Black spray bottle with mist on a light gray background

Why The Lab?

Person opening a sneaker wipe

We care for the planet and its people through our product.

The Lab is built on a culture of care that goes beyond the basic cleaning and maintenance of garments.

We care deeply for the environment and the communities that we serve, as we advocate for responsible, environmentally conscious practices in every aspect of our operations. For us, care is an expression of quality, respect, and responsibility towards our customers’ wardrobes and the world that we all share.

Person holding a bottle of sneaker cleaner in front of a colourful sneaker
The Lab logo

Clean | Care | Protect ™

This is more than fashion care. It’s a global movement toward conscious consumption,
lasting ownership, and a better fashion future. We provide innovative, biotechnology-powered care solutions that empower people to protect, preserve, and extend the life of their fashion items.

We provide innovative, biotechnology-powered care solutions that empower people to
protect, preserve, and extend the life of their fashion items.

Two men in a store with shelves of shoes and a TV screen in the background.Community members planting a treePerson cleaning a white and red sneaker with a wooden brush.

Clean

Physical cleaning

This signifies The Lab’s dedication to providing high-quality, effective solutions for the physical cleaning of fashion items. Our product removes dirt, stains, and odors, ensuring that garments are kept in pristine condition.

Environmentally-minded practices

Our ‘clean’ approach is two-fold: Our products ensure that the cleaning processes do not harm the environment, while we encourage and facilitate a shift in thinking and behaviour: centering cleaner practices as an invaluable tool for our fashion conscious community.

Care

Maintenance and Preservation

Care refers to the maintenance and preservation of garments, and it involves nurturing the fabric, colour, and fit, ensuring longevity and sustained quality. We are motivated by extending the life-cycle of garments, footwear and accessories as an essential method for being more mindful consumers in our world.

Caring for the community and environment

The Lab serves our communities and planet through the principle of care. We reflect this through our commitment to social responsibility and sustainable practices, underscoring an integrated approach to care.

Protect

Protection of garments

The Lab products and care-practices offer protection against wear and tear, environmental factors, and ageing for our community’s wardrobe. We are committed to safeguarding the integrity and appearance of fashion items over time.

Protecting the future

The Lab understands our role in protecting the future of the planet and sustainable fashion. Our product and care-practices are a vehicle for us to advocate for the protection of the environment and contribute to a more sustainable future in fashion care.

Microscopic view of bacteria on a green background

Biotechnology Cleaning

Science at work. Our Biotechnology is alive.

Enzyme-powered, microbe-enhanced formulas work with nature to clean, restore, and your loved pieces. Our offering is underpinned by rigorous lab science, precision testing, and innovation. The result? Products that reveal the possibilities when nature and science work together.

Our products lift dirt, oil, and stains while preserving colour, texture, and structure. Enzyme-driven cleaning penetrates materials without damage, while protective coatings extend wear and durability. We call it performance without compromise.

What Sets Us Apart

72 hour cleaning

Hypoallergenic

Biodegradable

Environmentally Friendly

Microscopic Cleaning

Biotechnology

Cruelty-free

Water-saving

Nourishment + Protection

Water-based

Invisible Barrier

Energy saving

Social & Environmental Action

Every purchase contributes to a culture of responsibility and accountability, and our mission is to show that fashion care can ripple outward, transforming neighbourhoods, landscapes, and lives. 

The Lab sneaker cleaner on a mossy surface

Sustainable Packaging

Our bottles are made from up to 40% recycled plastic and are fully recyclable.
Green Tag certified and built for circularity, our design process ensures powerful results without environmental compromise.

Man in a black jumpsuit standing next to industrial equipment in a factory setting

Made in South Africa

Proudly South African, every product made directly supports job creation and empowering local talent. Lab-tested, eco-certified, and community-conscious, our manufacturing reflects a commitment to excellence and sustainable, social impact.

Not tested on animals symbol over a soft fur background

Cruelty-Free

Our products are Vegan Society registered, meaning no animal ingredients, no by-products, and no animal testing.

400+

Meals are donated daily

In partnership with PSFA, The Lab provides daily meals for over 400 learners at Ysterplaat, Portia, and Simon’s Town schools in the Western Cape.

4,000

Trees have been planted

We have partnered with WE FOREST and continue to give back for many more years to come.

Beyond the products, we partner with organisations that make a tangible impact. We support the Sentinel Ocean Alliance, a non-profit dedicated to ocean conservation and empowering coastal communities through education and surf therapy programmes. We are also a proud yearly supporters of the Chaeli’s Upside-Down Tomato Challenge, inspiring children to rethink food, sustainability, and their own potential.

Trusted By The Best

Athletes, aesthetes and cultural tastemakers trust our science-driven approach to maintain the integrity of the pieces they love. Our credibility is built on the performance of our products and our obsessive attention to detail. Our partnerships span style-defining brands like Dior to Nike, New Balance to Puma, LIDS, Fila, and Sneaker Freaker.

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The Care Category Series: Denim, History’s Most Iconic Fabric

The Care Category Series: Denim, History’s Most Iconic Fabric

Denim is one of the few materials in fashion designed to become more itself through time; it accrues character and memory. It's made for endurance and intended to crease, soften, fade, and slowly r...

The Care Category Series: Hats, Maintaining Integrity & Structure

The Care Category Series: Hats, Maintaining Integrity & Structure

Hats occupy a particular space in the wardrobe; somewhere between function, identity, and gesture. They sit at the top of the body, exposed to the elements, absorbing light, heat, sweat, and the su...