Taking care of our clothes is just as important as choosing the right piece in the first place. There are plenty of ways to ruin clothing from accidents to carelessness. Here are eight ways to care for your clothes so they last longer.
Buy Durable Fabrics
Some fabrics are much more durable and far more likely to last the test of time and numerous wash cycles. Learn to read labels, pick fabrics that work for your lifestyle, and teach yourself how to care for them properly. Buying clothes from fabrics that can endure your lifestyle habits mean your clothes are much more likely to last.
Don’t Wash After One Use
Obviously gym wear is excluded here likewise, if you’ve gotten hot and sweaty in your clothing don’t hesitate to throw it in the wash bin, but as a rule: don’t wear once and then wash. Wear clothing until it’s actually dirty, this might be once or twice for dresses and skirts or three or four times for cardigans and jumpers; if clothing looks and smells good, wear it. Washing regularly without reason will unnecessary wear your clothing out faster; washing only when you need to will preserve your clothes.
Read The Labels
Even though cold-washing is good for almost every piece of clothing, it’s best to read the labels and care for your clothing accordingly. Saying that: most “dry clean only” garments can be hand washed and even washed in cold water on a gentle cycle without a spin.
Cold-Wash Clothes
Cold washing is usually preserved for dark or bright coloured fabrics that bleed or fade and delicate fabrics, but cold-water washing is more than adequate to clean all dirty laundry. Not only will it prevent your clothing from fading or becoming damaged in the wash, it saves energy and is more environmentally friendly. Cold-washing clothes is better done using a liquid detergent (powders often need warm water to completely dissolve) and make sure you use the correct amount.
Deal With Stains Immediately
It happens to the best of us; if you spill something on your clothing take action immediately. Clean the mess by dabbing or wiping at the stain (never rub) and rinsing (or throwing in the wash) if you need to. If you wait the stain may settle into the cloth and become permanent, particularly with greasy foods or coloured drinks - coffee and wine are the worst.
Be Careful When Cooking, Decorating, and Cleaning
If you know you’re going to be around food that splashes, paints that drip, and chemicals that can stain - cover up (an apron isn't just for cooking) to prevent damage. It sounds obvious but we’ve all ruined a perfectly lovely top due from being careless while carrying out chores.
Store Clothes Properly
If your laundry is fresh out of the wash, hang it where the air flows freely and each garment has space to dry quickly; hanging will also help prevent shrinking. When storing your clothes, use appropriate hangers that won’t snag or catch on the fabric. Velvet hangers are great and prevent clothes falling off and crumpling at the bottom of a wardrobe. Always hang your clothes after wearing them; if you have a tendency to throw them over the back of a chair or on the floor (who doesn’t?) a clothes hanger that fits over the back of your bedroom door means you’re more likely to throw clothes on the hooks instead of the floor.
Make Do And Mend
Learning simple sewing skills will make minor repairs easy and prevent otherwise perfectly fine garments from going to waste. Learn to sew on buttons and repair torn seams; whenever a piece of clothing needs fix it, do it as soon as possible so the item doesn’t get pushed to the back of your wardrobe and forgotten about.
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