Are you curious about how to better take care of your clothes? Whether you want your clothing to last longer for environmental purposes, or you’re just passionate about fashion and keeping your best pieces in quality condition, here are some of the things you can do to take better care of your clothes:
Store properly
The way you store your clothes has a big impact on their condition. Sunlight, heat, and damp can all negatively affect your clothing so making sure it is stored in a clean, dry, and cool space is crucial. This could be anything from a dedicated walk-in wardrobe to a small chest of drawers, as long as the conditions are right your clothing will last longer.
If possible, try not to overfill your chosen clothing storage as this can lead to increased wrinkling and colour loss.
If you are blessed with space, you could also consider keeping mothballs with your clothing to deter any moths from getting to your clothes and creating holes.
Opt for wooden or fabric-covered hangers to avoid snagging, if you choose to hang your clothes.
Wash carefully
Washing and drying methods are also really important for maintaining the quality of your clothing. Firstly, it goes without saying that you should be paying close attention to the care labels on your clothes; certain fabrics need to be washed at specific temperatures, can’t be tumble dried, or should be washed inside out.
Washing your clothes at a lower temperature of 30 degrees doesn’t only make a small difference to the environmental impact of washing, but it helps your clothes to keep their shape and colour. There are also now plenty of eco-friendly detergent options to pick from, meaning washing your clothes doesn’t have to have detrimental effects on the environment. Check Clean People to learn more about detergents.
As well as how you wash your clothes, you should also consider how often you are washing them. Over washing of clothes can lead to damage, so don’t wash clothes when it isn’t necessary.
Repair actively
It is natural that over time clothing may get damaged, especially if it is worn often. A good way to ensure that this doesn’t mean the end of the clothing’s life is to repair it as soon as you notice the damage. Doing this means the damage is far less likely to worsen, and you can continue getting good wear from the item.
Purchase consciously
When thinking about how to take care of your clothes, it is also important to take a look at your purchasing habits. It can be tempting to buy cheap, trend-driven pieces; however, these are often made with low-quality materials which as a result don’t have good longevity. For any clothing that you already own, keep it and take as good care of it as you can. For any future purchases, make sure they are considered; is the item timeless? Is it made from high-quality fabric that is going to last well? Does it go with other items of clothing in your wardrobe? Asking yourself these questions will allow you to make more conscious purchasing decisions.