Be if you’re a fashionista or you simply want to prolong the quality of the items you have…
… taking care of your clothes properly is an extremely valuable practice. It benefits both your wardrobe and the environment.
No matter what kind of clothes you favor or what kind of style you tend to dress in, there are so many ways you can care for your clothes just a little bit better.
Here are a few tips to help you get started on the best ways to care for your clothes.
Table of Contents
How to Take Good Care of Your Clothes
Preserving the quality of your clothing not only helps your wallet, but the environment as well.
According to Wrap, factors that impact how long an item of clothing is kept for include:
- The owner’s willingness to wear the same item repeatedly
- Technical aspects such as strong fabrics, dyes, and colors;
- The consumer’s ability to repair or alter clothes;
- Sentimental value
- And, of course, how the owner cares for the clothes.
Best ways to care for your clothes
Use a Stain Stick
Stain sticks are easy enough to find, and the primary trick is carrying one around with you in your bag or pocket wherever you go.
This way, you can catch stains quickly and get rid of them before they even go to the washing machine!
No need to stress next time you spill coffee on your favorite shirt.
Read Washing Instructions
Different materials need different approaches to laundering.
But it’s easy to get lazy and throw all of your clothes into one load in the washing machine.
At the end of the day, however, every piece of clothing is different, which means all of them need to be washed with care in different ways.
Make sure you know what clothing care symbols mean and read the washing instructions before you do your laundry. Especially pay attention when items need to be dry cleaned or air dried to avoid mistreating them.
Don’t wash your clothes so often.
It might be counter-intuitive, but another one of the best ways to care for your clothes is actually to wash them less frequently.
‘Washing garments too often can actually cause damage to the fibers and hence decrease the lifespan,” explains Chris Morton, head seamstress at Clothes Doctor. “This is especially true with dry cleaning, which uses harmful chemicals that flatten the natural fibre follicles in some fabrics.”
Sometimes items aren’t really dirty, per se. All they need is a bit of freshening up.
So another one of the best ways to care for your clothes is to, instead of rushing to put them into the washer, try hanging them next to an open window and spray some linen detergent.
Steam With Care
Some clothing can be sensitive to water and steam.
If you steam your clothes, make sure you hang them in the shower to steam or simply steam them very carefully.
Steaming is one of the best ways to care for your clothes, no joke. It can be a great way to get wrinkles out, as long as you do it properly.
Don’t Hang Knits
Hanging knit fabrics like sweaters can cause them to stretch and pull, which can mean they might not last as long as they could.
Fold your knits rather than hanging them on hangers, especially for longer periods of time.
This way, you’ll get to rewear your favorite sweaters every winter without sagging shoulders.
Wash on Cold Settings
Not only is washing in cold water better for the environment than turning things to hot all the time, but it’s also better for the care of your garments!
Especially if you tend to mix colors, washing things on cold can help to keep things bright and avoid running colors.
Don’t Overload the Washer
Be mindful of how large your loads are.
Stuffing too many clothes into the washer can cause too much friction between the clothes and stop them from being cleaned as thoroughly as they could be.
Instead, do separate loads that utilize the space and allow your garments to get all nice and clean.
Wash Inside Out
“An extra-handy tip is to wash clothes inside out when machine washing, and to avoid overfilling, as this can cause friction and damage the fibers,” adds Chris.
Use a Mesh Bag for Delicates
For delicates, the fabric can often be fragile, so you may want to protect them as much as possible.
A mesh bag can be a great idea when putting them in the washing machine. This can help them last much longer and prevent fraying, tearing and other kinds of damage.
Roll to Travel
Packing for a trip?
Make sure you don’t just toss things into a suitcase. Instead, roll your clothes to help them fit neatly and to protect them from wrinkles and damage so you look fantastic wherever you’re going.
Taking care in the way you pack will prevent accidental wear and tear in your suitcase.
Properly Store your Clothes
Chris Morton further expands on his tips of best ways to care for your clothes:
- Store your clothes in a cool and dry space. This protects them from damp, sunlight, and heat, which can all cause damage.
- Make sure clothes are clean before storage. Dirt dirt and surface debris can attract clothes moths.
- Adding on, try storing your knitwear with lavender or moth balls for added protection against clothes moths.
- It’s important to not overfill your wardrobe, as clothes need breathing space. This will also prevent wrinkling and color loss from clothes rubbing together.
- When hanging clothes, use wooden or padded hangers to further protect garments from becoming misshapen.
Caring for Your Clothes
WE hope these 8 best ways to care for your clothes your clothes were helpful to you.
Just like anything else, deserve to be cared for so they can last you as long as possible.
If you like to splurge on your clothes, then you’ll definitely want to preserve your pieces. And if you’re on a budget, extending your clothes’ lifetimes is key to saving money later on.
Both for the environment and so you can continue to mix and match with the pieces you love, there are so many habits that you can utilize to treat your clothes well.
Do you do any of these things already?
If not, now is the time to start!
About the Author
Cora Gold is the Editor-in-Chief for women’s lifestyle magazine Revivalist.com. She has a passion for sharing her interests and experiences through writing about life, style and beauty. Follow Cora on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.
Other posts that might interest you:
- Planning a Seasonal Wardrobe Change? Here are 4 Quick and Easy tips.
- The Best Marie Kondo organization tips everyone should know
- The Easy Step-by-Step Guide on How to be More Minimalist in 9 Steps
Wanna contribute an article to La Belle Society?
We’re always happy to onboard new writers.
Send us an email at labellesociety@gmail.com.
Leave a Reply