Last June, we made style guides for both boys and girls, but do you know how to keep the clothes last long and look new every time you wear them? We always have to remember that buying new clothes comes with great responsibility and when I say responsibility, I mean that we need to take care of them as much as they make us look fab and sharp. Besides, we’re not as rich as Paris Hilton who can shop for new clothes anytime and throw away a shirt or a dress because it lost a button or two. I know that taking care of clothes is one of the few things Mom will do for us, but I think if we can buy our own pair of jeans, we should be ones the taking care of it.
Look on the bright side: if you took care of your clothes and they got out of season, you can keep them and when they’re in season again, you won’t have to buy new ones.
Read on for tips to keep your garments looking new and make them last for seasons to come:
Do your laundry the right way.
Washing your clothes is the leading reason why they wear out. So it’s best to learn a few simple ways to preserve your clothes and still keep then clean. Here’s how:
Wash by Fabric Type, Not by Color
Sorting your clothes by fabric type is not only a good way to cut down on your energy bill, but it’s also a good way to keep a t-shirt alive for a long time. The idea is pretty straight forward: when you wash t-shirts together they live longer because they don’t have buttons, zippers, or anything else beating them up in the washer. It’s also a good idea to flip any silk screened shirts inside out to help preserve the image longer and you can also add a pinch of pepper to the wash to keep the colors bright. If you really want to prevent wear, skip the dryer all together and let them air dry.
Leaving the zipper down on your pants and jackets means it can get caught up in things and attack any other clothes you have in the wash with it (including other jackets and jeans). When you zip them up they don’t flail around and don’t come out of the dryer bent up all weird.
For Everything Else, Follow the Directions
With proper care most clothes can last a really long time. This is especially the case with jackets and sweaters, but only if you follow the directions and clean them properly. Dry cleaning isn’t really the most fun way to take care of clothes, but if you want them to last and the label recommends it then it’s your best option.
Ironing shirts are really a pain in the ass. Especially long-sleeved shirts, you iron one side and then the other one and you’ll have to iron the other side again because it got wrinkled again. Use fabric conditioner or starch if you want to but I still prefer water.
If you want to iron out or clean your blazers/suits, I suggest you have it dry cleaned but not too often. Some dry cleaning companies use harsh chemicals that might ruin your suit. If want to take matters to your hands, use a steamer to iron your suit to prevent burning some parts of the suit.
When storing clothes in the closet, I usually prefer my clothes to be hanged–it prevents your clothes from getting wrinkled and it lets the clothes breathe and prevents moisture from building up. Never use wire hangers because they create creases that deform your shirts and are very difficult to remove. Always use plastic and wooden hangers for your shirts. And for your blazers/suits, use either wood/plastic suit hangers because they preserve the suit shoulders’ form nicely.
Brush your Suits and Trousers
I know that brushing your suit is weird and does it really need to be brushed? And the answer is YES. All it takes is 30 seconds and a clean brush with stiff bristles to clean your clothes after each wearing. Brushing your suit/trousers after each wear is important because it removes the dirt and food that has accumulated on the outer layers before they have the chance to settle into the fabric. Once this happens, the fabric can be damaged as the food bits decompose and/or attract insects. A huge upside to brushing your clothing is that it can double to triple the time between visits to the cleaners – simply brush and air out and you’ll be ready to go in 24 hours.
Storage for clothes that shouldn’t be hanged
Unfortunately, you can’t wear your favorite clothes all the time (unless all your clothes are your favorite clothes) and you have to stick them in a closet or drawer every once and awhile. To that end, it’s generally recommended you fold sweaters and t-shirts to help them last longer because putting them on hangers can stretch them out.
Mending your clothes
You don’t need mom’s help or a seamstress to keep your clothes in order. You only need to know how to hold a thread and string to replace buttons or patch small holes. For sweaters, you can easily mend a snag using nail polish and if all else fails, you can recover your printed shirt by cutting out the image and sewing it onto a new one.
We all love our shoes and we even love them more that our shirts and jeans. Here are some tips on how to make you shoes last long and look new.
- Neaten up the frayed ends of shoelaces (and make it easier to lace them) by dipping them in clear nail polish.
- Remove scuff marks on shoes by rubbing with a baking-soda paste.
- Use petroleum jelly to shine leather shoes. Apply with a soft cloth, wipe off the excess, and buff with a clean cloth.
- Spray furniture polish on shoes, then buff with a clean, dry cloth.
- Use a light coating of spray starch on new fabric tennis shoes before wearing them — dirt can’t become embedded in the canvas, and the shoes will always be easy to clean.
- Clean the rubber on athletic shoes with baking soda sprinkled on a sponge or washcloth.
- Use lemon juice to clean and shine black or tan leathers. Apply with a soft cloth.
- To keep shoes shiny after you’ve polished them, spray them with hair spray.
- Hand lotion can be used to shine shoes. Just put a dab on each shoe, rub in with your fingers, and buff.
- Clean the salt residue common on winter boots with a cloth dipped in a solution of 1 cup water and 1 tablespoon vinegar. This will work on leather and vinyl.
- Use a soft cloth dipped in vinegar to shine a pair of patent-leather shoes or any patent-leather item.
- Shoes that are starting to smell can be helped by sprinkling with a little salt. Let sit overnight. The salt will help control moisture, which contributes to odors.
- Keep smelly feet at bay by sprinkling baking soda into shoes to control odor and moisture.
There you go, tips on how to take care of your clothes. Just remember buying new clothes is a piece of cake; maintaining them needs hard work and dedication.
photo credit: JLM Photography. Ricky Romero filtran via photopin cc
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