Clothing Care: 12 Tips On How To Extend Cloth Life

The way we clad ourselves often dictates how people perceive us. Thus, it is imperative to always dress-up right. Clothes can be great investments, and just like any investment, these too needs to be taken care of and maintained the proper way.

As most people don’t know, clothes, regardless of their material should be treated with care. Certain clothing material require specific ways or procedures to extend their usability. The following are simple steps that promote proper clothing care:

1. Decrease Frequency of Washing & Cleaning

-          Excessive cleaning of clothes hastens the natural wear & tear of the fabric. The idea is to try to decrease washing times especially if unnecessary; some garments can be worn more than once before washing or cleaning.

-          Check the cloth or garment when taken off, look for spots, dirt, lint, or any material that may warrant it to be a candidate for washing. Clothes that appear to be clean and smells fresh should be hung for wearing again.

2. Timely Repair

-          An old saying goes like “A stitch in time saves nine.” This goes to say that any timely effort prevents more work later. If you notice small problems like small tears or runs on the fabric, it is always better to fix them right away. These small problems if prolonged can become more problematic and be irreparable.

3. Utilize The Right Hanger

-          Always use quality hangers that can support your clothes right. Using frail wire hangers promotes sagging of clothes out of shape. The use of inappropriate hangers can lead to damages on the shoulder area of clothes over time.

4. Keep The Closet Minimal

-          The idea is to not crowd the closet with so much clothes. Crowding the closet causes clothes to wrinkle, and requires ironing if needed to be worn. Ironing the clothes wastes time and promotes the wear & tear of the fabric. One trick is to store out-of-season clothes in another location to allow more room for frequently used clothes inside the closet.

5. Store Garments Properly

-          Always keep the garment in proper containers or storage. Keep the garment away from moist areas, and see to it that the containers are insect-proof as much as possible. Insects like moths and ants can do significant damage to stored clothing.

6. Keep The Appropriate Temperature

-          Keep in mind that different fabrics require particular cleaning methods. Adhering to the instructions of the garment’s label will save the cloth from damage. Hot water shrinks fabrics like rayon, wool, and silk; hot water also fades the fabrics color. Heat from the dryer can also shrink garments, clothing that has shrunk often needs to be replaced.

7. Wash Accordingly

-          Certain garments require delicate washing, sometimes certain garments requires to be dry-cleaned only. Always check the label of the cloth to ascertain the proper way to wash it.

8. Treat Spots & Stains Quickly

-          The sooner the better, this is a general rule for all stains. It helps if stains or spots are noticed quickly, better if the cause of the stain can be determined. Use a stain remover that is appropriate for the particular stain and for the type of fabric. To test for color-fastness, always start by applying a small amount of the stain remover on an inside seam before using on the affected area.

9. Sort The Laundry Correctly

-          Sorting light and dark colored fabrics is very important. Color from dark colors may bleed onto lighter colored shirts. Same applies for delicate and sturdy fabrics, sorting clothes correctly protects the delicate material on certain clothes. Fabrics that produce lint should also be washed separately to prevent lint from collecting onto other clothes.

10. Use Adequate Amount of Detergent

-          Detergent used on clothes often contain harsh chemicals which add to the wear & tear of fabrics. Always check the rinse cycle when the washer is full of water. Using the proper amount of detergent can save costs for doing more rinsing needed to remove the remaining suds.

-          Detergent that is left on the clothing weakens the fibers and may irritate the skin.

11. Proper Flat Iron Heat Setting

-          Keep in mind that using the inappropriate heat setting for fabrics can do irreparable damage to it instantly! Any garment or fabric that requires pressing or ironing needs to be taken with care. Always start with minimal heat, and gradually increase it to match the required or specified heat setting needed.

12. Pick The Right Clothing

-          The best way to protect clothes and garments is to pick and wear the appropriate one depending on the need. Obviously, refrain from wearing good clothes when you are to do dirty jobs or work that would render your clothes dirty. Having this precaution will save the clothes from potential damage and unwanted stains.

Taking proper care of your wardrobe not only saves you money, it also saves time that would’ve been spent on repairing them or having them replaced.