Properly caring for your wardrobe can help make clothes last longer and look better. Not only does this mean you get the chance to look your best, but it also means you’ll have to spend less money in the long run trying to keep your wardrobe looking good.
Below are a few simple tips you can follow to help make clothes last longer.
Read the Tags
In order to make clothes last longer, you’ll need to know how to take care of them to keep them in the best shape. Make sure you read all of the care instructions on the tags of your clothes. If it says “hand wash”, then hand wash it. If it says “tumble dry low”, the only put it in the dryer on low heat.
Separate! Separate! Separate!
While this may seem like a bit of a no-brainer to some of you, but not everyone sorts their laundry and even those that do may not do it properly. Not only should you sort whites from darks, but you should also try to sort clothes according to their care instructions if possible. Clothes that should be washed in cold water should be washed together, while clothes that should be line dried should also be washed together. You should also sort clothes into different piles based on drying time and how dirty they are.
Address Stains Immediately
Don’t let stains set in! You can make clothes last longer by cleaning stains from your clothes as soon as they happen. Start by gently blotting the stain with an absorbent cloth, and rinsing it with water or club soda. Different stains need different care, though, so be sure to treat each stain properly.
Zip Your Zippers
Zippers can cause damage when they get caught on other clothes while in the washer or dryer. To prevent this and make clothes last longer, zip up zippers. However, you should refrain from keeping buttons buttoned, as this can actually cause the buttons to become loose or damage the button holes.
Turn Clothes Inside Out
You can also help make clothes last longer by turning them inside out when you wash and dry them. This will help prevent fading and pilling. It will also help remove most of the sweat, oil, and dead skin from your clothes as well.
Skip the Heat
Whenever possible, wash your clothes in cold water and skip the dryer. Try to hang your clothes to dry instead. Intense heat can cause shrinkage and other damage. If you must use your dryer, make sure you don’t over-dry your clothes. To help make clothes last longer if you need to use your dryer, remove them when they are not quite fully dry yet.
Have Dedicated “Play Clothes”
Just like your kids, you should also have your own play clothes. You can make your good clothes last longer by wearing your ratty clothes whenever you’re going to get dirty. This includes when you’re working in the garden, playing with the kids at the park, changing the oil, rebuilding a carburetor, or deep cleaning the attic.
