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:
Why settle for 100 days when our uniform is
built to last all year long?
You may have seen other brands boasting about uniforms that last 100 days, but that’s just over three months. Our main supplier Banner go further. They put their core products through the 50 Wash Challenge, where an independent test house washes them 50 times and checks for fading, shrinking, and seam damage. This rigorous testing gives us the confidence to say our uniforms are built to withstand a full year’s worth of washing and still look great.
What is Banners
50 Wash Challenge?
The Banner 50 Wash Challenge is a way of putting garments through their paces to make sure they’re built to last. Each item is washed 50 times, that’s about the same as a full school year of regular washing, so we can see exactly how it holds up over time.
To keep things fair and accurate, all the testing is carried out by an independent, industry-leading UK test house. At regular intervals throughout the process, each garment is checked across 17 different performance areas, including colour change, pilling, shrinkage, fraying, cross-staining, and stitching strength. It’s a thorough approach that gives us a clear picture of how well the products stand up to everyday life.
Results are also compared directly with similar garments from other brands, so we can see how they measure up and where there’s room to do even better. This helps to fine-tune designs, make improvements where needed, and ensure we’re always offering the best possible quality.
The 50 Wash Challenge isn’t just about testing, it’s about making sure you can rely on our products day in, day out, and helping us stay at the top of our game when it comes to quality and innovation.
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 0161 476 7216 or email web@monkhouse.com