How to Care for your Clothes: 10 Tricks

Want to make your clothes last longer? Here’s how to care for your clothes and keep them looking new. 

Slow fashion can get pricey. Fight back against textile disposability, care for your clothes and make your wardrobe last longer with these 10 tricks.

[Related: Easy Clothing Repairs without a Sewing Machine.]

How to care for your clothes:

1. Use less detergent.

Too much detergent fades clothes. It also adheres to fabrics, making items appear stiff.

2. Don’t dry clean too often.

The harsh chemicals at the dry cleaner quickly dry out fabrics. Consider going less frequently or asking that your items be laundered, instead.

3. Avoid the dryer.

The high heat degrades materials quickly (all that lint is actually fibers from your clothes!). The dryer shrinks and fades items, too.

4. If you must dry, use a dryer ball.

Dryer balls significantly reduce drying time, which means your clothes are subjected to less heat.

5. Turn some items inside-out.

Shirts with graphics should be turned inside-out before washing. Brightly colored fabrics also benefit.

6. Wash all your denim in its own load.

Denim is a rough material. Washing it separately prevents it from rubbing against and degrading your gentler items.

7. Follow care instructions on each garment’s label.

The single-most important way to care for your clothes? Follow that label. It’s there for a reason!

8. Use mesh garment bags.

Garment bags protect delicate items. They’re handy for keeping matching socks together, too.

9. Don’t overload your machine.

Overfilling your machine means more clothes rub against one another during washing. Over time, this degrades your garments quicker.

10. When it comes to spills, act quickly.

Prevent spills from becoming stains by carrying a stain removal pen, then wash the garment upon arriving home.

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