By Milda Urbonaite
Who wouldn’t like their favourite jacket, shirt, or shoes to last forever? That’s maybe a little bit ambitious, but it is, actually, possible to extend the life of your favourite wardrobe pieces. Vintage accessories are sometimes more attractive. As long as they match well, 1920s accessories with retro flapper dress will be another unique style. Fashion never goes out of style.
With proper clothing care, you’ll always look well put-together, save money, and reduce consumption!
Here are 8 simple, inexpensive, yet very effective ways you should be taking care of your clothes:
Choose quality
The first step is choosing high-quality. The fabric and production quality determine each item’s lifespan, so make sure that you select fabrics that are durable, easy to take care of, and will last you for a long time.
Buying cheap fast fashion clothes is cheaper short-term, but they will stretch, wear out and pile much quicker, so you’ll need to replace them over and over again.
Make sure you have your bases covered with quality fundamentals, such as the high-quality t-shirts of Fresh Clean Tees. They can be delivered right to your door, providing full comfort. Click in this link to know more.
Wash less frequently
Many of us have developed a habit of washing clothes after just a couple of wears. However, that’s completely unnecessary and also makes the clothes lose quality. All the tumbling, soaking, stretching is tough and damages clothes, so unless they’re really dirty, hang them outside to air out.
How you wash clothes also matters. Make sure you choose the right setting on the washing machine and follow the instructions on the labels. If it says the item is delicate – believe it and select the appropriate setting.
Separate clothes by colour and fabric type, turn dark clothes inside out to minimize colour loss and empty the pockets.
Finally, Eco-Age.com suggests using less harsh ecological detergent and powders to make the items last longer and avoid pollution.
Avoid the dryer
If you have the dryer – great, but try using it less often and opt for airdrying. Dryers take a toll on garments and reduce the fabric strength 4 times, damage fibres, and cause piling.
Hang your washed clothes outside, on your balcony, or drying rack inside. Certain items, such as various knits, are better dried laid flat. Either way, airdrying will protect your clothes and the planet!
Skip ironing (when possible)
You can’t skip ironing everything but do so when possible. The heat damages the fabric fibres. It can also ruin and stain delicate items, so make sure you’re using proper iron settings.
A good alternative is a steamer or hanging wet clothes on the rack right after the washing cycle is over and not allowing them to dry in the machine.
Store properly
Proper storage is essential in garment care. It should be clean, dry, dark, and cool because sunlight, humidity, and heat can damage clothes.
Twothirds.com recommends folding the clothes along the seams to help them keep their shape longer. Do not stuff your wardrobe – clothes need space to breathe to avoid wrinkling. Keep lavender on the shelves to prevent moths and maintain a lovely smell!
Lastly, buy quality hangers. The best are wooden and padded hangers – they protect clothes from stretching out and other damage. Avoid hanging sweaters, though, as they could lose shape. Fold them and keep them on the shelf.
Dye old clothes
You can dye your older and faded clothes easily with store-bought fabric dye. It will bring them back to life!
It’s also cheap and quick – usually, you simply place the dye packet together with your clothing in the washing machine, and it takes care of itself!
This method works best for darker colours like navy, black or brown, and is a great way to extend the item’s life for another few months.
Learn repairs
Even though many of us have lost (or never had!) the skills to fix things like a lost button, it’s worth remembering them!
The internet is full of tutorials on fixing a loose thread, button, adjusting the length of pants, and more, so you have no excuse not to try!
If you know how to fix things, you’ll wear clothes longer and avoid buying new stuff all the time.
Mix it up
Sometimes we wear the same few things over and over again while so many more great blouses, pants, and sweaters collect dust in the closet.
It’s natural to be a creature of habit, but if you rotate your clothes more often, they will last longer!
A great way to do it is to plan your outfits for a week and bring them out to the front of the closet in advance.
Keep shoes in shape
Shoes suffer so much wear and tear, but you can take care of them by washing them quickly every time you come home.
It takes just about a minute, but makes the whole difference! It’s especially important in autumn and winter when dirt, snow, and other elements damage the shoes even more.
Properly store the shoes you’re not wearing by stuffing with old newspapers and keeping in their original boxes.
Share your top tips for looking after your clothes in the comments!
