and jackets the spare button is placed in the pocket.
Thread a needle with matching thread and tie a knot. Place the new button where the old one was and push the needle up from the back.
Pull thread through, then sew down through the opposite hole. Leave 2mm slack so the button isn’t too tight.
Repeat stitching several times, alternating holes, until secure. On the last stitch, go through the button but not the fabric.
Wrap thread around your stitches under the button a few times to make a shank.
Push needle to back, make a few small stitches, tie off, and trim excess thread.
How to repair a seam
You will need: Needle, thread, scissors, pins.
Turn garment inside out, align edges of the open seam, and pin in place.
Thread a needle with matching thread and knot the end.
Sew along the original seam line using a backstitch or running stitch.
Tie off, trim thread, and turn the garment right side out.
How to shorten a hem
You will need: An iron, scissors, measuring tape, and fusible tape.
Or: An iron, scissors, measuring tape, needle, thread, pins.
Mark the new desired length. For large adjustments, cut excess, leaving 2.5cm for hem.
Fold hem up and press, then fold again and press.
For fusible tape, insert and press per instructions. For sewing, pin and stitch from inside.
Press the finished hem for a crisp look.
Room to grow hems
You will need: Scissors, an iron.
Top tip: Only applicable on boys trousers marked as having room to grow hems.
Unpick the thread securing the extra hem allowance.
Roll out the extra length and press with iron.
Check length and finish edge if necessary.
Removing bobbling or pilling
You will need: A fabric shaver or disposable razor, lint roller (optional).
Lay the garment flat and inspect affected areas.
Use a fabric shaver or razor to gently remove pills, working with the grain.
Use a lint roller or tape to pick up loosened fibers.
How to darn a hole in knitwear
You will need: A needle, thread.
Thread a needle with matching yarn and knot the end.
Stitch horizontal rows over the hole, slightly past its edges.
Weave vertical rows over and under the horizontals to form a patch; knot and trim.
Still need help?
We are here for you. Call us on 01928 752 610 or email customerservice@swi.co.uk