Caring for Your Handmade Pieces: A Complete Guide

Your Chaïa piece was made by hand over several days. With the right care, it will last for years. Here’s everything you need to know about maintaining your crochet and beaded items.

Hand-Crochet Pieces

Always hand wash in cold water with a gentle detergent. Never wring or twist — gently press water out with a clean towel. Lay flat to dry on a towel, reshaping while damp. Avoid hanging, which can stretch the crochet. Store folded, never on a hanger.

Beaded Pieces

Spot clean with a damp cloth when possible. For deeper cleaning, hand wash very gently in cold water, taking care not to snag beads or threads. Pat dry with a towel and lay flat. Store in the dust bag provided, away from other jewelry or items that could catch on beadwork.

General Tips

Keep all handmade pieces away from direct sunlight during storage, which can fade colors over time. Avoid contact with perfume, sunscreen, and chlorine — apply these before dressing. If a bead or stitch comes loose, it’s usually an easy repair — contact us and we can advise.

For more details, visit our full care instructions page.

Beaded Pieces and Bags

Adda-embroidered bags require gentler care than crochet. Never machine wash a beaded bag. Spot clean any marks with a slightly damp white cloth and mild soap, blotting rather than rubbing. Allow the area to air dry completely before storing. If the lining gets soiled, contact us — we can recommend professional restoration partners.

Store beaded bags upright in their original dust pouch, stuffed loosely with acid-free tissue paper to maintain shape. Avoid hanging beaded bags by their straps long-term, as this stresses the seams and can pull threads.

Storage Best Practices

• Temperature: Store all handmade pieces in a cool, dry environment. Avoid attics, basements, or any space with significant humidity swings.
• Light: Keep pieces away from direct sunlight when storing. UV exposure fades cotton, silk, and dyed beads over time.
• Folding: Fold crochet pieces with acid-free tissue between layers to prevent creasing along the same lines repeatedly. Rotate folds every season.
• Air circulation: Cotton breathes. Use breathable cotton garment bags rather than plastic, which traps moisture and can cause mildew.

Travel Care

When packing crochet for travel, fold each piece with tissue or rolled in a soft cotton scarf. Avoid placing heavy items on top. Beaded bags travel best inside carry-on luggage, wrapped in their dust pouch and surrounded by soft items. Never check beaded bags in airline luggage — pressure changes and rough handling can damage embroidery.

Common Damage and Quick Fixes

Snagged thread on crochet: Do not cut. Use a small crochet hook to gently pull the loop back through to the wrong side. Tuck and tie off if needed.

Loose bead on a beaded bag: Catch it before it falls. Save it. Email us — we can ship matching beads and a needle, or recommend a local jewelry repair specialist who can secure it.

Color transfer (denim onto white crochet): Soak in cold water with a tablespoon of white vinegar before washing. Do not let the stain dry — it sets quickly.

Lipstick on a top: Treat immediately with a small amount of dish soap, blot, then hand wash. Avoid hot water, which sets oil-based stains.

Long-Term Maintenance

Twice a year — typically at the end of summer and start of holiday season — give your handmade pieces a "wellness check." Inspect for loose threads, worn straps, or fading. Address small issues before they become large ones. Crochet pieces can be re-blocked at home: pin damp pieces to their original measurements on a flat towel, allow to fully dry, and they regain shape.

What Not to Do

• Never use bleach or oxygenated cleaners on natural fibers or beadwork.
• Never iron crochet directly. If pressing is needed, use steam from above without contact.
• Never tumble dry on heat — even gentle heat shrinks and weakens cotton crochet.
• Never store damp. Always allow full drying before folding away.

Sustainable Repair Over Replacement

A handmade piece is repairable in ways that fast fashion is not. Tears can be re-crocheted. Beads can be replaced. Linings can be restitched. Treat your CHAÏA pieces as long-term investments. With proper care, a hand-crochet dress will outlast a decade of beach seasons. A beaded bag becomes a family heirloom.

Care Card in Every Order

Every CHAÏA piece ships with a printed care card specific to its construction. Save it. Reference it. If you lose it, the same instructions live on your product page online.

The CHAÏA Promise

Every piece in our collection is made by hand by skilled artisans in India and Brazil. We work directly with cooperatives, pay above-market wages, and produce in small batches to honor both craft and craftspeople. When you choose a CHAÏA piece, you're choosing a slower, more intentional approach to fashion — one that respects the maker, the wearer, and the materials.

Explore the full collection at chaiaofficial.com, or read more about our craft traditions on the CHAÏA Journal.

By Chaya Mobasser, Founder of Chaïa · About the brand · Meet the artisans