ver wondered how you can delight your clothes and make them smile?
Most times, we all have those go to clothes that we can rely on to feel comfortable, look beautiful in and ooze confidence but how do we increase the lifespan of our favorite pieces, keeping them beautiful and happy?
In order to change the way we think about fashion and embrace a lifestyle of sustainable way of shopping, we need to focus on garment care.
Delighting your clothes can help to significantly increase its lifespan so they stay looking great for as long as possible. Cleaner and fresher looking clothes are intended to boost our self-confidence.
We should start seeing our clothes as pieces for life, rather than styles to wear just a handful of times.
Here are 5 simple tips suggested to delight our clothes and keep them smiling as a lot of small conscious changes can help to extend clothing life span.
PAY ATTENTION TO CARE LABELS
Different materials need different approaches to laundering. Paying careful attention to the instructions on clothing labels is important. Wash care instructions on garment labels are there for a reason and without the guidance of an accurate care label; it would not be known how to properly care for a particular garment which in the long run could ruin the fabric. Avoid damaging styles through incorrect cleaning and take care of them properly to ensure your pieces last longer and stay beautiful.
STORE PROPERLY
Storing your clothes correctly helps keep them in good condition. By storing clothing in folded piles, in a cool and dry space, you’re likely to extend their lifecycle and protect them from damp, sunlight and heat which can cause damage. Also, hanging clothes can either distort their silhouettes and shapes or help retain their shapes and keep them free of wrinkles so be sure to use the right kind of hangers such as padded hangers and wooden hangers. I’d advice avoiding wire and plastic hangers altogether. Make sure clothes are clean before storage, as dirt and surface debris can attract clothes moths. Avoid storing your clothes away until they are completely dry. When you store partially wet garments it promotes the growth of mold. Once in a while, keep the doors of your closet open for a while to allow air circulation. It’s also important not to overfill your wardrobe, as clothes need breathing space – this will also prevent wrinkling and colour loss from clothes rubbing together.
TREAT STAINS RIGHT AWAY
As we all know, stains can ruin clothing. Carry a stain removing pen or stick for stain treatment on the go, or be sure to treat any stains as soon as you can. Perfumes, hairspray and other beauty products can damage clothing and build up stains on clothes so avoid spraying on too much perfume directly on clothes and try to dress up after doing your makeup and hair because just a spill of that mascara or lipstick is enough to leave behind a pesky stain on your clothes. Even hairspray can fade the colour of your clothes. Alternatively, you can wrap a thin towel around your shoulders to catch the falls and drips. Learn to protect your clothes! I don’t mean you have to wear a protective shield over your outfit.
However, we should all be protecting them from stains. Also, avoid ironing on stains as ironing on stains can cause the stains to spread further and it gets difficult to clean. Thus, always rewash stained clothes before ironing. If you do happen to get stains, get rid of them as soon as possible
ALWAYS SORT LAUNDRY
Sorting is the first step to laundry. It is important to sort your laundry to protect your clothes from colour transferring, getting pulled due to metal zippers and so on. Sort laundry according to colour, grouping dark, medium and light colours separately. Sorting clothes allows you to use different and appropriate wash cycles to launder and also allows for washing in different appropriate temperature fit for a cloth type. Clothes should be sorted by colour, fabric type, weight and washing requirements.
REPAIR DAMAGE
Instead of tossing out damaged clothes, you can save your favorite pieces and keep them in shape for a longer time by repairing any damage when you first notice it. This is because the damage will likely get worse over time if left unfixed. Some quick fixes include sewing on a button, fixing torn seams, sewing a hem, patching a hole or tear, replacing zippers and slacked elastics etc.
AVOID OVERWASHING AND IRON WITH CARE
Washing clothes like denims, pants, wools etc. frequently can cause damage. Wash them once in a while otherwise; you can always spot-treat the stains if any. To keep them fresh for longer without washing, you can hang them in your bathroom while you’re enjoying a hot shower. This helps refresh the garments. Alternatively, you can use refreshing products to skip the weekly wash.
Ironing removes wrinkles and shrinkage of clothes enabling them to look fresher than before. Ironing also handles the fabric in clothes to boost their quality and guarantee a longer lifespan. There are different kinds of fabric that requires different appropriate temperature setting. For delicate fabrics like rayon, silk, polyester, wool, spandex etc. and outfits which have accessories or work on them, it is advisable to steam-iron those outfits this helps to avoid damage to fancy stones and embellishments on clothing.
Loving your clothes does all the magic! This is the start to seeing your clothes as pieces for life and enhancing sustainable shopping.
Look at your clothes from a whole new perspective by styling them in new ways and incorporating them with different pieces or accessories. When you do this, you expand your wardrobe by creating new outfits with items you already own.
Finding clothes that you truly love can be time-consuming but when you do, you have to keep your favourite pieces happy and delighted.
So now, you can keep your favorite clothes for as long as you can. Try these simple tips and your clothes will last long and stay beautiful.