Make Your Clothes Last Longer by Caring for them Properly
Have you ever had this one perfect piece in your collection that you absolutely loved, and wished would last forever? For some of us, it could be our totally cute LBD, or it could be a comfy knitted sweater, a colorful romper, or a cute bikini. Caring for your favorite clothes should be of paramount importance if you want to get the most out of them (which, let’s be honest, for most of us that have a limited budget and expensive taste–we need), and if you want to make sure that you preserve their shape and design. I know that I, for one, am (probably a little too) obsessed with taking care of favorite items.
As soon as you get a new item of clothing, it’s really important to figure out how to store it. I know for us ladies that live in tight spaces with not enough room in our closets for every season’s styles, we are forced to say goodbye to our beautiful winter sweaters and back leather skinnies for a couple months, throwing them under the bed or in the back of the linen closet. However, the proper way to store clothes depends largely on the material that the item is made from–and we need to be pay attention to this so that we don’t ruin our favorite pieces by storing them incorrectly! According to Garment Care, “leather and suede should be stored in a closet that is cool and well ventilated. The garments are best covered with white muslin that’s been washed. Supple leather garments should be laid flat and padded well with white tissue,” while lighter items like linen should be rolled to prevent creasing, and knitted and silk fabrics should be stored flat. When it comes to fur, professional cold storage might be best, and wool needs to be thoroughly cleaned, padded and wrapped in white tissue before storage. So, you’re saying I shouldn’t stuff my favorite leather jacket in a poorly-ventilated container with twenty-five other sweaters items under my bed for four months? Oops.
When it comes to washing your favorite items, material also plays a key part, especially when you’re handling delicates like lingerie and bikinis. While most garments should be fine machine-washed, more sensitive items need to be hand-washed with lukewarm water, because hot water will break down the elastic and shrinks natural fibers. My hanky-panky thongs are not looking too hot, recently. Probably shouldn’t wash and dry those in an industrial washing machine in the basement of my building anymore. Cotton is machine-washable, but if you stick it in the drier, you may find yourself with an item that’s a few sizes too small since cotton tends to shrink. Yup, that’s happened. Leather needs to be hand-cleaned with leather care products, making sure to test in unnoticeable spots in case the product ends up staining your garment. Be super careful with your leather stuff, ladies, I have ruined jackets and shoes by thinking I could wash off a spot with water. Silk, however, is often best left to the dry-cleaners, as it is an extremely sensitive material.
Most garments are better off being air dried, as stints in driers may end up damaging the product. If you’re working with extremely sensitive items, make sure you’re only gentle squeezing excess water from the fabric before hanging it up to dry, as wringing may end up damaging the material or creasing it permanently. Contrary to popular belief, there is also a right way to dry clothes, with each setting on your drier corresponding to a certain material. A good tip, however, is to avoid overdrying. As Better Homes and Gardens explains, “Overdrying certain clothing items, such as cotton shirts, can be hard on them and lead to shrinkage. It’s best to remove cotton garments while they’re damp, hang them up, and let them finish air-drying on a clothes rack.” Unfortunately, I’ve learned most of this information the hard way. It definitely does take some extra work for these more sensitive items, but its ultimately worth it because you preserve the quality and usability of them for so much longer than you would otherwise. It’s time (and money) well spent.
By taking proper care of your garments, you can be sure to get the most out of your favorite, and usually your most expensive, items. Do you guys have any other tips for keeping your clothes in tip-top shape?
xx
