10 ways to maintain and care for your clothes
Taking good care of your clothes has never been more important, with an estimated £140 million worth of clothing ending up in landfills every year. Extending the life cycle of an article of clothing by just nine months can drastically reduce its environmental impact while doubling its functional life cycle from one to two years can lower emissions by 24 percent over the year.
Read our top tips on how to best care for your clothes to ensure they last as long as possible and help you become more sustainable when it comes to your wardrobe.
- Go for quality over quantity
Invest in higher-quality apparel. Higher-quality items typically last longer as they are composed of stronger materials and are designed to last. As a result, they can resist multiple washes and wear.
- Wash inside out
Wash your garments inside out to make them last longer. As a result of the agitation, the opposite side of the garment absorbs the brunt of the mistreatment and fading rather than the right side. When clothes are washed from the inside out, they come out just as clean. Denim and jackets, for example, should be turned inside out to prevent fading. It is also essential to wash them separately.
- Wash less frequently
Wash your clothes as little as possible; the more you wash them, the more their quality deteriorates. Washing clothes too frequently can harm the fibres, reducing their lifespan. Dry cleaning, in particular, employs hazardous chemicals that flatten the natural fibre follicles of some fabrics.
- Use mild detergent
You can use your regular detergent to wash your ordinary clothes. However, if you are washing delicate clothes, embroidered clothes or clothes with embellishment, always hand-wash them using a mild detergent. Mild detergent is gentle on clothes, effective, and perfectly safe to use.
- Wash on low heat
High temperatures can shrink fabrics such as cotton and linen and cause natural dyes to fade faster. Furthermore, by lowering the temperature from 60°C to 30°C, you can save approximately half of the energy required for a wash.
- Always sort laundry
Colouring sorting keeps unwanted dyes from transferring during the wash cycle. Sorting your clothes by dirtiness prevents extra dirt from adhering to your less-soiled clothes.
You could, for example, separate your laundry into four colour piles: whites, pastels, and medium-toned garments, brights, and darks.
- Opt for steam ironing
When ironing delicate textiles like silk jerseys, steam ironing is the best approach to avoid iron marks, lines, and wrinkles. Steaming delicate materials with a professional steam machine is the most effective approach to remove wrinkles rapidly.
- Zip up before washing
Make sure to close zippers and other fasteners to prevent snagging before throwing them in the wash. Unzipped zipper edges on pants and hoodies can cause the rest of your clothing to wear and tear. Also, tie strings and sashes loosely to avoid tangling.
- Pay attention to care labels
Your clothes already come with an instruction manual. The label contains all of the information you need to know about how to care for your clothes. Make sure to check the label to see what temperature to wash at, whether to hand wash or machine wash and if ironing is allowed, as well as any other precautions you should take.
- Store your clothes properly
Keep your clothes out of places where bacteria can grow and cause harm. It is best to keep them in a clean, dry, and cool place away from direct sunlight. This allows your clothes to breathe, preventing wrinkling and fading, which would otherwise shorten their lifespan.
So there you have it! It’s simple to breathe new life into your clothes. Make sure to follow these easy guidelines; your clothes will appear fresh and will last longer.
