For many of us, clothing is more than just something we use to keep warm. It’s a full-fledged hobby and passion, not to mention, an investment. Investing your money in quality clothing can help increase your confidence, and increase the overall return on your investment. After all, if you put your money into high-quality brands that are well-made, you’re less likely to have to continue buying the same items of clothing over and over again.
Yet, if you’re going to buy high-quality brands, what’s the point if you’re not going to take care of them? If you’re looking for ways to extend the life of your garments, here are some of the best ways to do so.
Follow Care Instructions
One of the most straightforward and effective things you can do to extend the life of your clothing is to follow care instructions. Many people want to stray away from the instructions, for whatever reason, and more often than not this ends in clothing shrinking, fading, or losing its elasticity. Follow care instructions carefully and you’ll find the clothing lasts much longer. If something says it needs to be dry cleaned only, then by all means only dry clean it! If it needs to be washed on cold and hung to air dry, then follow those instructions carefully!
Don’t Overwear
Regardless of how much you love something, if you’re going to wear it every single day, then eventually it’s going to wear out. Try to rotate your clothing, rather than wearing the same thing repetitively. The more you give your clothing or rest, the less likely it is to wear out prematurely or get damaged.
Store Properly
Many people follow all the rules when it comes to taking care of their clothing, yet when it comes to proper storage, they often throw their clothes on the floor or crumple them into a drawer. Proper clothing storage is essential if you hope to maintain its form. Your clothing should be folded and stacked in an orderly fashion or hung up as needed.
While initially it may seem like a challenge to constantly fold and hang things up, once you get into the habit, it will come naturally. Not only will it make your clothes last longer, but it will make you feel that much more comfortable in your living environment. When you see clothes strewn all over the floor, it creates a sense of chaos and disorder!
Air Dry as Much as Possible
As convenient as dryers are, they are clothing’s worst enemy. Dryers should be used only for tough fabrics like jeans and towels. Cotton shirts and wool sweaters should always be hung out to dry, whether in the sun or indoors on a clothing rack.
It’s not always convenient to air dry, and it certainly takes longer, however, you can almost double the life of your clothing if you keep it away from the dryer.
If you have a damp home, consider putting your clothing rack next to an open window, or next to a radiator in winter. This will help it dry faster, and avoid unpleasant smells.
