Make your clothes last longer: Six tips to help you extend the life of your clothes
photo by Sh4rp_i
Most people are trying to save a bit of money these days, so it’s likely they’re spending only on items they actually need (not want). Regardless of what the world’s economy is like, this should always be done. One of the best ways to save money in the long run is to care for your clothes such as your business shirts, suits and ties properly. If you can do this, you can slash your budget and put more money toward something else… perhaps a night out on the town, or if your save enough, a holiday away!
Now you’re going to need a few tips to help you lengthen the life of your clothes. Many people already apply the tips below but if you don’t…perhaps you should.
The key way that clothes start to wear down is washing. Every time you wash, the colour will fade and their fibers weaken. You must wash your clothes… that’s a given, as you don’t want to scare anybody (including the ladies) off with your stains and odours. However, you can wash your clothes and still be gentle with them. Use the six tips listed below:
- Always use cold water to wash your clothes
- Separate your colours from your whites before you wash. Dark coloured clothes often have lint on them when washed with lighter coloured clothes; plus dark clothes have a tendency to bleed onto white clothes.
- Use the gentle cycle to wash clothes
- Wash soft and rough clothes separately from each other.
- Use a gentle detergent for your clothes
- Turn clothes inside out so the colour won’t fade; important when you’re dealing with jeans.
Don’t wash your clothes every time you get done wearing them. Wear them more than once to lengthen their lifespan. If it’s stained then do wash it but if there are no odors and stains, then it certainly doesn’t hurt to wear it more than once before you wash it. Of course, you do this mainly for jeans/pants, not underwear, socks and some shirts.
If you notice a stain is small, spot clean it rather than washing the whole thing. Not only can washers cause damage to your clothes but your dryer can as well. The low heat setting can still cause harm to the dryer. You know the lint trap you clean out every time you go to start your dryer? That’s the clothing fibers. If you’ve got really expensive business shirts, suits and jeans, consider air drying them. While you’re doing that, you’ll save money and energy.
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