They say “Respect your clothes, and your clothes will respect you.” This means if you take good care of your clothes, they make you look good when you wear them. Caring for clothes items is a crucial thing to extend their life. This has certainly earth-friendly consequences, cuts the consumption of new clothes, reduces contribution to fashion’s carbon footprint and minimizes worldwide waste of cotton and non-recyclable fabric.
Whether clothing is new or an already worn piece, an everyday item or an heirloom, all clothing requires care and diligent treatment with some simple and basic maintenance to keep clothes last longer. As a bonus, this saves you money in the long run. Here are some easy tips to follow to make your clothes last longer.
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Make use of outdoor clothes:
To keep our clothes in good shape for a longer time, it’s smart to use outdoor clothes wisely. Think about jackets, coats, and durable outer layers as your wardrobe’s superheroes.
When we wear these outdoor clothes, like sturdy shoes or tough jackets, they act like a shield, protecting our regular outfits from dust, pollution, and dirt outside. It’s like giving our clothes strong armour!
This simple choice not only helps our clothes stay clean but also makes them last much longer. Outdoor clothes become a reliable guard against the rough stuff outside, so our favourite clothes don’t get worn out quickly.
By picking these protective layers, we not only look good but also take a practical step in making our clothes last, saving money and being kinder to the environment. It’s an easy and clever way to take care of our clothes and keep them looking fresh.
If you’re curious about incorporating more outdoor wear into your wardrobe, you might want to explore a helpful list of outdoor clothing options.
Wash tips:
Sort out clothes on their labelled tags. Get to know the fabric and separate each. Those that are white and need exclusive cleaning, the rest which are dark and have minimalist chances to bleed and fabric colour and then those that are dark colour fabric and may bleed colour. To be washed in 3 different cycles.
Wash with cold water and on a shorter cycle. Cold water is less likely to reduce clothing life and a shorter cycle saves energy.
Look carefully, does it seem untidy or uncleaned if not keep it back in your drawer.
If there’s a stain wash the stain only. Be very careful while you don’t mess up with the whole garment.
If it’s a few times worn garment and requires a wash, dip it in a sufficient amount of detergent and water, swirl it, and leave it for about 15 minutes. Wash your clothes with lots of clean water and let it dry.
Dry spin and washing machine speedy movements can reduce clothing life and diminish fabric shine. Hand washing is a safer and more approachable way to clean your clothes.
Before you dip in the clothes make it inside out that is to keep colour from fading.
To avoid chlorine bleach, use half-cup vinegar for the final wash. It’s a natural brightener and it won’t wear out the fibres of your clothing.
Wash it if when needs to be:
Your clothes don’t require a wash after each time you wear them. Sometimes it’s healthy for your apparel to just hang them in sunlight or fresh air and they are good to go back to your wardrobe. Only wash your clothing when necessary, such as your garments and socks need to be washed and changed regularly. Otherwise, each wash shortens the life of the garment, helping your clothes suffer less wash and tear from overwashing. You will also save water and your energy
Use eco-laundry detergents:
Standard and most available detergents available in the market are fossil-fuel-based substances that can create negative impacts on the environment as they don’t biodegrade. Meanwhile, the eco-laundry detergents are delicate to hand wash, extremely safe to skin if they come in contact and it is also a treasured way to keep your clothes last longer. There is a growing variety of eco-detergents that are made with plant-derived substances and ingredients that also come with the option of being refillable and recycled.
Air dry:
When you get your clothes back from the laundry, it’s nothing freshly laundered that you adore so much. That’s air-dried when you get your clean clothes in from the washing line. That’s not just about the fragrance but air-dried clothes are better for the planet as well. Air drying uses no energy to run and also does not damage fibres that get worse in dry cleaning. Instead, shake out your clothes after washing the detergent water from the fabric and hang them either on the washing line or hang them on hangers to air dry. Again, pay attention, such fabrics as wool might be better dried flat or they will lose their shape.
Store properly
Keeping your clothes nicely set in the wardrobe prolongs the lifespan of a garment. Store all clothes well folded or hung in a cool dry place that has no moisture. Protected from sunlight and heat which can cause damage. Try storing fabric fragrance in your wardrobe maybe some lavender or moth balls for added protection against clothes moths.
Remember to not over-fill your wardrobe as clothes need breathing. This saves your clothes from wrinkling and avoids colour loss from clothes rubbing together. Try hanging clothes in wooden or padded hangers to protect fabrics from becoming misshapen.
Avoid ironing if possible:
Hanging clothes in the shower while you take a hot bath can automatically make your clothes unwrinkled. Unfortunately, there is no such fashion as wearing unwrinkled clothes outside your house. If the clothes require ironing, press it on low temperature, to keep it safe from burning. Another thing to remember is to keep your clothes well-pressed before you set them in your wardrobe. This saves you time and a lot of energy at the moment you need to wear it. Also, it’s a nice way to keep your wardrobe clean at all times.
