Clothes are among people’s most basic and vital possessions. For some, the clothes they wear speak volumes about their personality, so they take extra care of them in hopes of making them last longer.
In fact, keeping clothes looking new and maintaining their excellent condition for years is a task that others treat very seriously. This is particularly the case with high-end clothes that cost more than a thousand dollars apiece. These items are made of very delicate fabrics that can be easily damaged without the appropriate care.
Take a quick read of these seven inexpensive tricks to make your clothes look like new even after years of wearing them:
Maintain your washer and dryer.
If you want to thoroughly clean your clothes without damaging them, you need to ensure that your washing machine and dryer are both functioning flawlessly. You should hire a licensed washer and dryer repair and maintenance company to maintain their great working condition.
Keep in mind that a dysfunctional dryer or washing machine can cause wear and tear on your clothes, specifically the ones made of delicate fabrics. By hiring professionals to maintain them, you won’t just prolong their service life, but you’ll also protect your clothes against potential damages due to a wayward cleaning machine.
Let vinegar sweeten the laundry deal.
This is one of those top-secret cleaning hacks that could induce sweet smiles from any homemaker. By putting a few drops of vinegar on the washing machine, you can cheaply and easily protect your colored clothes from fading quickly.
Vinegar acts like a magic dye protector that not only guards against premature color fading but also softens the fabric and eliminates the smell that permeated the fabric. In short, vinegar is the cheapest chemical protector for clothes that you can buy.
Mind those labels’ laundry instructions.
Those laundry instructions on clothes are there for a reason, so you should give them justice by reading them carefully and following the manufacturer-issued care instructions. Some clothes are sturdy enough not to require special care procedures to remain looking like new, but there are those really delicate fabrics that do demand extra care when being washed or ironed.
If you’re letting other people wash your clothes, be sure to instruct them to read the labels carefully, so they’ll know how to safely wash and dry them. This simple step could spare you and the one taking care of your laundry potential heartaches and misunderstanding should anything terrible happens to your favorite thousand-dollar clothing.
Keep a stain remover handy.
You have probably experienced more than one instance of spilling something onto your delicate clothes while eating or drinking somewhere. Some sauces and liquids are so strong that even a few minutes of not being washed from a piece of clothing could render the stain almost impossible to remove.
You can easily avoid this scenario by buying some stain sticks and always bringing one with you, especially if you know that you’ll be drinking or having meals. This way, you can always take out the stain remover from your bag or pockets and quickly apply it to your stained clothing.
Mind your personal hygiene practices.
It may seem like a no-brainer of a thing, but you’ll be surprised how many people have bad personal hygiene that actually leads to rapid clothing deterioration. Of course, you should not follow their examples and instead ensure that you’ll wear proper intimate clothing, have regular showers, and wear delicate deodorants, among others. By maintaining great hygiene, you won’t inadvertently cause your clothes to deteriorate too soon.
Go easy on those iron.
No matter how enjoyable or boring ironing clothes may seem to you, it’s important for you to always iron clothes with care. By this, it means you should set the iron to recommended temperature or heat settings based on the kind of fabric that you’re dealing with. Simply refer to this guide to know what heat level you should set your iron to based on the type of fabric you’re ironing.
Additionally, you should either have a water spray ready to facilitate easier ironing or invest in a garment steamer to straighten out your clothes. Some advocate ironing with a sprinkle of water while some swear that steaming is the better and safer option when dealing with clothes.
Ditch washing altogether.
Not all clothes should be washed after being worn; in fact, some can be worn several times with proper care.
For example, those blue jeans you merely wore for two hours to run a quick grocery errand don’t have to be tossed to the laundry and be washed at once. The truth is that you can wear it at least two times more, especially if each wear lasts only a few minutes or hours and if you hardly sweat or get the clothes dirty.
Just follow these tips and you’ll surely keep your clothes looking brand-new for longer.
