As household items become more expensive, it’s likely that your clothing bill will be rising too. Caring for your clothes is the best way to keep them looking great and staying with you for longer.
The more you spend on clothing, the better chance you have of them lasting more than a few wears or washes, but even the most expensive clothing items need good care and attention.
If you want to wear that favourite top or dress for longer then you need to invest in the right care and storage for them.
Looking after your clothes is a big deal for us and we wanted to impart some of our decades of knowledge to keep your clothes with you for longer.
Check and care for the fibres
Not all clothes are created equal. Some fibres are simply cheap and best avoided. There’s plenty of research out there to suggest that some fibres are better than others, but the chances are, the more you spend, the more you get.
It can often be a case of “buy cheap, buy twice” with your clothes. How often have you seen an item of clothing go out of shape after a few washes?
It might not be the fault of your fibres though. Make sure you’re washing, drying, and ironing your clothes as recommended by the manufacturer on the washing label. It’s a great place to start if you’re looking for longevity in your clothing.
Don’t wash them
Over washing is actually bad for some clothes. Jeans won’t need washing all the time for example, unless they’re dirty. Some jean manufacturers like Levi actually recommend freezing them to remove odours.
Although this might seem a little odd, there’s some logic and science behind it.
The key here though is to clean your clothes the right way, using the right amount of detergent. Your clothes go through a lot and overwashing them in harsh detergents isn’t fair on the fibres.
Although your whites need washing more often to keep them white, some clothing items might just benefit from less washing.
Wash them well
Make sure that when you’re washing your clothes that you’re doing it well. Read the washing label, use the right about of detergent, dry them well (in or out of the dryer depending on the clothes) and then iron or hang them correctly.
Washing your clothes is a science. The water + time +chemicals will determine your results and your chances of longer-lasting clothing.
As we always say, read the washing labels. They’re not there for decoration.
Hang them right
Over time, you’ll gain too many clothes. Your wardrobe will bloat, and you’ll forget what you have. Another great tip for clothing care is to store them well.
Clothes need air around them to breathe and squashing them into your wardrobe with tonnes of other clothes that you don’t wear anymore doesn’t help them one bit.
The best advice here is to periodically take them all out, segment them into piles that you do wear, don’t wear, or don’t need, and then re-hang, fold, recycle, or sell them.
How many times have you ignored that clothing bag for the local charity? Put it to good use and fill it with the clothes you don’t need anymore. It’ll help your current clothes look better and last longer.
Get to stains fast
If you do get your clothes dirty, especially if it’s wine or stains like blood, then get to the stain fast and soak, treat, or ideally wash it right away.Allowing stains to soak in and dry will damage the fibres and sometimes it will render them damaged forever.
Accidents do happen so just make sure you’re prepared for them or act quickly when they do.
Get professional help
Some clothes need special treatment and your domestic washing machine simply won’t help them. Using an expert cleaning service with certain clothes is the best way to keep them for longer.
Dry cleaning isn’t always the best option, either. We use anew system called Lagoon Wet Cleaning. This is kinder to the clothes it removes the need for the harmful chemicals whilst still treating the clothes correctly.
Professional cleaning done well will certainly keep those delicate clothes looking, smelling, and feeling great whilst lasting longer.
Need more help? Contact our expert team inReading or give us a call and we’ll arrange a collection and delivery of your laundry.
