Keep your clothes alive and well

How caring for your clothes encourages sustainability

OK what’s this all about – clothes care? Sounds boring. Now I’m not advocating ironing underwear or any of that nonsense but giving our clothes a little TLC can keep them sparkling and help them last longer. It’s less about turning into Martha Stewart and more about cultivating good habits.

So what are the tips?

• Invest in quality
  I believe in building a wardrobe of clothes that we love and caring for the clothes we have. Even items that were acquired from fast fashion brands can be kept looking good with some TLC. That said, it pays to invest in quality clothes, made well from natural fibers. Not only will they last longer, they’ll stay looking good for longer. Well made clothes can last for years and become the vintage of the future. Cheaply made clothes can start to look cheap after a few washes. Check out this blog post about a disintegrating jacket by A petite girl’s guide to…

• Get to know your washing machine settings
  Instead of throwing clothes into the washing machine on the default setting, try hand washing delicate items or using the hand wash or wool setting on your machine. This will help these items last longer and stay looking new.

• Airy clothes made from linen and natural fabrics
  Frequent washing eventually takes it’s toll on even the most well made clothes especially long, high temperature, fast spin washes. Airy, armpit freeing clothes made from linen and natural fibres are a good choice for summer because you don’t need to wash them as frequently or on such harsh settings.
  

• Invest in a good deodorant
  The subject of personal cleaning products could warrant an entire new blog but suffice to say that the armpits of your clothes will thank you for investing in a good fragrance free deodorant that does not leave stains.

• Learn to sew
  Ok I’m not advocating learning how to sew your own clothes from patterns (unless your into that) but investing in a small sewing kit and YouTube learning how to sew on a button or stitch up a small hole and keep your clothes alive for longer.

• Tailors can work wonders
  Perhaps you have once loved clothes that no longer fit or the style isn’t quite right. Before getting rid of such items, ask yourself whether you could get a tailor to make a new item out of your old one.

• Find a good home for your unwanted clothes
  There’ll always be clothes we need to get rid of. Before throwing these in the bin, try to find a home for your unwanted clothes. If they’re in good condition, they can be donated to friends or charity shops. If not, why not try to recycle them? Mixed fabrics can’t always be recycled so why not cut these up and use for cleaning rags?

Please share your tips in the comments.

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