After a few minutes of gisting, I asked where she got the top. She told me and painfully, it was just 2 weeks old! Apparently, she spilled ketchup on the top the first time she wore it and washing it was the end of the fabric. She was determined to wear it one more time before letting go, and our hangout was picked as the perfect day, after all, what are friends for?

Anyway, you can bet I did an impromptu class on how to care for Ankara fabrics just for her, and to help you avoid a bad Ankara day like my dear friend, I’ll share five tips from our conversation;

1. Most people take out stains with bleach but you don’t want to ever use bleach on your Ankara! A quick stain hack is to put a little vinegar in your wash water. Remember to rinse thoroughly so you don’t go around smelling like salad or a DIY hair solution.

2. Remember to turn your Ankara clothing inside out. This is necessary when using a washing machine.

3. Turn off the spin cycle and use the mild cycle. Hand washing your Ankara is more advisable though.

4. Using harsh detergents is an Ankara crime, if you’re hand washing, a mild bar soap is strongly recommended.

5. Don’t leave it out to dry in the sun for too long and when ironing, take a minute to turn inside out and iron on low heat.

Ankara clothing is a great way to celebrate your heritage and look trendy, and with some TLC for your Ankara, you’ll have a stress-less time rocking it.

So back to my hangout, want to know how it ended? We went shopping! I took her to my favourite store for quality and style. I started shopping with them for my kids but they now have some pretty cool Ankara clothing for adults as well. Tímotiwá is my go-to brand for ankara dresses, Ankara shirts, Ankara shorts, and of course Ankara accessories.

We have another shopping date today. We’re going to Ruff ‘n’ Tumble G.R.A store with our kids to shop for awesome Tímotiwá Ankara clothing. It’ll be so cool to run into you there, See ya!