make clothes last longer

How to Make Clothes Last Longer – Top Tricks & Tips 2024

By Published On: October 9, 2024

How to Make Clothes Last Longer?

In the modern world, there are several changes in trends within a month, so often, we must remember to take our clothes seriously. But it’s not just about repeatedly wearing your favorite outfits but about the need for sustainability and cost-effectiveness. In the long run, you can do away with replacing clothes often, which is cost-saving since your clothes last longer. It also benefits the environment by reducing the demand for damaging fast fashion products that hurt the environment and exhaust resources. 

Apart from self-gratification, caring for your clothes is environmentally friendly. This means fewer utility bills are paid, and the generated textile waste is minimized when fewer garments are manufactured. In this article, I will briefly introduce some of the most effective techniques to allow your clothing to be worn longer. From the Washing tips to the proper storage, scroll down to learn more about how some basic practices will help you and the environment. You might not realize it, but you can help protect the environment simply by reusing your K-cups.

how to make clothes last longer

Always Choose Quality Over Quantity

This is why the excellent quality of the fabrics and quality apparel are always worth the money. It may be compelling to buy cheaper clothes, but they readily get worn out, and the buyer is left with constantly replacing clothes with new ones. Conversely, quality goods will have a longer duration than reduced-quality goods and, therefore, are money-saving devices in the long haul. These garments are typically hard-wearing fabrics that can take abuse and remain usable and attractive.

Not only does quality make clothes last longer, but it also reads better fitting and feels comfortable on the body compared to lower-quality clothes. To be more precise, we can state that when one observes fewer problems, such as frayed seams or loose buttons, the stitch quality is better. 

Cut Down On Wash Frequency And Follow Care Labels

Each time your clothes are washed, they undergo stress, which causes them to fade, shrink, and wear and tear. To increase their wear length, be keen to wash less frequently. Wash them as little as possible, or you can smell something from them when they start getting dirty. Simply drying the clothes after wearing them can make them remain fresh longer than when washed repeatedly.

Cryptic clothing label by Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)

More important is reading the care labels on the garments you wear. Some labels highlight washing, drying, and ironing clothes without harming the fabric. Little things make the difference, such as using cold water, avoiding bleach, or air-drying.

Gentle Washing Techniques And Avoiding The Dryer

A gentle wash would be make clothes last longer; it adds many years to the life of the dress of your garment. While doing this, at the time of washing, select cold water and choose a performer for a gentle cycle that causes minimum friction/pressure on fabrics. Subtle clothing materials reap significance from this method of handling garments as they offer protection against shrinking, stretching, and fading. On this same note, using soft soaps with hand washing will help guard your clothes against harsh chemicals, which can strip fabrics on the long road.

The final issue to avoid regarding clothes care is using a clothes dryer. That’s just because dryer over-stretchess the fabric, erodes its fibers, and causes causes fabricsto  shrink or fade. Air-drying is much gentler when wearing delicate clothing.

Repair, Don’t Replace

Instead of throwing out your clothes the moment they get worn out and ruined, get them repaired. Errant threads, missing buttons, or tiny holes can usually be stitched, and you will not have to buy another piece of clothing. Understanding when simple sewing can be done or where to take garments for mending is crucial so your beloved belongings can last for many years.

Mending your clothes is relatively cheap and friendly to the environment since it will not contribute to the pile of trashed clothes. Most products get trashed just because they possess the slightest scratch, which should be fixed from a more professional point of view. It gives comfort, too, in that one can make alterations to fit well or change their appearance.

Hand washing using soft soaps

Using Proper Care While Storing Your Clothes Away

When done effectively, just as adequately with your clothes, storage make clothes last longer. It is recommended to store clothes when they are clean to prevent the attraction of pests like moths by dirt-stained clothes. Thin materials such as wool or silk must be stored in breathable containers to avoid dust and damage while they get good ventilation. Do not use plastic bags for the same reason; remember to wash them regularly.

When folding and hanging clothes, you must be careful and selective about storing a particular item. These should be folded and not hanging to avoid stretching, while lighter fabrics such as dresses or shirts should be hung on padded hangers for the best shape. Store others, like out-of-season clothes, in a long-term storage area away from heat or moisture.

Rotate Your Wardrobe To Keep Your Clothes Fresh

Wearing an outfit as often as possible will ensure that the clothes last for a long time. It is also wrong to repeatedly wash your favorite clothes, as such clothes are used more and end up wearing out faster. By changing what is worn, each item of clothing is allowed some time to breathe between wears. This cuts down the strain placed on the clothes by the body each day, and as such, they last longer.

It will also make getting dressed less boring and more exciting. Why not rummage through your old clothes and repeat items when they are neatly folded at the back of your closet? Others are friendly ways of changing clothes concerning seasonal changes, such as replacing summer clothes with winter clothes and vice versa. This also helps elongate the time between washings so the fabrics do not wear out.

Use Fabric Protectants And Refreshers

Fabric protectors and fresheners will extend the period in which your clothes look and feel like new. Many fabric protectants are designed to form a layer on top of the fabric and protect it from possible stains, dirt, or even moisture. It also makes washing your clothes a more straightforward process and ensures that dirty stains do not penetrate deep into the fiber of your clothes. There are spray-on fabric protectants available for scent guard of specific apparel like cotton, leather, wool, etc., so they do not change the appearance of the garments but provide an extra layer of shield.

While fabric perfumes add and enhance the aroma of the fabric, fabric refreshers help rejuvenate the smell at intervals between washing. It’s a convenient way of refreshing clothes you usually don’t wash quite often, like jackets or jeans. These products eliminate odors and increase the intervals between washing, reducing unnecessary wear. If you add fabric protectants and refreshers in the clothes washing cycle, your wear will remain in good condition, and damage accumulation will be slowed down.

Washing using fabric protectors

Conclusion: Tiny Tweaks For A Greener Wardrobe

 

Little changes to how one treats make clothes last longer. Indeed, it is possible to prolong the life of individual clothes or an entire wardrobe and encourage sustainable practices such as washing less, washing gently, or using products of higher quality for garments. Every time you repair your garment instead of buying a new one or storing your clothes appropriately, you contribute to decreased waste and a low cost to our planet due to fast fashion.

In this case, you should consider your clothing care regime as a virtue to your clothes and the earth. It all accumulates—the application of fabric protectant sprays or changing between their clothes for weeks. It will also be surprising to note your clothes are more durable and do not wear off quickly, and they’re not likely to appear dingy or old even after wearing them for some time. Accept it, and you’ll make a small change for a sustainable wardrobe that fits your personality and convictions. Combined, we can create a considerable impact, a piece of clothing at a time!

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Written by : Racheal Meullenix

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