It’s a terrible experience when your favorite shirt wears out, fades, or the hem comes undone. The clothes we wear should feel new or look new even if they have been with us for a long time. Taking proper care and cleaning of your clothes ensures that they will last a lifetime.
Nonetheless, suppose you are the kind of person who throws everything into the washer without checking the washing label or tag. In that case, chances are, most of your clothes will suffer—fading color, wearing out before their time, or worse, changing hue from white to pink! You need to cut that routine and start being eco-conscious about your laundry. We’ve put together a list of proven and effective ways to save your clothes, money, and effort and ensure they last longer.
How Can You Keep Your Clothes Like New?
Whenever you buy anything that can be cleaned, it is a good idea to look at the label. You shouldn’t ignore washing instructions and get frustrated when your expensive limited-edition clothes get ruined. Tags aren’t just attached to your clothing, so you can throw them away if you feel uncomfortable.
They will come in handy if you need to wash liquids off your brand new shirt. If you don’t know how to do the washing, you may opt for a laundry service company that delivers or picks up your clothes right away. They’ll be able to read instructions better and ensure your clothes are cleaned appropriately.
Keeping your clothes good as new should not burden you if you know several general techniques and tips. Here’s what to remember before tossing everything inside your front loader and adding “any” detergent.
General clothes care tips:
- Ensure clothes are properly cleaned before storing for the next season
- When you change clothes, let the suits, shoes, or coats air out 30 minutes before storing them back in the closet
- Avoid throwing clothes on your chair as these will add new wrinkles to your clothing
- Never let your clothes near the window or direct sunlight—this can fade colors
- Spray hairspray or perfume on prior to wearing them
- Never hang damp or wet clothes in the closet
- Avoid storing them in plastic bags as this traps humidity which attracts molds or mildew
- Always opt for breathable cotton bags or sheets
- Brush off the salt before sending clothes to dry clean
Practical Tips To Prevent Clothes From Getting Ruined or Fading
If you prefer washing your clothes at home, knowing when and how to wash can help save clothes from getting ruined and ensure their quality lasts longer. While you got accustomed to tossing everything in, here are several pointers to help you be mindful with your laundry sessions.
Always wash with cold water
Using hot water for your laundry can easily ruin clothes. You can save the warm or hot water for those soiled loads like your bedsheets, gardening clothes, and kid’s dirty uniforms. Then wash everything using cold water. Using cold water can clean and ensure clothes threads stay stronger. For delicate clothes, you can use dry cleaning services near me.
Wash garments inside-out
The best way to avoid your clothes from getting damaged or ruined is to protect their exterior and wash them inside-out. You may think that this won’t affect your clothes, but even the slightest details, prints, or embellishments will wear out or get snagged from your washer.
If your clothes have appliqués, embroidery, beading, and the likes, best to toss them to your washer inside-out. Furthermore, check the label always if they are safe to wash on the machine.
Invest with front-load washer
While most use top-load washers, these machines come with an agitator inside, pulling the clothes around. The front-load washer uses gravity for tumbling clothes of the water, similar to the dryer’s motion. The process is more gentle and prevents tangling and clothes from snagging.
Avoid chlorine bleach
Bleach can ruin your clothes. Try alternative ways, including vinegar which acts as a natural garment brightener that prevents them from wearing the fibers. The best part is, this natural element is eco-friendly too.
Carefully follow washing labels.
While the garment’s washing instructions guide you on properly caring for and washing your clothes, you also need to check your detergents or fabric softeners. Reading instructions can save you time, money, and effort.
Using more laundry detergent than normal can affect your rinse cycle efficacy or get the soap residue off your garments. The right clothes detergent can improve clothes quality and clean efficiently.
Air dry
One of the elements that damage clothes is heat. Dryers can cause garments to fade, shrink, or weaken the clothes fibers. Instead of electric drying, hang your clothes in a drying rack, indoors or outdoors. If air drying is not possible, try to use the lowest dryer setting.
Treat cloth stains immediately
If not taken care of immediately, a stain or spill on your clothes can ruin the garment’s overall aesthetics and quality. Before applying a stain remover, you might want to reconsider checking the labels as intended for a particular use.
Final Words
Knowing general clothes care and cleaning procedures can help you retain the quality of your garments and ensure they last longer. By doing so, you can save money, time, and effort with your laundry. Besides proven tips and techniques, whether you wash clothes at home or send them off to a laundry service, learning how to mend damages can improve the quality and longevity of your clothes.